The University of Vermont Libraries seeks to hire three Congressional Papers Archivists to arrange and describe the papers of Senator Patrick J. Leahy. These positions report to the Director of the Silver Special Collections Library and will work closely as a team and with colleagues in Special Collections. These positions are grant funded for five years.
Senator Leahy served eight-terms in the Senate (1975-2023) and is the third longest-serving Senator in United States history. He served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate on two occasions and was the Chair of three committees over the course of his career: Agriculture, Appropriations, and Judiciary. Senator Leahy's Papers document his 48 years in Congress and comprise over 2500 linear feet and 20 terabytes of archival records. Senator Leahy's legislative accomplishments included bills related to organic agriculture, the environment, economic opportunity, civil rights, voting rights, privacy, landmines, war victims, and domestic violence. The collection also includes many photographs taken by the Senator, an avid photographer, over the course of his career.
The archivists will arrange and describe the Senator Leahy Papers, digitize content from the collection and make it available online, and conduct an oral history project with the Senator and his staff. The archivists will also supervise student employees and interns, principally on arrangement and description tasks.
The Silver Special Collections Library supports the UVM Libraries' mission to further the creation, application, and dissemination of knowledge by providing access to research materials relating to the study of Vermont, the history of the University of Vermont, and the history of the book as a form of humanistic expression. As an important link in the network of institutions responsible for maintaining the documentary record of Vermont, Special Collections preserves these materials for the use of current and future researchers.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Works as part of a team to arrange and describe a large Congressional Papers collection, following local and professional best practices and standards.
- Creates item and collection level descriptive metadata records.
- Assists in the appraisal of records and items within the collection.
- Maintains statistics on work progress and contributes to project reports.
- Develops and implements plans for long-term preservation and management of analog and digital objects in the collection.
- Assists in the promotion of the collection and project.
- Develops and pursues a personal agenda for scholarly and/or creative activities.
- Engages in service activities at library, university, association, and/or community levels.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree (M.L.S., M.S., or M.A. in Library or Information Science, or other variation) from a program accredited by the American Library Association, or the equivalent professional credential in librarianship, or a Master's degree in a subject area related to archival work.
- Experience in arranging, describing, and preserving archival collections.
- Knowledge of current archival best practices and standards.
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Must be able to lift boxes weighing up to 35 lbs.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Professional experience arranging and describing political collections.
- Experience using ArchivesSpace or other archival collection management systems.
- Experience working with born-digital archival materials.
- Knowledge of preservation and conservation standards for archival materials.
- Knowledge of digitization and metadata standards.
Salary and Benefits:
Librarians at the University of Vermont hold faculty appointments without tenure. As such, librarians are expected to perform in three areas: Educational Mission (Librarianship), Scholarly and Creative Activity, and Service. Decisions about rank at time of initial hire will be based upon each candidate's previous experience, performance in all three areas, and will be at one of the following ranks: Library Assistant Professor (Minimum salary: $62,234), Library Associate Professor (Minimum salary: $74,801), Library Professor (Minimum salary: $95,839).
Generous benefits package includes: TIAA/CREF (or alternative plan), managed health care plan, professional development funds, and 22 days of annual leave. Faculty librarians are represented by UVM United Academics.
Application Information:
In addition to the online application, candidates are required to submit the following four documents:
- Cover Letter – This is your chance to tell us about yourself! We encourage you to tell us about any unique experience or skills you would bring to the position that would be valuable to the University Libraries.
- Curriculum Vitae – Please include education, work experience, and contributions in the areas of scholarship and community and/or professional service.
- Diversity Statement – The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic institution. Applicants are requested to include in their cover letter information about their commitment to diversity and how they will further this goal. For more information on diversity at the University of Vermont, see https://www.uvm.edu/president/
- List of Three References – Names and contact information (email and phone) for three professional/ educational references.
The search will remain open until the positions are filled. For best consideration, complete applications should be received no later than March 19, 2023.
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Chris Burns
Interim Director
Silver Special Collections Library
University of Vermont
Burlington VT
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