Department Code
20640-5435
Job Title
Digital Archivist
Commitment to On-Campus Experience
Syracuse University is committed to delivering an exceptional student experience through vibrant, engaged campus communities. This position is based at the above campus location and requires regular in-person presence to support our students, collaborate with colleagues, and contribute to our thriving academic environment. Syracuse University values the collaboration, mentorship, and spontaneous connections that happen when our community works together on campus. Remote work arrangements are limited in accordance with University policy.
Pay Range
$64,300 - $72,500
Pay Determination
Pay rates at Syracuse University are based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, the job responsibilities; the candidate’s education, training, work experience and key competencies; the university’s strategic priorities; internal peer equity; applicable federal, state, local laws, grant funding and contractual requisites; and external market analyses.
Hours
Standard University business hours
8:30am – 5:00pm (academic year)
8:00am – 4:30pm (summer)
Hours may vary based on operational needs. This is a 37.5 hour per week position.
Unionized Position Code
Not Applicable
Job Description
In accordance with the mission of Syracuse University Libraries (SUL) and the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC), the Digital Archivist helps collect, accession, process, preserve, and provide access to born-digital materials documenting the history of Syracuse University and our global society.
Reporting to SCRC’s Lead Archivist, the Digital Archivist works with SCRC and Department of Digital Stewardship (DDS) to develop and implement policies, standards, and procedures supporting the acquisition, processing, and creation of access to born-digital materials in SCRC collections. Materials may include email, web content, and born-digital files extracted from legacy physical media. Following best practices, the Digital Archivist advises and assists with the acquisition of born-digital materials, processes and describes them, and collaborates with SCRC and DDS staff to make them available for research and classroom use. The Digital Archivist works directly with the Digital Preservation Librarian, who ensures that SCRC’s digital content is securely maintained and persistent, safeguarding long-term access to and authenticity of born-digital assets. The Digital Archivist also plays a key role in applying a reparative framework to the acquisition and description of born-digital materials.
Education and Experience
Required qualifications:
- ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Science degree or related Advanced degree.
- At least two years full-time experience arranging and describing born-digital and physical materials in a special collections or archives.
Desired qualification:
- Digital Archives Specialist certification from the Society of American Archivists or equivalent education and experience.
Librarian Rank and Compensation
This position will be appointed at the Assistant Librarian, Senior Assistant Librarian, or Associate Librarian without Permanent (ranking) Status ranks based on the successful candidate’s qualifications.
See the detailed rank criteria requirements here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dRpkeU9_wurWre4618fmEMmXPpKuCz7QDCWDoetlzXw/edit?usp=sharing.
Final salary will be commensurate with experience and assigned rank.
Skills and Knowledge
Best combination of:
- Knowledge of and experience with professional archival standards, best practices, and technologies for capturing, accessing, arranging, describing, preserving and transferring digital archival materials, including web archiving.
- Significant understanding of laws and ethics that inform digital archives and digitization activities in a higher ed. environment.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate and work effectively with technical and non-technical staff, faculty, researchers, and donors.
- Experience working with colleagues in collaborative and team environments as well as working independently.
- Knowledge of applicable state and federal laws as well as common standards regarding accessibility of digital content.
- Proficiency with relevant web archiving tools (such as ArchiveIt) and the WARC format, digital preservation tools (such as Preservica), and email archiving tools (such as ePADD or RATOM).
- Proficiency with strategies for collecting and describing social media content.
- Experience using AI with tasks such as description and identification of duplicate and sensitive information.
- Proficiency with scripting languages or tools (e.g., Python, SQL, XSLT, OpenRefine, etc.) to transform, apply, or remediate metadata.
Responsibilities
Archival Processing and Management
- Arrange and describe born-digital and hybrid archival collections and create DACS-compliant EAD finding aids.
- Develop, implement, and regularly update policies and workflows for processing born-digital archival collection materials, working collaboratively with SCRC and DDS staff.
- Coordinate the transfer of digital materials from a variety of current and legacy storage media and external server locations.
- Work with SCRC and DDS staff to ensure that the department follows appropriate professional standards for descriptive, structural, and administrative metadata for born-digital materials where needed.
- Work to ensure that SCRC’s born-digital content is accessible in accordance with University and donor restrictions, federal law, and copyright regulations.
- Review, identify, and potentially redact personal and other confidential information protected by federal law or University policy in born-digital files.
- Remain current with emerging technologies, standards, and best practices in digital archiving and apply this knowledge to support the long-term accessibility and discoverability of born-digital collections.
Access and Outreach
- Collaborate with SCRC and DDS staff to implement discovery and access for born-digital materials.
- Work with SCRC instruction staff and University faculty to provide access to archival born-digital materials for classroom use.
- Work with SCRC staff to advise on community archiving for student organizations and local historically underrepresented communities.
Acquisition and Collection Development
- Assist curators and University Archives staff in facilitating the acquisition and/or transfer of born-digital materials and collaborate with partners such as donors, campus offices, University Records Management, Libraries IT, and DDS as needed.
- Lead the SCRC web archiving program in close collaboration with University Archivist and curators.
- Facilitate appraisal of born-digital materials.
- Identify, collect, and assist in preserving born-digital content for special projects.
Service
- Engage in activities that contribute to the advancement of the Libraries, the university and the library profession including actively participating on a team, committee, or special project; chairing or organizing a workshop, conference or other professional event; teaching (excluding library instruction sessions or other teaching activities that are explicit job duties); professional consulting; conference discussant, publishing; conducting research that results in a publication or conference presentation.
Professional Development
- Maintain awareness of professional developments, issues, and practices through research and activities that increase one’s knowledge and abilities, and that positively impact one’s performance and service contributions.
Physical Requirements
Not Applicable
Tools/Equipment
Not Applicable
Application Instructions
In addition to completing an online application, please attach a resume and cover letter.
About Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and over 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience.
The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors, 100 minors, and 200 advanced degree programs offered across the University’s 13 schools and colleges; over 15,000 undergraduates and over 6,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.syracuse.edu.
About the Syracuse area
Syracuse is a medium-sized city situated in the geographic center of New York State approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City. The metro-area population totals approximately 500,000. The area offers a low cost of living and provides many social, cultural, and recreational options, including parks, museums, festivals, professional regional theater, and premier shopping venues. Syracuse and Central New York present a wide range of seasonal recreation and attractions ranging from water skiing and snow skiing, hiking in the Adirondacks, touring the historic sites, visiting wineries along the Finger Lakes, and biking on trails along the Erie Canal.
EEO Statement
Syracuse University is an equal-opportunity institution. The University prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law to the extent prohibited by law. This nondiscrimination policy covers admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in University programs, services, and activities.
Commitment to Supporting and Hiring Veterans
Syracuse University has a long history of engaging veterans and the military-connected community through its educational programs, community outreach, and employment programs. After World War II, Syracuse University welcomed more than 10,000 returning veterans to our campus, and those veterans literally transformed Syracuse University into the national research institution it is today. The University’s contemporary commitment to veterans builds on this historical legacy, and extends to both class-leading initiatives focused on making an SU degree accessible and affordable to the post-9/11 generation of veterans, and also programs designed to position Syracuse University as the employer of choice for military veterans, members of the Guard and Reserve, and military family members.
Commitment to a Respectful and Welcoming Community
Syracuse University fosters a welcoming learning environment where students, faculty, administrators, staff, curriculum, social activities, governance, and all aspects of campus life reflect a broad range of perspectives and experiences. The University community values the many similarities and differences among individuals and groups. At Syracuse, we are committed to preparing students to engage with and appreciate the richness of backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences that shape our society. To achieve this, we strive to cultivate a community that respects and encourages open dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect.
