Director of Archival Services, Avery Research Center
Position Overview
The Director of Archival Services is a senior member of the Avery Research Center staff and directs and supervises all aspects of the Avery archives. The director is responsible for supervising the acquisition, preservation, processing, cataloging, and digitization of Avery Research Center’s manuscript and book collections. The director also supervises Avery’s reference services and works closely with the Executive Director in grant and fundraising efforts. The Director supervises the staff, faculty, students, interns and volunteers working in the archives and the reading room. The director, in consultation with Avery’s executive director and the Head of Special Collections at Addlestone Library, establishes department policies and procedures regarding retention, de-accession, preservation and use of manuscripts and books housed at the Avery Research Center.
The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston was established in 1985. From its inception, the Center has served as a unique source of information and community outreach on African-American issues. The Center is a repository of primary and secondary source material of nearly 4,000 holdings that encourage scholarship, research, and presentations by scholars, students, and public historians. The Center boasts classification as a national historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
The Avery Research Center opened in 1985 and continues to be the only research center of its kind in the Southeast region of the United States. For twenty-five years, the Center has collected art and archival materials that document the history, traditions, and cultural legacies of African Americans and their influence on American society and culture, as well as their place within the American narrative.
Each year, hundreds of public school teachers and their students visit Avery for tours, workshops, and summer history camps. Additionally, our partnerships with Charleston Public Schools, Berkeley Public Schools, MOJA, and other community groups continue to extend our reach into the surrounding communities and increase our annual visitorship. Last year alone, researchers and students from as far as the West Coast visited Avery for research on various aspects of the African American experience. In recent years, roughly 3000 patrons visit the Center annually.
The Director of Archival Services is a tenure-track faculty appointment and a member of the library faculty and reports to Executive Director of the Avery Research Center.
Required Skills and Attributes:
- Keen analytical skills
- Balanced supervisory approach
- Strong writing skills
- Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
- Creative spirit and global vision for Avery Research Center archives
- Proficiency in the creation of EAD finding aids
- Proficiency in digitization process, metadata cataloging, and development of scanning best practices
- Leadership skills and ability to be a team-player
- Coursework or relevant experience with archives with African American history and culture collections
- Masters in Library Science or equivalent
Responsibilities include:
Processing 40%
- Directs and leads the processing of manuscripts, artifact, photo, and material culture collections with adherence to the Society of American Archivists standards.
- Creates collection-level MARC records for all Avery collections and works with catalogers to submit to the college’s library catalog and the national bibliographic utility
- Directs and leads the creation of EAD finding aids for new and existing collections
- Directs and leads the digitization selection process and metadata cataloging,
- Establishes standardized accessioning, de-accessioning, processing, cataloging, and encoding procedures for collections acquired by the Avery Research Center
- Develops and implements plans for maintaining and preserving Avery’s collections, and improving public access to archival materials by setting clear goals for processing materials in a timely fashion
- Works with the Curator to determine arrangement and placement of archival materials
- Collaborates with Digital Library staff to create metadata schemas and produce metadata for Avery’s digital collection
- Directs and supervises the digitization of oral histories, uploading the materials to the College’s digital library site, and creating and maintaining oral history abstracts, catalog records, and logs
- Evaluates, edits, and suggests revisions to the College’s existing finding aids
Management and Training 30%
- Supervises the processing archivist, project archivists, reference librarian, and all part-time archivists and student employees.
- Trains and supervises all archivists, interns, student workers in the College’s archival policies and procedures
- Contribute ideas to the development of Avery public programs and staff programs as needed
- Works closely with the Executive Director to develop narrative for grant funded opportunities
- Monitors the Avery Research Center website for potential upgrades, problems, and then advises the Executive Director
Acquisitions 10%
- Works closely with the Executive Director to acquire new materials, including archival records and rare books and manuscripts that adhere to the Center’s core mission
- Serves as an integral part of the Avery Collections committee and works collaboratively with the Curator, Librarian, and archivists to effectively determine the direction of the collections and in-house library holdings
Reference 10%
- Supervises reference service and assistance to the College community and general public to ensure effective and proper use of archival materials. Works with the reference staff to determine procedures and guidelines for reading room best practices and optimal customer service to all patrons and students
Library and College Affairs 10%
- Serves as liaison between Avery Research Center and Addlestone Library archival staff
- Serves on Library, College and Professional committees, elected or assigned.
- Participates in research and professional development to advance scholarly, archival, historical and related fields.
Salary and Benefits
Compensation and rank are commensurate with experience. The salary range begins at $45,000 - $50,000 and includes a competitive benefits package. The position is full time, tenure track appointment.
About the College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public university that has built its reputation upon a long tradition of excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. The College, founded in 1770, is the 13th oldest college in the nation, and the campus is located in the historic district of Charleston, South Carolina. The College offers 46 undergraduate majors, 18 Master’s degree programs, and 10 graduate certificates. The student body includes approximately 10,000 undergraduate students and 1600 graduate students, with students from across the nation and from 67 countries. The Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library is a new library in the heart of historic Charleston. The College of Charleston is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.
Women, underrepresented minorities and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Deadlines and Application
To apply, send the following to Claire Fund, Search Coordinator, at fundc@cofc.edu by August 1, 2011
- Cover letter
- CV
- Names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references.
Transcripts and background checks will be required of finalists.
