Senior Archivist – Barnard College – NYC, NY

sjudlis; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnard Library in New York seeks a Senior Archivist to lead processing of archival collections, provide reference services, and guide student staff in archival work. The role centers on collaboration with a Director of Archives and Special Collections and a team dedicated to accessibility of historical materials.

The Senior Archivist will coordinate reading room activities, support digitization projects, and deliver basic archival instruction.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library and information science or equivalent.
• 5–7 years of archival experience including instruction, reference, programming, and/or outreach.
• Experience with processing archival collections and supervising student staff.
• Ability to collaborate with campus partners and manage projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide in-person and remote reference and research support to students, scholars, and visitors.
• Coordinate reading room activities, including researcher and classroom visits.
• Support imaging services, including on-demand and project-based digitization.
• Deliver introductory primary source instruction sessions orienting students to Archives research.
• Contribute to compiling statistics about archival collections and their use.

Skills

Accessioning

ArchivesSpace

Archipelago

Islandora

Archive-It

DACS & MARC

Digital preservation

Reference & instruction

Verbal & written communication

Education

MLS or equivalent

Tools

ArchivesSpace

Archipelago

Islandora

Archive-It

DACS

MARC

Job description

Reporting to the Director of Archives and Special Collections within the Barnard Library, the Senior Archivist processes, or facilitates the processing of archival collections, serves as the first point of contact for reference services, and coordinates activities in the Barnard Archives and Special Collections reading room. Working in a team environment, the Senior Archivist provides guidance to undergraduate and graduate student staff engaged in archival work.

This position is primarily in-person, with flexibility for remote work as needed.

Job Description:

Reference & Instruction Support

• Provides in-person and remote reference and research support to a diverse range of students, scholars, and visitors.
• Coordinates activities in the reading room, including researcher and classroom visits.
• Supports imaging services, including on-demand and project-based digitization.
• With the Director, provides introductory primary source instruction sessions that orient students and faculty to the Archives and to archival research in general.
• Contributes to compiling statistics about archival collections and their use.

Processing & Description

• Arranges and describes archival records in all formats in accordance with established archival theory and standards.
• Periodically appraises and accessions institutional records, in accordance with existing records retention and disposition schedules, and in collaboration with the Office of General Counsel (OGC), the President’s Office, BCIT, Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE), and other stakeholders.
• With the Director, educates campus partners on identifying and saving institutional records of enduring historical value for transfer to the Archives as needed.
• With the Director, assists in accessioning manuscripts and personal papers from sources external to the college.

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Expertise in archival accessioning, processing, and description practices, and experience with managing complex processing projects or programs.
• Experience with archival management software such as ArchivesSpace; digital collections software such as Archipelago or Islandora; web archiving software such as Archive-It; and other archival platforms.
• Experience with library and archival descriptive and content standards, including DACS, EAD, MARC, LCSH, and LCNA.
• Experience with processing digital materials, and digital preservation.
• Experience performing archival reference and ability to work with a diverse range of students and other scholars.
• Knowledge of rights administration and management issues for archival collections.
• Flexibility and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm and strategies for making archives collections more broadly accessible.
• Demonstrated critical analysis of archives or the archives profession
• Evidence of effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library and information science or equivalent program.
• 5-7 years of experience with archival or related work, including experience with instruction, reference, programming, and/or outreach.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a university, college, cultural heritage institution, non-profit, or comparable setting.
• Experience teaching archival workshops in an academic environment
• Experience supervising student staff.

Salary Range: $78,000 – $86,000