Details
Posted: 23-Jun-22
Location: USA - MA - Boston
Type: Full-time
Salary: Open
The Collections Services Archivist (CSA) is responsible for an innovative program that establishes physical and intellectual control over the Center's internationally renowned holdings, from accession through final processing and description. The CSA collaborates with, and provides leadership for, Center staff responsible for using appropriate-level strategies for processing and describing unique manuscript collections and archival records, including audio, audiovisual, and electronic records to ensure their accessibility, use, and preservation. The CSA also plays a lead role in current Center projects, including implementing ArchivesSpace, building content for the Center's Dataverse and Omeka instances, helping implement EAC-CPF, and participating in library-wide digital initiatives.
To meet these responsibilities, the CSA manages and continually improves the descriptive program, including: Leading projects and initiatives; developing and revising policies and procedures; managing upgrades and changes in technology and technical standards; staying current on changes in local and national technical standards;
communicating, interpreting, and assisting in implementing change; and applying standards, departmental policy, and procedures in order to accession, catalog, arrange, describe, preserve, and make accessible Center holdings using University and Countway library standards, systems, and tools such as MARC, EAD, Dublin Core, Aleph/HOLLIS, OASIS, the DRS, the Dataverse, and Omeka.
The CSA leads and supervises permanent, term, and less than half-time (LHT) staff engaged in descriptive activities for manuscripts and archival records, including assisting them in developing workplans, reviewing their progress and products, providing training as needed, and resolving conflicts arising from the application of policies and standards. The CSA acts as the Center's liaison to the University's archival description committees/projects and collaborates with colleagues in the Center, Countway Library, the Harvard Library system and profession, and carries out other duties as assigned and as necessitated by the needs of the Center and/or made possible by the incumbent's subject strengths or technical skills. Additionally, the CSA contributes to the Center's culture of evaluation, including maintaining processing metrics and statistics.
This position is based in Boston and some in-person on-campus work will be required, and flexible/remote work is an option. Any remote work must be performed in a state in which Harvard is registered to do business (CA*, CT, MA, MD, ME, NH, NY, RI, and VT). Individual flexible and remote work options for this role will be discussed during the interview process. *Note: Harvard employees working in California must be exempt.
The University requires all Harvard community members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccine boosters, as detailed in
Harvard's Vaccine & Booster Requirements. Individuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. More information regarding the University's COVID vaccination requirement, exemptions, and verification of vaccination status may be found at the University's
- Master's degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent accredited advanced degree in a related discipline, such as archival studies.
- Three years professional experience in archival/manuscript collection processing and description.
- Strong MARC cataloging and EAD knowledge and experience; familiarity with RDA and EAC-CPF.
- Demonstrated use of DACS for generating descriptions of manuscript materials and archival records; familiarity with Dublin Core and other metadata schema.
- Demonstrated experience in developing processing plans, policies, and procedures, and processing large mixed-format collections.
- Familiarity with audio-visual materials, digital objects, electronic records management, digital/data repositories, and research data management.
- Supervisory experience; demonstrated ability to manage workflow and multiple tasks, attention to detail and complex problem-solving skills.
- Familiarity with accepted conservation and preservation methods of special collections.
- Experience with a variety of cataloging software and approaches.
- History of innovation and professional commitment/service; high degree of comfort with technology and strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as collaborate in a team environment in a cooperative and collegial fashion.
- Flexibility, versatility, and tolerance for change are essential in this fast-paced work environment.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
