Digital Archivist

About the Role

The Digital Archivist helps collect, accession, process, preserve, and provide access to born-digital materials documenting the history of Syracuse University and our global society. Reporting to SCRC’s Lead Archivist, the Digital Archivist works with the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and the Department of Digital Stewardship (DDS) to develop and implement policies, standards, and procedures supporting the acquisition, processing, and creation of access to born-digital materials in SCRC collections. Materials may include email, web content, and born-digital files extracted from legacy physical media.

The Digital Archivist advises and assists with the acquisition of born-digital materials, processes and describes them, and collaborates with SCRC and DDS staff to make them available for research and classroom use. The role works directly with the Digital Preservation Librarian to ensure secure maintenance and persistent access to born-digital assets. The Digital Archivist also plays a key role in applying a reparative framework to the acquisition and description of born-digital materials.

Responsibilities

• Arrange and describe born-digital and hybrid archival collections and create DACS-compliant EAD finding aids.
• Develop, implement, and regularly update policies and workflows for processing born-digital archival collection materials, working collaboratively with SCRC and DDS staff.
• Coordinate the transfer of digital materials from a variety of current and legacy storage media and external server locations.
• Ensure that the department follows appropriate professional standards for descriptive, structural, and administrative metadata for born-digital materials where needed.
• Ensure that SCRC’s born-digital content is accessible in accordance with University and donor restrictions, federal law, and copyright regulations.
• Review, identify, and potentially redact personal and other confidential information protected by federal law or University policy in born-digital files.
• Remain current with emerging technologies, standards, and best practices in digital archiving and apply this knowledge to support the long-term accessibility and discoverability of born-digital collections.
• Collaborate with SCRC and DDS staff to implement discovery and access for born-digital materials.
• Work with SCRC instruction staff and University faculty to provide access to archival born-digital materials for classroom use.
• Advise on community archiving for student organizations and local historically underrepresented communities.
• Assist curators and University Archives staff in facilitating the acquisition and/or transfer of born-digital materials and collaborate with partners such as donors, campus offices, University Records Management, Libraries IT, and DDS as needed.
• Lead the SCRC web archiving program in close collaboration with the University Archivist and curators.
• Facilitate appraisal of born-digital materials.
• Identify, collect, and assist in preserving born-digital content for special projects.
• Engage in activities that contribute to the advancement of the Libraries, the university, and the library profession, including participating on teams, committees, or special projects; chairing or organizing workshops, conferences, or professional events; publishing; or conducting research that results in a publication or conference presentation.
• Maintain awareness of professional developments, issues, and practices through research and activities that increase one’s knowledge and abilities.

Requirements

• ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Science degree or related advanced degree.
• At least two years of full-time experience arranging and describing born-digital and physical materials in a special collections or archives.

Qualifications

• Digital Archives Specialist certification from the Society of American Archivists or equivalent education and experience (desired).
• Knowledge of and experience with professional archival standards, best practices, and technologies for capturing, accessing, arranging, describing, preserving, and transferring digital archival materials, including web archiving.
• Significant understanding of laws and ethics that inform digital archives and digitization activities in a higher education environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate and work effectively with technical and non-technical staff, faculty, researchers, and donors.
• Experience working with colleagues in collaborative and team environments as well as working independently.
• Knowledge of applicable state and federal laws as well as common standards regarding accessibility of digital content.
• Proficiency with relevant web archiving tools (such as ArchiveIt) and the WARC format, digital preservation tools (such as Preservica), and email archiving tools (such as ePADD or RATOM).
• Proficiency with strategies for collecting and describing social media content.
• Experience using AI with tasks such as description and identification of duplicate and sensitive information.
• Proficiency with scripting languages or tools (e.g., Python, SQL, XSLT, OpenRefine, etc.) to transform, apply, or remediate metadata.

Rank and Compensation

This position will be appointed at the Assistant Librarian, Senior Assistant Librarian, or Associate Librarian without Permanent Status ranks based on the successful candidate’s qualifications. Final salary will be determined based on experience and assigned rank.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint and over 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University includes over 15,000 undergraduates and over 6,000 graduate students, more than 200 majors and 100 minors, and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries.

About the Syracuse Area

Syracuse is a medium-sized city situated in the geographic center of New York State, approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City. The metro-area population totals approximately 500,000. The area offers a low cost of living and provides many social, cultural, and recreational options, including parks, museums, festivals, professional regional theater, and premier shopping venues. Syracuse and Central New York present a wide range of seasonal recreation and attractions, from water skiing and snow skiing to hiking in the Adirondacks, touring historic sites, visiting wineries along the Finger Lakes, and biking on trails along the Erie Canal.