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Job Title:

Special Collections and Archives Assistant

Job Family:

Administrative Support

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full time

Compensation Grade:

4H

Pay Type:

Hourly

Department:

Library Specialist

Job Summary:

The Furman University Library seeks a Special Collections and Archives Assistant. The successful candidate will greet and support students, faculty, staff, and other researchers in using Furman’s unique collections, and will help create a welcoming environment where members of the Furman community can connect, discover, and learn.

Job Description:

Job Summary

Greets and assists Furman University students, faculty, staff and other researchers with historical, biographical, genealogical, and other types of research. Provides reading room supervision, monitoring and maintaining of stacks, accessioning, processing, locating, and use of materials, and para-professional work in preservation, digitization, and outreach. Maintains administrative records of the department. Mentors and manages Special Collection and Archives student assistants.

Reports to

Associate Director for Special Collections and University Archivist

Responsibilities

Assists with research by:

• Locating and retrieving materials from the non-circulating stacks and the archives
• Researching queries using Special Collections and Archives resources and guides
• Responding to reference and information requests by phone, letter, or e-mail
• Filling requests for Interlibrary Loans
• Creating digital copies of materials
• Referring patrons to other sources
  
  

Supports accessioning, processing, and use by:

• Recording gifts, accession, and addition to university records in relevant databases and lists
• Corresponding with donors and providing relevant forms for donation transactions
• Organizing, rehousing, and filing collections and resources in protective containers
• Preparing inventories and guides to assist in the use of the collections
• Updating and creating finding aids and guides to collections materials
• Preparing materials for the bindery
• Identifying materials requiring preservation work and conservation treatment
• Shelving books, microfilm, archival and manuscript collections
• Updating finding aids, guides to records, lists, and timelines
• Maintaining and correcting location guides to materials
• Maintains the administrative records of the department by:
• Filing correspondence, executed forms, and other materials
• Providing a monthly list to the director of the accessions recorded
• Maintaining inventory of materials and supplies
• Ordering supplies needed for storage and preservation through the Library Departmental Coordinator
• Maintaining records of all transactions occurring in the department including loans, correspondence, inquiries, visitors, etc.
• Preparing summaries for annual report including statistics of all transactions occurring in the department
• Communicating with the Interlibrary Loan Department when materials are returned
• Fulfilling Interlibrary Loan, digitization, and copying requests.
• Checking Special Collections mailbox daily and distributing the mail
• Assists with management of the department
• Manages or assists in the management of the library student assistants, internship students, and the Special Collections and Archives intern
• Supervises library student assistants by participating in the hiring, training, making assignments, scheduling, and evaluating work
• Assists in the organization and management of Special Collections and Archives events and programs
• Meets weekly with Associate Director for Special Collections and University Archivist to review the work assignments and to evaluate work procedures and processes
• Attends divisional and departmental meetings with library faculty and/or staff
• Attends workshops, classes, and conferences as applicable to job to improve knowledge and skills
• Completes annual performance review process with supervisor
• Completes other duties as assigned
  
  

Relationships

• Daily contact with all Special Collections and Archives personnel for planning, coordinating, problem-solving, presenting information and suggestions, and explanation of rules, regulations, practices, or functions.
• Frequent contact with other departments and outside vendors who provide library materials or services, to exchange factual information and explanation of rules, regulations, practices, or functions.
• Daily contact with patrons for reference and information and to provide information regarding library materials, policies, and procedures.
  
  

Responsibility for Final Decisions

• Tasks involve multiple procedures with interrelated processes or steps. Work involves choosing the appropriate option or procedure to follow and applying established rules and procedures.
• Finding and correcting errors occurs during the normal course of work by standard check and crosscheck. Routine work is performed independently. Non-routine issues or questions about access to some types of materials or donor interactions are referred to the Associate Director for Special Collections and University Archivist.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma and 1-2 years of library work or equivalent experience in a related field.
• Proficiency in office software (MS Word, MS Access, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat).
• Excellent oral and written communications skills. Ability to effectively communicate policies, procedures, requests, and information to colleagues, patrons, students, and faculty in an effective and professional manner.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to work cooperatively and tactfully with coworkers, faculty, students, patrons, and donors.
• Demonstrated ability to set priorities, multitask, and effectively meet deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to proofread, find, and correct errors that may occur during the normal course of work.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and more than 2 years of library work and/or previous work experience in a special collections environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of United States and/or South Carolina history.
• Experience with scanning documents and managing digital files and/or web design
• Familiarity with accessibility best practices.
• Experience in event programming and/or project management experience.
• Experience with SpringShare products or other web authoring tools.
  
  

Work Environment

• This position involves work with some confidential and sensitive materials or information. Confidentiality and discretion must be maintained in performing some job duties.
• Work takes place in an office environment.
• Work may require some light lifting and movement of materials.
• An occasional evening or weekend may be required for special events.
  
  

Review of applications will begin on April 7 and will continue until the position is filled.

Education Requirements:

Certification Requirements:

Job Posting End Date (if date is blank, posting is open ended):