Archivist, Part-time, The Grolier Club

 

The Grolier Club of New York, North America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and enthusiasts in the graphic arts, is seeking a part-time Archivist. Reporting to the Librarian, the Archivist will be responsible for the processing, description, and preservation of archival materials in all formats in accordance with accepted standards and practices in order to ensure long term accessibility.  The Archivist will work to address an existing backlog of materials to process and describe, assist in the ongoing development and maintenance of retention schedules for institutional records, as well as workflows for processing and preserving born-digital records, and participate in the Library’s reference and outreach activities.  This position have primary responsibility for the Grolier Club’s archival collections and institutional records, including born digital items.

The Grolier Club’s archival collections are of great value to scholars working on topics related to the history of the book.  Its unique collecting mandate has made the Club an ideal home for the archives of bibliophilic organizations, antiquarian book dealers, and collectors.  Furthermore, the Grolier Club is a topic of scholarship in its own right.  As the oldest bibliophilic society in America, it has historically been a meeting place for key figures in the republic of books, and its institutional records contain information about the culture of the book world as well as the development of its landmark exhibitions and publications. 

This position is funded for three years by a gift from the Pine Tree Foundation.

Responsibilities

• Process physical and digital collections, including accessioning, arrangement, description, and preservation
• Capture and preservation of born-digital materials
• Creation and maintenance of finding aids
• Communicate retention and digital preservation best practices to staff and Council members
• Assist in the development and maintenance of record retention schedules
• Perform record audits and oversee compliance with the records management program
• Provide quality control for archival metadata to assure accuracy and consistency across the institution

Additional duties:

• Participate in responding to reference queries relevant to archival collections and occasional supervision of the Reading Room
• Periodically supervise the Library Assistant for processing and description tasks.
• Opportunities for interpretation and outreach work, such as writing occasional posts for the Grolier Club Library’s blog and/or social media platforms, and curating Library exhibitions.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or in progress from an accredited program in library and information sciences, with a concentration in archival administration
• Thorough knowledge of MARC, EAD, and archival description standards
• Knowledge of the conservation and preservation needs of archival collections in a variety of formats, including analog and born digital records
• Thorough working knowledge of current digital archiving standards and best practices, including: file naming, metadata standards and workflows, file formats for still and video assets, and digital asset management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and within a team
• High level of initiative, independence, follow-through, and flexibility

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional experience in a library, special collections, museum, or cultural organization
• Experience creating descriptive and administrative metadata for digitized collections
• Familiarity with Archive-It or other web archiving tools
• Interest in rare books and/or the antiquarian book trade
• Reading knowledge of one or more languages in addition to English

 

Hours and Compensation

This position involves a commitment of 20 hours per week at a rate of $26-$29 per hour depending on qualifications and experience.  Other benefits are not included.  This position is funded for three years thanks to the generosity of the Pine Tree Foundation.

To apply, please email a letter of application, a resume, and contact information of two references to Librarian Jamie Cumby jcumby@grolierclub.org.  Evaluation of applications will begin on 8 July 2024.  Applications received before that date will receive first consideration.

 

*The Grolier Club provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Apply online here

Submit specified application materials to jcumby@grolierclub.org.