Archives Assistant
About Our Job
The Denver Public Library (DPL) isn't just a place to borrow books; it's a vibrant, essential hub for our diverse city. As a growing urban library system with 28 locations and over 4 million annual visitors, we're deeply woven into the fabric of Denver. Join a team where your values align with your work. At the Denver Public Library, we're not just serving our community; we're building a culture guided by values that empower both our staff and the public.
Welcoming
- We make our resources, services, and expertise accessible for all, recognizing the inherent dignity in each person, and providing safe places where everyone can be themselves.
Curiosity
- We foster a culture of exploration, innovation, and forward thinking by creating environments that support learning and growth.
Connection
- We are neighbors. We foster relationships, listen and act to build and strengthen our community. We bring people together to share information, ideas, and experiences.
Equity
- We work to change inequitable practices, structures, and policies, and attitudes that drive them, to provide opportunities for every person in our community to thrive.
Stewardship
- We are accountable to our community, using our resources responsibly. We lead with honesty and integrity, protect privacy, and preserve and share the full history of our Denver community.
About Our Job
The Denver Public Library (DPL) is hiring 2 Archives Assistant positions for a 2-year limited-term role. In this position, you will improve customer experiences by providing behind-the-scenes support for the library’s growing collection of 6,000+ archival collections. You will work with and shape archival collections by accessioning (recording and describing material to officially transfer newly acquired collections to the library) papers, photographs, and born-digital collections. You’ll gain expertise organizing and searching for records in our institutional archives. Your focus will be accessioning and describing an unprocessed backlog of archival material in the African American Research Library collection. Tasks may include reviewing papers, photographs and objects and creating descriptive inventories. You will contribute to museum inventory projects such as rehousing and identifying physical objects within existing collections, in addition to improving upon descriptions within the ARL collection. You will work with museum and library collections specialists to help care for physical objects and paper-based collections to make them accessible to the public. This role will occasionally travel between the two SCA repositories in downtown Denver. This position is an excellent opportunity for someone considering library, museum, or archives work as a career, or for someone in the early stages of obtaining higher education in those fields.
What You Would Bring
- An interest in archives and special collections work in a public library setting.
- Ability to creatively problem-solve, negotiate, and handle stressful situations in a positive manner.
- Passion for archives and special collections work in a public library setting, knowledge of the history of African Americans in the American West with an emphasis on Denver and Colorado.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Strong writing and communication skills.
- Finds following workflows satisfying and thrives on attention to detail.
- Strong customer service skills.
- Skill at managing multiple projects at once.
- Ability to use workplace technology effectively including email, calendar, internet, video conferencing, searching databases, creating spreadsheets.
- Excellent problem solving skills.
- Ability to teach and assist volunteers with technology and new processes.
- Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative, innovation and flexibility, including proposing process improvements.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, positive attitude, cultural sensitivity, and a sense of humor in working with customers, coworkers, and community members.
Minimum Qualifications
- Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET, or TASC Certificate.
- Three (3) years of full performance office support/clerical work.
Preferred Qualifications
- Three (3) years of work experience in a customer service-driven, detail-oriented environment.
About Our Team
The Special Collections and Archives (SCA) unit at Denver Public Library comprises two archival repositories: at the Central Library, and the African American Research Library at Blair-Caldwell Library. Our team of over thirty librarians, archivists, and paraprofessionals are committed to exceptional access, preservation, and customer service for our world-class collections.
About Our Position
DPL is hiring 2 Archives Assistant 2-year limited-term position. In this position you will improve customer experiences by providing behind-the-scenes support for the library’s growing collection of 6,000+ archival collections. You will work with and shape archival collections by accessioning (recording and describing material to officially transfer newly acquired collections to the library) papers, photographs, and born-digital collections. You’ll gain expertise organizing and searching for records in our institutional archives. Your focus will be accessioning and describing an unprocessed backlog of archival material in the African American Research Library collection. Tasks may include reviewing papers, photographs and objects and creating descriptive inventories. You will contribute to museum inventory projects such as rehousing and identifying physical objects within existing collections, in addition to improving upon descriptions within the ARL collection. You will work with museum and library collections specialists to help care for physical objects and paper-based collections to make them accessible to the public. This role will occasionally travel between the two SCA repositories in downtown Denver. This position is an excellent opportunity for someone considering library, museum, or archives work as a career, or for someone in the early stages of obtaining higher education in those fields.
Unrivaled Benefits
- The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience.
- We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but is not limited to:
- Four (4) Medical Plans, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Pension Plan for Life (employee contributes 8.45%, employer contributes 17.95%) and 457 (b) Retirement Plan
- PTO (over 3 weeks in your first year), quarterly wellness hours, and 12 paid holidays
CARE Bank, Family Leave Benefits
- Enhanced Work/Life Balance: Employee Assistance Program (6 counseling sessions per year, legal assistance, financial counseling, discounted recreation center passes)
- Employee Volunteer Program
- Professional Learning and Development Opportunities; Courses and Career Development Resources; Education Refund Program
- EcoPass (unlimited free RTD bus/train rides)
Application & Additional Info
Ensure that the 'Work Experience' section of the application is complete and contains all relevant work experience related to the position that you are applying for. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Job postings will close at 12AM on the posted ending date. If interested in this opportunity, please apply as soon as possible.
Offer of employment contingent upon successful completion of criminal history and employment verification
About Everything Else
Job Profile LC1504 Administrative Support Assistant IV To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.
Position Type
Library Hiring Range $22.53 - $28.17 Target Pay Agency Denver Public Library Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.
Assessment Requirement
The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.