Archivist – The Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley

About the role

The University of California, Berkeley is seeking an Archivist to join the technical services team in The Bancroft Library. Reporting to the Head of Technical Services and working under the leadership of the Head of Archival Accessioning and Processing, the Archivist performs access-forward accessioning and processing for collections in a range of formats and sizes.

Responsibilities

• Accession and process new and existing archival collections in all formats (analog and born-digital) as assigned by the Head of Archival Accessioning and Processing and in accordance with national standards and best practices as well as local policies;
• Create collection-level MARC records in OCLC and Alma;
• Create online finding aids and publishing them on the Online Archive of California;
• Utilize relevant content and structural standards, including DACS, RDA, EAD, and MARC;
• Utilize tools used in special collections and archives (e.g., ArchivesSpace, Alma/Primo, digital asset management systems, BitCurator, OpenRefine, Oxygen, MarcEdit);
• Participate with other staff in the iterative development and implementation of accessioning and processing policies, procedures, workflows, and best practices;
• Participate with other staff in the collaborative management of the local instance of ArchivesSpace;
• Direct and coordinate the work of student employees and assistants;
• On occasion, support curators and acquisitions staff in the field for collection appraisal and packing;
• Collaborate with The Bancroft Library’s Digital Collections Unit on metadata creation for digital materials;
• Apply project management strategies to accessioning and processing work;
• Contribute to the work of gathering metrics, tracking progress, and regularly reporting to ensure alignment with Library operational and strategic goals;
• Serve regular shifts on The Bancroft Library’s Reading Room desks and collaborate on requests for access to unprocessed collections;
• Move, shelve, and organize archival boxes and record cartons;
• Serve on department, Library, and/or University-wide committees, task forces, or working groups; contribute to the national and international reputation of The Bancroft Library and the UC Berkeley Library through professional research, service, and collaboration with appropriate colleagues and organizations; and maintain up-to-date professional knowledge of current trends and best practices in archives, special collections, and technology to encourage innovation and ensure the excellence of Bancroft Technical Services.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree;
• Two or more years of work experience accessioning and/or processing archival materials;
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience using archival accessioning and processing standards and principles across a multitude of formats (manuscripts, born-digital, AV, photographs, objects, etc.);
• Demonstrated experience using varying levels of processing and extensible approaches in creating access to archival collections;
• Proven track record of balancing high-volume processing with the oversight of multiple concurrent archival projects;
• Demonstrated experience in managing competing priorities within a technical services environment;
• Demonstrated experience delegating tasks and managing student labor to maintain momentum on multiple processing initiatives;
• Demonstrated project management experience, including managing multiple projects at a time, adjusting priorities, and consistently meeting deadlines;
• Demonstrated ability to work well independently and collaboratively, with the flexibility to manage change and reprioritizations;
• Proven ability to interact with diverse staff and the public and to work collegially and prioritize excellent service;
• Demonstrated experience or familiarity with collection development and archival appraisal;
• Demonstrated experience with using and participating in the development of archival collection management systems (e.g., ArchivesSpace);
• Demonstrated commitment to learning new technologies, including using AI tools for archival work;
• Knowledge of and familiarity with acquiring, preserving, and providing access to born-digital collections;
• Proficiency with XML editors, Text Editors, and MarcEdit;
• Demonstrated commitment to the Library’s values.

Application Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.;
• Cover Letter;
• References (contact information only).