Music & Audiovisual Archivist

Located in Middletown, Connecticut, Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges with 3,000 undergraduates and 200 graduates. Established in 1831, Wesleyan is known for its rich, open, and interdisciplinary curriculum. Within this intellectually stimulating environment, the Wesleyan University Library's Unique Collections are privileged to play an important role in the educational, research, and creative endeavors of Wesleyan faculty and students through a robust program of collections-based teaching, research support, and programming.

The Wesleyan University World Music Archives (WMA), part of the World Music Archives & Music Library, is a research and teaching collection of over 20,000 rare or unique audio and video recordings and other documents and objects, reflecting music making as social and creative practice across the world. From its roots as an ethnomusicological teaching collection of Native American music, it has expanded to include significant holdings in musical traditions from South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West Africa, Southern Africa, and the British Isles, as well as jazz, experimental, and traditional music from North America. In coordination with the Music Department and Arts Production, it also serves as the repository for recordings of music-related events on campus. Formats in the WMA include audio and video recordings on a wide variety of analog and digital media, manuscripts, printed documents and scores, ephemera, and photographic materials.

Reporting to the Director of the World Music Archives & Music Librarian, the Music & Audiovisual Archivist will manage daily operations of the WMA and ensure quality control in processing digital and physical materials. They will oversee workflows and student staffing related to the development, maintenance, and accessibility of materials in all formats held by the WMA. Additionally, they will manage processing and digitization of audiovisual and music materials in Wesleyan's other Unique Collections. Library staff work collaboratively, and this position will actively engage with staff across the library and the university to meet the responsibilities of this position and to contribute to the Libraries' overall success.

Responsibilities Include

• Lead the archival processing and preservation of WMA collections, including all stages of physical and intellectual arrangement and description, digitization (both in-house and outsourced), and quality control.
• Build and maintain the WMA’s digital collections and help manage the World Music Archives & Music Library’s digital files and metadata to ensure preservation, appropriate access, and usability.
• Train, supervise and/or coordinate graduate student assistants and library paraprofessional staff in the archival work outlined above.
• Develop, maintain, document and update efficient workflows for all archives functions and recommend changes as needed, in conversation with the Director of the WMA & Music Librarian.
• Provide reference and research assistance to students, faculty, and other users of WMA collections, conducting background research as necessary to understand the materials, and communicating with researchers as well as individuals and communities documented in our collections to understand their needs and to ensure ethical and appropriate access.
• Collaborate with the Director of the WMA and other music collections staff to: develop archival collections; facilitate use of collection items in teaching, research, exhibition, and events; manage or participate in small- or large-scale projects, such as preservation initiatives, collection assessments, or grants; and support the goals and initiatives of the Libraries.
• Handle reference requests for music and audiovisual materials in the University Archives and other Unique Collections units as needed, serving at the Special Collections & Archives reference desk up to a few hours each week on a regular schedule.
• Perform archival processing and preservation of music and audiovisual materials in other Unique Collections units as needed.
• Coordinate with the Library’s Digital Initiatives department on outsourced digitization, digital preservation, and digital collections, making use of shared workflows and resources.
• Oversee the WMA's inventory of analog and digital audiovisual equipment, coordinating regular maintenance, repair, and replacement, working with appropriate vendors as necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in library/archives/information science or related field with at least one year of experience working with archival, museum, or other rare or unique collections; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience (Professional experience, graduate school, and internships will all be considered.)
• Demonstrated music subject knowledge and analytical skills such as critical listening and fluency with print and manuscript notation, and the ability to apply these to understanding music materials in a variety of formats and traditions.
• Demonstrated competency with intellectual and physical organization, processing, description, and stabilization or preservation of collections.
• In-depth knowledge of analog and digital audio and audiovisual media, including handling, storage, playback, and preservation concerns.
• Experience with digital file management, metadata management, and the use of spreadsheets or other tools for these tasks.
• Demonstrated openness, adaptability, and flexibility; ability to learn new musical, cultural, or knowledge systems, and new skills or technologies.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact collegially with individuals of different backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to organize time and projects, prioritize tasks effectively, and respond fluidly to newly emerging priorities.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team-based environment while exerting influence across multiple units and levels of an organization.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in ethnomusicology or related discipline.
• 2 or more years of experience working with audiovisual, music, or related cultural heritage collections in an archival or special collections context.
• Experience with large-scale digital file and metadata management, fixity and conformance checking, and command-line tools and environments for these tasks.
• Experience in assisting researchers, students, and/or faculty in navigating collections materials, information, and access or use procedures.
• Experience managing student workers or staff.
• Experience with archival or library descriptive and format standards such as DACS, RDF, EAD, MARC, and associated tools.
• Experience with maintaining or repairing analog sound recording and playback equipment.
• Experience with digital audio and video capture hardware and software.
• Experience with live audio and/or video recording, such as concert or field recording.
• Background in music and/or language related to at least one of the main collecting areas in the World Music Archives.
  
  

Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by May 1, 2025 when first review of applications will begin.

Compensation: $61,300-72,300

Work Location: On Campus

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers. For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html

Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.