University Archivist/Special Collections Librarian

General Description of the Position

To direct and administer activities involved in the acquisition, arrangement, description, preservation and dissemination of records pertaining to, or generated by, Delaware State University.

Essential Functions & Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

The following are the functions essential to performing this job:

• Management of the university archives on multiple campuses which consists of African American resources and the history of the university through the arrangement, description, storage, and preservation of archival materials including photographs, documents, newsprint, born-digital records, three dimensional artifacts, and a rare books collection.
• Engages in archival appraisal to ensure compliance to an established mission statement and collecting policy. Responsibly handles confidential materials and makes appropriate disposition recommendations.
• Participates in research initiatives utilizing African American resources and archival records in order to advance public understanding of Delaware State University and its HBCU legacy to support the goals and mission of the broader university.
• Advocates for proper preservation metrics and best practices. Responsible for the safekeeping of archival records and special collections resources.
• Engages in outreach initiatives among students, faculty, administrators, and public user groups. Acts as a liaison between records creators and user groups for purposes of publication, exhibition, etc.
• Ably prepares reference documents such as finding aids and subject guides. Maintains thorough administrative documentation as pertains to acquisitions and records transfers, records retention schedules, reference interactions, copyright negotiations, and finances, etc.
• Responsible for maintaining a digital repository of digitized archival holdings including scanning, metadata, etc. (DSpace, Dublin Core, LCSH)
• Acts as facilitator between the department and the broader library, effectively advocating for both.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the Executive Director for Library Services.

The individual in this job must possess these skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that they can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation using some other combination of skills and abilities independently of supervision:

• Experience strengthening the collection through acquisition or soliciting donations of collections for the University Archives and Special Collections Department.
• A firm knowledge/deep familiarity of archives and records management theory, practices and) archival descriptive metadata schema (EAD, MODS and Dublin Core), content standards (DACS), as well as knowledge of best practices in use by special collections professionals.
• Knowledge of (current practices in) archival preservation, management, collection management software, such as CONTENTdm or other software, and emerging technologies and their application in academic libraries, archives and special collections.
• Substantial experience with all aspects of grant administration including applications, management, finance, and reporting.
• Ability to be flexible in a rapidly changing environment and to work effectively and collaboratively within the library, the university, and the community.
• Experience identifying priorities and finding creative solutions to challenges.
• A firm knowledge of African American history and culture.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of the current copyright law and its application in libraries and universities.

Qualification Standards

• Education: Master’s of Library Science degree accredited by the American Library Association.
• Successful experience: Five to seven years of full-time professional library experience working with archives and special collections or an HBCU with African American resources.

Performance Standards & EEO Statement

EEO Statement

Delaware State University is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community. The University is dedicated to enhancing diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruitment and employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. The University is committed to achieving a diverse faculty and staff and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply.

Equal opportunity employer/program'' and “auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities''.