37631BR

Extended Job Title:

Assistant Archivist (Open Rank)

Organization:

Texas Tech University

Position Description:

This is an entry level faculty position. The University Libraries at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 12-month, tenure-track, Assistant Archivist (Open Rank) – Field Acquisitions/Collection Development and Outreach to begin July 1, 2024.

Serves the research needs of the archives' patrons in assigned area. Duties may include arranging and describing archives, manuscript, and image collections according standards; accessioning, processing, and preserving materials in various formats; conducting oral histories; exhibit curation and creating finding aids. Assistance with reference services. The position is expected to cooperate and function as part of a team to meet the needs of patrons. Represents the SWC/SCL and interacts with donors.

Requisition ID:

37631BR

Travel Required:

Up to 25%

Major/Essential Functions:

The Assistant Archivist for Field Acquisitions and Collection Development assists the Southwest Collection Archivist in collection development, acquisition, teaching assistance, presentations, and other outreach initiatives to assist Texas Tech University (TTU) students and faculty, as well as regional, state, national, and international communities of interest to the institution. The archivist also assists in working with under-documented communities for the collection of cultural heritage materials. Travel is necessary in the southwest region for acquisitions. The archivist arranges and describes archival manuscripts, records, photographs, and other materials, then creates finding aids via Encoded Archival Description (EAD), developing inclusive descriptive metadata standards to accurately define and promote the diverse voices within the SWC/SCL’s physical and digital archival collections. The archivist shall exhibit the interpersonal and knowledge skills necessary to form collaborative partnerships with SWC/SCL stakeholders including, TTU, TTU Libraries, and external communities and entities. The position assists with reference duties as required, including during extended hours. The Assistant Archivist for Field Acquisitions and Collection Development shall engage in scholarly pursuits and professional activities in accordance with TTU Libraries faculty standards for promotion and tenure.

Responsibilities include:

• Participation in outreach with various university entities and external communities via teaching assistance, presentations, field acquisitions, collection development, and management practices, to help document, preserve, and make history accessible to a global audience.

• Conducts oral histories, curates and promotes exhibits, and utilizes social media to promote, to enhance, and make publicly accessible the archival holdings of the Southwest Collection.

• Arrange and describe archival papers and records per “Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS).”

• Use of Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Dublin Core (DC), and other metadata standards to create finding aids and metadata for physical and digitized archival collections.

• Stays abreast of current trends in archival practice, metadata standards, and outreach initiatives and tools.

• Perform Reference duties as required.

• Participates in library and university committees and governance.

• Engage in scholarly pursuit and other professional activities in accordance with Texas Tech Libraries’ faculty standards for promotion and tenure.

Candidates who have very strong records of scholarship supported by extramural funding and who have the proven capacity or clear potential to bring externally sponsored research to Texas Tech University are encouraged to apply.

Grant Funded?:

No

Pay Basis:

Monthly

Schedule Details:

Mon-Fri, 8-5

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated record of outreach activities, including oral histories, presentations, and collaborations with students, faculty, and with diverse communities.

• Strong collaborative skills to support student and institutional success.

• Ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple programs concurrently.

• Demonstrable experience with archival arrangement and description per “Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)” and Encoded Archival Description (EAD), as well as Dublin Core and similar metadata standards for digitized materials.

• Demonstrable experience with current metadata standards and philosophies that support the description of materials documenting underserved and under documented communities.

• Spanish language proficiency preferred.

Department:

Library

Job Type:

Full Time

Job Group:

Library

Salary Grade:

800

Does this position work in a research laboratory?:

No

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Sponsorship not available for employment.

Safety Information:

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Pay Statement:

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan. For additional information, please reference the institutional pay plan by visiting www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/payplan.

EEO Statement:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.

About the College:

Texas Tech University Libraries serve as a vital partner with students and faculty in their learning endeavors. The University Libraries' system comprises: (1) University Library, (2) Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, (3) Architecture Library, and (4) Peters Family Legacy Library. The University Library is a patent and trademark depository and is one of two regional depositories for U.S. government documents in Texas. The central focus of the Texas Tech University Libraries is to make available 3.72 million physical volumes, electronic resources, special collections and archives, and to offer services to students and faculty that enable academic and research success.

About the Department/School/Area:

The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library is a part of the University Libraries. A gallery along the north side of the building houses permanent displays on the Southwest Collection as well as the other units of the SWC/SCL. Other units are the University Archives, the Southwest Music Archive, the Rare Books Collection, as well as the Sowell Family Collection in Literature, Community and the Natural World. Also housed in the building are the Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive. Additionally, the facility is the home for editorial offices of the West Texas Historical Association and its annual academic journal.

Offices in the building open onto a rotunda by the third tower. The Library's 1688 Coronelli Globe is displayed in the rotunda, which was the Libraries’ millionth acquisition.

Behind the offices are the non-public areas of the facility where documents and materials are processed. The building includes an accessioning area where materials are received and logged in. From there materials, whether paper records, photographs or films/audio/video tapes, go to their specific areas for processing before they are taken to the stacks or the appropriate vault for storage.

Upstairs the stacks area offers a climate-controlled environment that provides a constant temperature and humidity as well as a positive ventilation outflow which helps prevent the intrusion of bacteria or fungi which could damage valuable books and documents, vault for storage, or at the off-site facility.

The facility has a conservation laboratory funded by the Hoblitzelle Foundation. The Hoblitzelle Conservation Lab provides an appropriate venue for preservation and conservation of valuable and one-of-a-kind materials within the collections.

About the University:

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

About Lubbock:Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

Faculty Qualifications:

1. Master’s in history or related field, with graduate-level archival course work or certification or M.L.S. from an ALA accredited library institution. Minimum two years of professional archival experience.

2. Experience providing teaching or teaching support at an institution similar to SWC/SCL via experience with collection development and public relations with external stakeholders, working with or creating online finding aids, experience of appraising, arranging and describing archival collections, etc.;

3. A previous record of publication, professional presentations, and/or other related research/creative activity related to work, experience, or research at an archive;

4. Experience with outreach or service to a variety of communities including under documented communities and potential donors. Record of service with professional organizations related to the archives field.

Duty Point:

TTU Lubbock, main campus and affiliated facilities