Swarthmore College Hiring for Head, Arrangement & Description at Swarthmore Full Time

Job no: 495359
Work type: Full Time
Location: Swarthmore
Categories: Staff, Salary (Exempt)

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is the most extensive research library and archives in the United States, focusing solely on movements for peace around the world. The Peace Collection is an internationally known special library and archives documenting non-governmental efforts for nonviolent social change with a focus on women’s contributions to these movements.

The opportunity:

The Head of Arrangement and Description is responsible for a broad portfolio of projects and tasks to ensure the arrangement and description of organizational records and personal papers in the Peace Collection, and to promote patrons’ ability to discover and gain access to archival materials. A knowledgeable and experienced processing archivist, the Head of Arrangement and Description thoughtfully performs tasks and coordinates projects to steward archival collections in the Peace Collection, and to collaborate on arrangement and description work with colleagues from the rest of Special Collections. They also help to guide the development of Peace Collection arrangement and description policies; contribute to reference services; represent the Swarthmore College Special Collections on committees; and perform a range of other duties to support stewardship and access to archival materials in the Peace Collection.

Essential Responsibilities

Arrangement and Description

• Leads complex archival description and processing projects.
• Processes archival and manuscript collections in all formats following professional standards for arrangement, description, and housing, in coordination with the Peace Collection’s digital and audiovisual archivist.
• Conducts background research on persons and organizations related to each collection and surveys the materials to develop processing plans and to implement preservation measures as needed.
• Utilizes appropriate tools, such as ArchivesSpace and spreadsheets, in arrangement and description work.

Accessions new materials to the archives, appraises donations, and recommends selection and disposition decisions.

Supervises student workers on processing tasks.

Collection Stewardship

• Collaborates with the Curator of the Peace Collection in developing systems and policies to ensure effective arrangement and description of archival collections.
• Works with colleagues to set priorities, plan projects, implement systems, and establish policies designed to facilitate wide, ethically-informed access to our archival collections.
• Contributes expertly to the development, implementation, and improvement of policies and workflows for managing archival collections in the Peace Collection.

Takes leadership in ensuring and establishing intellectual and physical control over archival collections.

Conducts surveys and needs assessments of existing archival collections.

Enhances and remediates legacy metadata.

Contributes collaboratively to stacks management; develops, enhances, and implements systems to improve materials tracking.

Reappraises and deaccessions materials from the Peace Collection in consultation with the Curator.

Reference and Access

• Provides occasional reference service to researchers.
• Works regular shifts at the Reading Room desk.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provide training, supervision, and feedback to 2-4 student workers per term.

Who you are:

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability and desire to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Flexibility, adaptiveness, and a demonstrated capacity to creatively solve problems.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Self-motivated and detail-oriented.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• A graduate degree in library/information science or another relevant field or the equivalent.
• Five or more years of experience, preferably in an academic or research institution, in processing archival and manuscript collections in a variety of formats, including large collections (over 50 linear feet).
• Demonstrated experience developing and enhancing workflows, policies, and systems to support standards-aligned arrangement and description of archival materials.
• Demonstrated experience applying the standards and best practices of the archival profession to managing archival projects of varied size and complexity.
• Knowledge and experience in the areas of archival reference and digital preservation standards, practices, and tools.
• Knowledgeable engagement with ongoing and developing conversations about reparative archival description and interest in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in an organizational context.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using ArchivesSpace and the ArchivesSpace API.
• Knowledge of the history of peace and social justice movements in the US and around the world.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world’s most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with pay expectations, including a resume and cover letter, by April 8, 2024.

PA Criminal Required Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.Education Verification Required by PositionAn education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Review the 2024 Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Advertised: Mar 15 2024 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: Open until filled