UAA Archives Project Assistant (Student)

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 9,000 - 10,000; Part time

Job summary

American University is seeking a part-time Archives Student Project Assistant to process archival collections donated by the USAID Alumni Association. The role reports to the Associate Archivist for Collections Management, Access, and Discovery and involves processing per plan, researching collections, arranging and describing materials, and creating finding aids.

The student may greet visitors and support reading room operations.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Strong organization, analytical, research, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills; able to work with others and independently.

Responsibilities

• Organize, arrange, and describe new and legacy archival collections using provided tools and workflows.
• Handle archival materials with care and perform basic preservation measures as instructed.
• Follow archival arrangement, description, and preservation standards.

Skills

Organization

Analytical skills

Research skills

Attention to detail

Written communication

Adaptability

Microsoft Office 365

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office 365 Suite

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Teams

Job description

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, and Contribute to Your University Community.

This position is available only to enrolled American University students.

Most student positions at American University are eligible to use Federal Work Study (FWS) awards, with a few exceptions. FWS funds cannot be applied to janitorial, construction, partisan or sectarian positions. For information or questions regarding FWS funds, please contact American University's Office of Financial Aid.

Department:

Archives Operations

Time Type:

Part time

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Job Description:

Summary:

AU Archives & Special Collections is seeking applicants for an Archives Student Project Assistant responsible for processingarchival collections donated by the USAID Alumni Association.Working under the supervision of the Associate Archivist forCollections Management, Access, and Discovery, the incumbent will be responsible for all actions involved in archival processing for assigned collections including following a processing plan, researching the collection and creator, collection organization, arrangement, and description, completion of basic preservation measures, and completion of a collection finding aid. In addition, the student assistant may welcome visitors when entering archives and help the office team maintain staff presence in the Reading Room as needed. This position is ideally suited for a student with a strong attention to detail and an interest in working with archival collections.

Essential Functions:

• Organize, arrange, and describe new and legacy collectionsusing provided tools, systems, and workflows.
• Handle all archival collections materials with care and performbasic preservation measures as instructed.
• Adhere to provided archival arrangement, description, andpreservation standards.
• Track and document project progress using provided tools andproject plans such as MS Excel, Word, and Teams, etc. in order tomeet deadlines.
• Assist office staff with routine administrative functions suchas welcoming visitors to Archives.
• Assist with reference requests by retrieving collectionsmaterials and staffing the reading room, as needed.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Part-time.
• 10 hours per week.

Salary Range:

• $18.40 per hour.

Required Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or its equivalent.
• Excellent organization, analytical, research, andproblem-solving skills. Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work collegiallywith others and independently, and the ability to communicateverbally and in writing.
• The ability to write clearly and legibly using providedformatting guidelines.
• Ability to learn and adapt to new workflows, tools, andtechnologies.
• Reliable and responsive to communication and feedback in atimely manner.
• Ability to lift items up to 40 pounds and retrieve materialsfrom shelves that are seven feet high.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Preference is given to students enrolled in the School ofInternational Service.
• Familiarity with archives and special collections andexperience researching with primary sources.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Office 365 Suiteapplications, including Excel, Word, and Teams.
• An interest in learning about archival work.
• Applicants with knowledge of international development andinternational relations may be preferred.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Applicants must be able to work 10 hours per week Tuesday -Friday 9am - 5 pm in-person in shifts of 4 hours or longer at theSpring Valley Building. The Student Assistant will be expected tomaintain a regular schedule set with their supervisor.
• This position requires both legible handwriting and proficiencyin using computer applications and web-based databases.
• The Student Assistant will be expected to use Microsoft 365applications for work-related tasks and communication.
• The Student Assistant may need to bring and use their ownlaptop computer for work. If a personal laptop is not available,alternative arrangements will be provided.
• The office workspace temperature is regularly set at 63 degreesFahrenheit.
• It is highly recommended that a cover letter and resumebesubmitted as attachments to the online application.

Other Details

• This position is available only to enrolled AmericanUniversity students.
• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover orcontain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties orresponsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any timewith orwithout notice.
• American University is an E-Verify employer.
• Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment andbenefits.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.