Senior Archival Specialist, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection at Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted (Chicago Public Library)
Full time; starting salary $72,000
Under general supervision, supervises and performs professional archival duties relating to the appraisal, management, and preservation of rare special collections materials and historically significant records, and performs related duties as required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
· Plans, assigns, and reviews the work of staff involved in the organization, preservation, and storage of special collection materials (e.g., books, manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, maps, ledgers, museum artifacts)
· Supervises and participates in the description and cataloging of print, electronic and digital records (e.g., audio tapes, microfiche, born-digital materials) of acquired materials and city government documents for storage on-site and at remote locations
· Monitors the provision of reference services to patrons and approves the release of retrieved records as requested by the media, researchers, and the general public
· Prepares and mounts archival and special collections materials for exhibitions, community displays, and private showings
· Develops archival guides and prepares processing manuals for staff
· Represents the department at meetings with historical societies, academic institutions, and civic organizations to discuss best practices of archived materials
· Compiles data and prepares comprehensive acquisition, collection usage, and storage reports
· Classifies and describes special collections materials and historical records and documents
· Plans and conducts workshops for department staff on the proper care, storage, and retrieval of archived records and objects
Additional duties may be required for this position
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
· Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree or Doctorate in Archival Studies, PLUS at least one (1) year of work experience related to the responsibilities of the position, OR
· Graduation with a Master’s degree or Doctorate from an accredited American Library Association (ALA) Library Science program, including at least nine (9) semester hours in archival science or archival administration studies, PLUS at least one (1) year of work experience related to the responsibilities of the position, OR
· Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree or Doctorate in History or a directly related field, including at least nine (9) semester hours archival science or archival administration studies, PLUS at least one (1) year of work experience related to the responsibilities of the position
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS
This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.
Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:
· Proficiency with library and archives management systems such as Archives Space and Content DM
· Knowledge of Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS), Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) and other metadata standards
· Familiarity with digital archiving, digital preservation, or born-digital materials
For more information and to apply: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobdetail.ftl?job=195474
Deadline to apply: August 18, 2025