Community & Oral History Archivist (Assistant Librarian) – Utah State University Libraries

Oral History; Utah; On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Utah State University Libraries seeks a collaborative, service-oriented Archivist to lead Community & Oral History outreach within the Special Collections & Archives. The role includes coordinating programs, cultivating partnerships, and promoting the Fife Folklore Archive.

The Archivist will oversee oral history projects and develop access to the FFA collections, engaging university and community partners through instruction, exhibitions, programming, and outreach opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate SCA’s community outreach and engagement activities.
• Serve as oral history specialist, ensuring standards and best practices for projects.

Job description

Utah State University (USU) Libraries seek a collaborative, innovative, and service-oriented professional to serve as the Community & Oral History Archivist within the Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives (SCA) section. The Archivist will be responsible for coordination of SCA’s community outreach and engagement activities, including programs and events. They will actively cultivate new relationships and promote ongoing relationships with community partners across the region. In conjunction with this role, the Archivist will serve as SCA’s oral history specialist, ensuring that the unit’s efforts in planning and executing oral history projects follow professional standards and best practices. The Archivist is also responsible for developing, preserving, and providing access to the Libraries’ Fife Folklore Archive (FFA) collections, with a focus on the Intermountain West. The archivist will actively engage university and community partners to acquire new materials, provide reference services, and promote the Fife collections through instruction, exhibition, programming, and outreach.

The FFA is one of the largest repositories of American folklore in the United States. Established in 1972, the Archives comprise an integral part of USU’s cultural heritage resources. The FFA is named for folklorists Austin E. and Alta S. Fife, Utahans who helped shape the field of folklore and worked to preserve the folk expressions of the American West. The FFA is home to more than seventy collections, including ethnographic collections, student fieldwork collections, and Austin and Alta Fife’s fieldwork collections. SCA is also the home to the historical American Folklore Society Manuscript Collection. The successful applicant will work in a collaborative environment with support for professional growth and development.

USU Libraries is currently wrapping up a realignment process that will position the Libraries to be agile and at the forefront of changing user needs. We anticipate this will be completed Fall 2023. Please note that these new alignments may not be reflected on the Libraries’ website or public presences until the end of the process. Current information on the new organizational structure can be requested from Clint Pumphrey or Andrea Payant. The successful applicant will report to the chair overseeing curation, outreach, and community engagement.

The position is a 12-month, tenure track faculty appointment with rank as Assistant Librarian. The position is open fall 2023 and the start date is negotiable.