Job Description
General Description
Location: Brooklyn College, CUNY
Regular/Temporary: Regular
POSITION DETAILS
The CUNY Haitian Studies Institute (HSI), housed in Brooklyn College’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, is seeking an archivist. They will be responsible to help build the HSI archive. They will be responsible to collect, organize, and maintain control over a wide range of primary sources in many formats. They create finding aids in compliance with professional standards and encode finding aids using contemporary tools to make them available to researchers online. Appraises potential acquisitions. Provides research assistance in the use of archival materials. Develops policies and/or procedures and directly manages the acquisition, disposition, access to, and safekeeping of archival materials. They report to the Associate Director.
Other Duties
Responsibilities for the CUNY-HSI Archivist
- Develops, arranges, and describes archival collections in accordance with accepted standards and practices.
- Creates finding aids using contemporary tools in accordance with national standards and ensures the quality of finding aids created by other staff.
- Creates online finding aids using Encoded Archival Description (EAD) or other contemporary tools.
- Develops and implements procedures for the acquisition, processing, digitization, and preservation of archival materials.
- Advises and assists researchers in the use of archival materials in research activities; interprets requirements and consults on archival information.
- Interacts with donors of archival collections both internal and external to the organization.
- Appraises potential collection additions and makes recommendations for acquisition of new collections and de-accessioning of existing collections.
- Participates in development and implementation of policies and standards for the archives.
- Trains and supervises student interns and volunteers as appropriate.
- Promotes collections through online exhibits, publications, presentations, instructional sessions, and other outreach activities.
- Participates in the collection of oral histories as appropriate.
- Maintains professional knowledge base and skills through continued education and/or research; may represent library at conferences and meetings.
- Provides guidance in identifying and soliciting funds, including grant proposal writing, as appropriate.
Qualifications
Qualifications for the CUNY-HSI Archivist
- Bachelor's degree; at least 5 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
- Skill in the use of computers with Windows-based operating environment.
- Ability to develop and maintain finding aids using contemporary tools in accordance with national standards.
- Knowledge of archival and preservation concepts, methodology, and techniques.
- Ability to interpret and evaluate client informational needs and to determine appropriate alternative solutions.
- Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities.
- Ability to effectively communicate and foster a cooperative work environment.
- Substantial knowledge of research methodology and skill in providing research assistance.
- Knowledge of archival ethics and laws relating to archival management.
- Knowledge of the historical contexts governing archival operations.
- Knowledge of basic skills in web application software or markup languages such as XML or other contemporary tools
- Ability to make evaluative judgments.
- Knowledge of automated storage and retrieval systems, electronic records, and electronic publications.
- Ability to hire, supervise and train employees, to include organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments.
- Skill in searching and maintaining online and other electronic retrieval systems.
- Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical personnel.
- Knowledge of library theory, concepts, methods, and techniques.
- Knowledge of customer service standards and procedures.
- Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials.
- Knowledge of available sources of archival materials.
- Ability to assess objectives and operational requirements and to develop and implement suitable operational policies and/or procedures.
- Ability to identify and secure alternative funding through grants and other revenue sources.
- Speaks and writes Kreyòl, French, and English
Distinguishing Characteristics
Position requires: a) Knowledge of archival concepts, methodology, and techniques; b) establishing procedures for archival collection; c) performing research, identification, and evaluation/appraisal of potential archived collections; d) utilization of detailed knowledge of collections to prepare descriptions and finding aids; e) developing and implementing procedures for the acquisition, processing, and preservation of archival materials; and f) performing outreach in the solicitation of donors and acquisition of collections.
Brooklyn College serves students from over 150 countries who speak over 100 languages and dialects and thus constitutes a vibrant microcosm of the rich diversity and energy that characterizes the borough of Brooklyn and the greater New York City area itself. Its mission features “a special commitment to educate immigrant and first-generation college students from the diverse communities that make up our city and state.” The college ethos is invested in the educational and eventual career success of all of its students. We are committed to fostering a spirit of camaraderie and shared ideals across the entire spectrum of our varied constituency. By accessing a first-class and affordable college education in an inclusive and nurturing intellectual milieu, our students acquire the skills, confidence, and global mindedness that allow them to thrive in a rapidly changing, unpredictable marketplace of ideas that is increasingly mindless of borders and spans the gamut of cultures and vernaculars.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) was established as a not-for-profit educational corporation chartered by the State of New York in 1963. RFCUNY supports CUNY faculty and staff in identifying and obtaining external support (pre-award) from government and private sponsors and is responsible for the administration of all such funded programs (post-award).
RFCUNY stands between CUNY’s principal investigators (PIs) and the sponsors who support them and strives to fulfill its essential responsibilities to both groups. Working closely with individual PIs and Grants Officers on the campuses, RFCUNY oversees employment, accounting, audit, reporting, purchasing, and special responsibilities that include management of a planned giving program; liaison with governmental agencies and foundations; negotiation of agreements; facility construction and renovation; protection and commercialization of intellectual property; and compliance with applicable standards in research involving human subjects, animal care, environmental and radiological safety, and conflicts of interest.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Key Features
Full Time
Depends on Qualifications
May 31, 2022 (Or Until Filled)