Job Title: Library Specialist IV - Archives and Digital Collections Specialist
Classification: C4
Department: University Libraries
Updated: July 2023

Job Summary

Provides customer service and technical support in the Special Collections & University Archives in Seidman House. Assists patrons with reference requests and assists archivists with the preservation, management, digitization, and care of archival materials and rare books.

Responsibilities include working at a user-centered service desk in the Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room, enabling access and delivery of collections from closed storage, and overseeing proper security protocols, care and handling of rare or fragile materials. Additionally, the position digitizes and produces descriptive metadata for digital collections, ensuring accessibility and discoverability of digital objects. Position will assist archivists with the preservation, arrangement, description, use of archival materials and rare books. Responsibilities may include opening and closing the library location, ensuring collection and building security.

Essential Functions

As a member of the Collections & Digital Scholarship Department, contributes to departmental success by: 

• Engaging actively in departmental efforts 
• Contribute to advancing the goals of the department  
• Assisting in the curation of digital collections though digitization and descriptive metadata creation
• Provides general administrative support for department faculty as needed
• Aligns with and upholds University Competencies, University Libraries values in action, and protects user privacy
• Demonstrates the intercultural understanding and awareness required to work in a diverse workplace and serve a diverse population
• Actively contributes to the Libraries’ Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility commitment

As the lead contact for building operations and research assistance, contributes to its success by:

• Ensures proper use and security of rare books and archival materials in the Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room
• Provides research assistance to library patrons related to using rare books and archives; provides informational tours as needed
• Identifies, locates, and retrieves rare books and archives from secure storage for use by library patrons and classes
• Provides inclusive and accessible customer service to all library patrons and visitors
• Performs project-based and on-demand digitization of rare books and archives
• Assists archivists with reference, instruction, and outreach tasks as needed
• Lifts, carries, and shelves library and archival materials up to 20 lbs.

As backup support for digital collections and metadata management, contributes to its success by:

• Uses specialized software to create accessible digital objects by performing OCR, transcription, and video captioning
• Edits audio and video files with accessibility in mind
• Creates and updates digital object metadata, following established guidelines and procedures while looking for opportunities to use inclusive language
• Performs ingest of digital collections into online repository systems
• Assists archivists with collection management tasks as needed
• Assists the Systems and Discovery team with metadata and authority work as needed
• Help foster a healthy work environment for library and student colleagues to by working individually, collaboratively, and collectively towards achieving individual, departmental, and library goals
• May direct student colleague work on a project-by-project basis

Non-Essential Functions

• Assists with digital curation and preservation; including file renaming, data modeling, metadata management, and uploading to digital preservation system
• Assists with supervision of student employees and coordination of their work
• Assists with energy issues by monitoring and reducing use of lights, power, and water as appropriate
• Assists with climate monitoring by collecting data from climate data loggers and uploading to preservation climate monitoring site

Required Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Minimum of four years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills.
• Experience with various computer software applications such as Microsoft Office and/or equivalent.
• Data entry experience.
• Typing and spelling competency with grammar and proofreading skills.
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully provide quality customer service.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work independently, organize own work and coordinate work activities of others.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully coordinate large projects.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully handle multiple demands efficiently.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully organize and prioritize workload.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully handle differing situations and problems in the work routine by exercising judgment.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully maintain satisfactory work performance and attendance records.
• Ability to successfully maintain positive intercultural and interpersonal relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated the intercultural understanding and awareness required to work in a diverse workplace and serve a diverse population to contribute to a healthy, inclusive working and learning environment.  
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

Supervision Received

Receives minimal supervision from a designated supervisor. Much of the work is self-initiated. Person is expected to function with considerable independence and apply appropriate policies and procedures within the assigned area of responsibility.

Supervision Exercised

Hire, train, schedule and coordinate the work of student employees and may act as lead worker to PSS staff members within the department/unit/division.

Physical Demands

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

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