Digital Project Archivist

The University of Arizona Libraries seeks a Digital Project Archivist for a 30-month initiative on Reclaiming the Border Narrative funded by the Ford Foundation. The Digital Project Archivist will work with project partners to develop and implement digital archives using the Domain of One’s Own service and hosted platforms including Omeka and Mukurtu. The incumbent will also support efforts toward long term sustainability and will collaborate closely with the Digital Initiatives Archivist in Special Collections to develop and provide support for community archiving workflows and frameworks. The Digital Project Archivist reports to the Head of Special Collections.

The University of Arizona has been awarded a grant from the Ford Foundation to serve as an archival partner for a project aimed at expanding perceptions and narratives surrounding the U.S. – Mexico border, Reclaiming the Border Narrative: Storytelling and Cultural Power for Migrant Justice. This is a joint project of the UArizona Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and UArizona Libraries Special Collections.As the archival partner for the project, the Confluencenter and UArizona Libraries Special Collections will engage with forty + Reclaiming the Border Narrative grantees. The Digital Project Archivist will be responsible for working with the Archival Partner Team to create and activate a community-led and ethically operated archive ensuring the goals of the initiative are met.

The Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and UArizona Libraries Special Collections are committed to the university’s Hispanic Serving Institution mission and it continues to expand its engagement and connection efforts to our local and regional communities. The position will involve communication with Spanish speaking populations in Arizona, Sonora, Mexico and other regions.

Visit the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and UAL Special Collections and learn more about us.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; state and optional retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities     

Characteristic Duties:

• Maintains Domain of One’s Own web hosting for the project by managing the project’s website and assisting project awardees with initial account setup
• Builds capacity among awardees for engaging with digital archives via Domain of One’s Own and Omeka with the possibility of including additional platforms and plug-ins
• Initiates and maintains technical documentation
• May support research and development tasks, such as conducting literature reviews, and other background research; contributing to discussions of development of protocols and research measures; assisting with data collection and analysis
• The UA Libraries support the UA’s diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiatives designed to create an inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, and students.  The candidate is expected to support diversity and inclusiveness efforts in the department and college
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects and ongoing operational demands; ability to see projects through to completion
• Cultural and linguistic competencies appropriate to the communities along the U.S.-Mexico border
• Knowledge of effective and ethical acquisition methodologies according to institutional and professional standards and values
• Ability to communicate the importance, methods, needs, and priorities of digital projects to a variety of partners, including those with limited technical knowledge; be an effective and diplomatic trainer of colleagues and collaborators in matters relating to information technology; and identify and include stakeholders in decision-making
• Strong project management, leadership, and collaboration skills to plan and implement projects, coordinate staff, and report on deliverables
• Knowledge of current issues, standards, trends, and best practices regarding the creation, management, storage, organization, appraisal, description, and preservation of digitized and born-digital collections
• Knowledge of best practices to accession, create, edit, describe, and preserve digital objects
• Strong public service ethic
• Excellent attention to detail and critical thinking skills
• Ability to learn new skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative and inclusive environment, one that values and leverages the benefits of diverse perspectives
• Positive attitude and strong demonstration of Our Values: Collaboration, Continuous Learning, Diversity, Innovation, and Integrity

Minimum Qualifications     

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience is required

Preferred Qualifications    

• Master’s degree in library and information science, or advanced degree in a relevant field with coursework or substantive experience with digital content and digital archiving issues
• Project management experience
• Experience with website management and social media
• Experience with digital archives, digital curation, or digital stewardship
• Experience in an academic environment
• Experience in academic writing and publication
• Experience communicating verbally in English and Spanish with proficiency

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