Student Archival Stacks Assistant - Federal Work Study (Student Wage)

uva; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 22,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Virginia's Albert & Shirley Small Special Collections Library seeks a Federal work-study student to assist Technical Services in organizing and shelving archival materials. The role requires a minimum commitment of 7 hours per week, with scheduling reliability in a cold environment.

Responsibilities include labeling, barcoding, inventory control, and preparing materials for transfers. Additional duties may involve projects for the Technical Services team; background checks are

Qualifications

• Able to handle rare and special materials with care.
• Experience with Word and Excel.
• Lift up to 40 lbs and work in a cold environment.
• Use ladders, book trucks, and other library equipment.
• Handwriting samples may be requested.

Responsibilities

• Organize and shift archival boxes and materials per shelving.
• Confirm call numbers against catalog records and shelve materials.
• Label and barcode boxes and maintain inventories.
• Assist in preparing collection materials for transfers to off-site storage.
• Retrieve manuscript, university archive, and rare book materials for researchers and support reading room use.
• Collaborate on special projects for Technical Services team as needed.

Skills

Organizational skills

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Lifting up to 40 lbs

Handwriting legibly

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Current UVA student

Federal Work-Study required

Tools

Library equipment (ladders, book trucks)

Job description

Federal work-study students only

Overview

This position reports to the Archivist in Technical Services unit and requires a minimum commitment of 7 hours per week while reliably maintaining a work schedule. The work area's temperature is generally below 65 degrees Fahrenheit to better preserve the collections, so employees should dress accordingly.

Main duties

• Organize and shift archival boxes and other materials according to complex shelving arrangements.
• Confirm call numbers against library catalog records and shelve newly cataloged archival materials.
• Label and barcode boxes and ensure accuracy with inventories.
• Assist in the preparation of collection materials for transfers to off-site storage.
• When needed, properly retrieve manuscript , university archive , and rare book materials for researcher requests and use in the reading room. This work includes working and communicating with Public Services staff.
• Additional duties may include individual projects assisting Technical Services team members as necessary.

Required Qualifications

The ability to handle rare and special materials with care is required . This position requires excellent organizational skills, experience using Microsoft Word and Excel, the ability to lift boxes that weigh up to 40 lbs . , working in a cold environment, and the ability to use ladders, book trucks, and other types of library equipment to retrieve and reshelve materials. The ability to handwrite neatly and leg ibly is also required and a handwriting sample may be requested.

Good communication skills; reliability in scheduling; accuracy and attention to detail; ability to multi-task and finish tasks in a timely manner; ability to use strong analytical skills; ability to work and solve problems independently, as well as closely with others; ability to work in a restrictive, high security environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in a special collections library or archive, or any library work experience; familiarity with the Library of Congress Classification system; experience with reading varied call number systems; familiarity with 18 th , 19 th , and 20 th century materials; familiarity with rare book and archival principles and practices ; f amiliarity with U.S. and Virginia history, or American literature. Foreign language skills are a plus.

Compensation : $16.71/hr. A vailable to undergraduate and graduate students beginning August 25, 2026, and ending May 14, 2027.

Scheduled Hours : 10 hours per week. Working hours are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday.

For more information about the Albert & Shirley Small Special Collections Library, please visit http://small.library.virginia.edu/

Passing a background check is required for this position.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Resume required. Cover letter optional.

Education: Current UVA students. Federal Work-Sudy required.

Experience: None

Licensure: None

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The ability to handle rare and special materials with care is required. The ability to lift boxes that weigh up to 40 lbs . , working in a cold environment, and the ability to use ladders, book trucks, and other types of library equipment to retrieve and reshelve materials.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment .