Collections Archivist
- 📅
- Sep 02, 2025 Post Date
- 📅
- 25004967 Requisition #
The University of Iowa Libraries seeks to hire an organized, intellectually curious, and collaborative archivist to serve as Collections Archivist for University Archives. Under the general direction of the University Archivist and Lead for Archival Technical Services, the Collections Archivist accessions, processes, manages, and makes accessible archival collections representing a wide variety of formats, including paper, audiovisual, and born digital, within the University Archives. Priorities for this position’s work will include helping to develop strategies for addressing legacy descriptive and arrangement practices and to improve discoverability of collection materials. The Collections Archivist will contribute to effective collections management by collaborating with staff in areas of digital preservation, cataloging and metadata, and collections care. They will also work with colleagues within and outside of the Special Collections and Archives department toward larger departmental goals such as the establishment of born-digital workflows and policies. They will supervise student employees and participate in reference services and outreach activities related to the University Archives.
Key Areas of Responsibility and Specific Job Tasks
Select, Acquire, Organize, Preserve, and Provide Information Resources and Services
Accession, arrange, and describe University Archives collections in all formats according to archival standards.
Create standards-compliant finding aids using the collection management software ArchivesSpace.
Coordinate with Conservation and Collections Care staff and the University Archivist to assess the preservation needs of materials and identify solutions.
Work with the University Archivist to manage the physical transfer of new collection material, including the facilitation of on-campus pickups and shipping and transportation, and preparation of materials prior to transfer.
Participate in the Special Collections and Archives Processing Group and actively engage with colleagues to develop and update shared processing workflows and documentation, including born-digital workflows.
With other departmental staff, coordinate location and shelving decisions to effectively manage storage space.
Coordinate with colleagues within and outside of the department to effectively manage University Archives materials and work together to develop and update workflows and documentation and to support larger departmental goals related to collection management.
Support digitization workflows in collaboration with staff in areas of collections care, digitization, cataloging and metadata.
Additional job duties as assigned based on individual knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Instruction, Consultation, and Research Services
Support day-to-day operations in the department, including serving at the reference desk in the reading room.
Participate in University Archives-related outreach activities.
Leadership/Staff and Resource Management/Financial Responsibility
Train and oversee student employees in processing and related activities.
Contribute as appropriate to the development of grant narratives, work plans, and budgets.
Contribute to department-level planning and the formulation of new policies and procedures.
Continuous Learning & Skills Development
Stay informed about developments in archival standards and trends, applying new rules, interpretations, and techniques as appropriate.
Professional Contributions
Contribute to the profession through service, research, publishing, and/or teaching.
Participate in and contribute to relevant library and university-wide activities and committees.
Required Qualifications
- A library science graduate degree from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent international degree; or in archival studies; or in a related field with a focus on archival studies.
- Training in, or demonstrated knowledge of, archival theory and practice.
- Experience arranging and describing archival collections.
- Demonstrated knowledge of national metadata content and structure standards for archival materials, such as DACS and EAD.
- Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to effectively convey and interpret information through appropriate interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a team-based setting where consultation, flexibility, reliability, initiative, creativity, collaboration, and cooperation are essential.
Demonstrated ability to support a welcoming and respectful environment through job-related experience, an academic setting, and/or community engagement.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with ArchivesSpace or similar archival collection management systems.
- Experience interacting with donors of archival material.
- Understanding of extensible processing practices and ability to apply processing levels.
- Experience accessioning and/or processing born-digital materials.
- Experience working in a special collections or archives setting, especially at an academic or research library.
- Supervisory experience, especially of student employees
Application Details:
Applications are only accepted through the Jobs@UIOWA website.
In order to be eligible for interview, applicants must upload the following and mark them as “relevant files” when you upload the documents:
- Cover letter that clearly addresses how you meet each of the required and any desired qualifications of this position. To ensure strongest consideration, applicants are encouraged to review all required qualifications and state directly how they meet each of them.
- Current resume
This job ad will be posted through September 22, 2025, and may be removed from posting and filled any time after that date. Please contact andrea-rost@uiowa.edu if you have any questions about the position.
The hiring salary range for this Specialist Librarian position is $55,000 to $65,000.
Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.
This position is eligible for on-campus and/or hybrid remote work within Iowa, with the majority of work time being on campus, and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually, and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.
Equal opportunity employer
The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.
Persons with disabilities who need assistance or accommodations with the application or interview process may contact University Human Resources/Faculty and Staff Disability Services, (319) 335-2660 or fsds@uiowa.edu. For jobs in UI Health care, please contact UI Health care Leave & Disability Administration at 319-356-7543.
