Reference Archivist

Providence College, a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts, Catholic institution of higher education conducted under the auspices of the Dominican Friars, seeks candidates who can affirm and contribute to its mission. The College is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive environment that supports all of its students, faculty, and staff. All members of the community share a responsibility for creating, maintaining, and developing a learning experience valuing differences and practicing inclusion. We invite applications from qualified individuals who possess the experience, knowledge, and commitment to work within a diverse learning environment. Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Providence College is an equal opportunity employer. The College’s Non-Discrimination policy can be found here (Download PDF reader).

Overview

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary provider of reference services; coordination and supervision of the reading room; provide reproductions of collections materials for reference purposes; develop research guides and other tools to support access and use of collections; schedule and conduct research consultations; and collaborate with research education librarians. Manage and respond to all incoming research requests in a timely and accurate manner. Maintain the ASC email account. Develop a strong understanding of college collections holdings to best serve patron access via email, chat, phone, and in-person research consultations. Collaborate with ASC and Library colleagues to develop research guides and other tools to promote and support collections use. (35%)
• Manage scheduling of the reading room and research appointments and drop-in hours to ensure access to collections, staff safety, and security of collections. Communicate with ASC colleagues regarding scheduling support needs, forecasting busy periods based on instruction session patterns and academic calendars. Train student workers in the handling and organizing of collections for research support, collections processing, etc.; develop training guides and resources for student workers. Provide meaningful feedback on work progress and areas of improvement. Identify opportunities for students to learn new concepts and skills related to accomplishing projects. (20%)
• In collaboration with the Head of Archives and Special Collections, maintain and revise policies, workflows, and procedures related to public services in the ASC. Define metrics and maintain statistics on outreach and public service activities based on industry best practices and established principles, and compile department statistics and data. Develop strategies for collecting and comprehensively analyzing collections data including research requests and the various aspects of collections use (i.e. exhibits, reference, teaching, etc.). (20%)
• Participate in the preparation and delivery of instruction sessions. Contribute to and collaborate on outreach activities such as exhibits, social media, and various campus events. Teach small group or class instruction sessions using archival materials. Research collections and related library resources to prepare archives instruction sessions. Collaborate with Research and Education and Digital Projects to integrate ASC collections and other primary sources into information literacy instruction and media or digital projects. Research, design, and implement exhibits in collaboration with other archival or library staff. Coordinate and support the use of archival collections in social media and other outputs, both in the library and wider campus channels. (15%)
• Support the care and management of the Collections. Teach users appropriate care of collections and note any conservation/preservation concerns as collections are accessed. Contribute to processing and digitization projects, and collections space maintenance to ensure collections preservation. (5%)
• Serve on library committees as appropriate. Participate in special projects which impact the entire library, including the archives. (5%)

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in library and information science (MLS), Archives and Records Management, Archival studies from an accredited institution.
• Three to five years’ experience in archives, libraries, or other cultural heritage institutions or an equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Experience with teaching and research support in libraries and archives
• Experience supervising student workers, interns, etc.
• Familiarity with collection care, handling, and security protocols in an archive or special collections library.
• Familiarity with archives and special collections reading room operations
• Demonstrated ability to work with students, faculty, staff, and other community members in a learning environment
• Experience providing quality customer service
• Experience with outreach and engagement through social media, exhibits, and other tools
• Knowledge of best practices related to reference and information literacy services in archives, libraries, etc. Excellent organization and project management skills
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, etc.)
• Demonstrated analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail
• Effective interpersonal, oral, written, and virtual communication skills using a variety of media and technologies
• Ability to work independently and make decisions while effectively communicating and working with the archives and library staff
• Position hours will be Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Hours will follow library hours during intersession/holiday periods.

Supplemental Information

• Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time
• Reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction
• Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than with whole hand(s) or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard
• Communication skills using the spoken word
• Ability to see within normal parameters
• Ability to hear within normal range
• Ability to move about