Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive (BFA) (2-Year Term)

About the role

The Irma McClaurin Black Feminist Archive (BFA) is an archival home for Black women and their allies. Founded by Dr. Irma McClaurin, the BFA seeks to identify Black women from all walks of life who are artists, activists, and academics but may not be well known, and document their wide array of contributions at many levels: community, state, national, and global.

Responsibilities

• Process BFA archival collections, support the managing of archival collections, and assist in the preparation and transfer of records to SCUA.
• Make recommendations for processing and digitization priorities and prepare progress reports to share with the Head, SCUA.
• Catalog manuscripts, photographs, and other materials in a range of archival collections; create finding aids and bibliographic records for collections.
• Create descriptive metadata, review existing metadata and enhance legacy records, as necessary.
• Use EAD and MODS metadata schemas to describe materials in manuscript collections.
• Prepare descriptive records that conform to all relevant metadata standards.
• Conduct subject analysis for manuscripts, photographs, and other materials; establish local subject headings that supplement, repair, or replace headings in existing controlled vocabularies when terms that are insufficient or inaccurate; research collections in order to provide accurate descriptive information.
• Train and supervise the work of departmental student staff to ensure provision of services and adherence to work standards.
• Provide on-the-job training and orientation as needed.
• Work with departmental colleagues to develop best practices and standards in collection management and description and to implement those practices.
• Play an active role in SCUA's efforts to acquire new BFA collections; participate in departmental marketing and outreach.
• Work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness within the UMass Amherst Libraries and the campus.
• Participate in library-wide preservation activities.
• Serve on internal library committees as needed.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in librarianship (from a program accredited by the American Library Association) or related field, or combination of an advanced degree in a relevant subject area and experience in libraries, archives, museums, or similar institutions.
• Training in areas such as archival management, manuscripts, maps, rare books, and/or special collections librarianship.
• Education in the humanities or social sciences.
• Working knowledge of MARC format; strong knowledge of DACS and other relevant content standards, and strong familiarity with XML, EAD, TEI, MODS, DC, and other metadata standards.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to foster a collegial work environment that encourages change and innovation.
• Mastery of interviewing skills and a superior level of efficiency in the use of reference and information sources, particularly primary, archival, rare, and manuscript sources.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule which includes some evening, weekend, and holiday hours as needed.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral skills, including presentation skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment, including remaining calm under pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a positive, constructive, flexible, and cooperative manner.
• Ability to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities showing initiative and flexibility.
• Strong service ethic and the ability to interact effectively and work productively and collaboratively with a variety of colleagues and levels of staff.
• Demonstrated ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively and to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness within the UMass Amherst Libraries and the campus.
• Strong service orientation and the ability to meet the public graciously and tactfully.
• Strong customer service attitude and initiative.
• Understanding of, appreciation of and experience with the goals of higher education.