Archivist I

Archivist I - Description & Access

Tennessee Department of State

Tennessee State Library and Archives

Archival Collection Services

Mission: The mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in a customer-centered environment.

Supervisor: Archivist 3 - Description & Access Manager

Summary: Process and catalog complex archival collections and work with members of the Description & Access team to create and encode finding aids to make collections available to researchers online.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Processes manuscript collections and state agency record groups of increasing complexity and participates in group processing projects.
• Arranges and describes archival materials in accordance to Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) and other relevant archival standards.
• Ensures DACS compliance for finding aids in personal work and among peers by providing training/guidance regarding changes in descriptive practices.
• Assists with holdings management activities, including serving as stack puller as assigned.
• As assigned, assists with the accessioning of manuscript collections or the transmittal of state agency records.
• Works with the Description and Access team to establish and maintain a functional and productive Electronic Records Program for the Tennessee state agency records.
• Creates workflows that address access needs while remaining in compliance with best practices and evaluate pre-existing workflows for feasibility and efficacy.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Library/Information Sciences, Archives Management, Public History, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Experience equivalent to one year working with archival collections, library special collections, or records management.
• Experience in archival arrangement and description is required.
• Cataloging experience preferred.
  
  

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Knowledge of manuscript processing techniques including familiarity with DACS and EAD for finding aid creation.
• Ability to develop and maintain finding aids using contemporary tools in accordance with national standards.
• Knowledge of archival and preservation concepts, methodology, techniques, and current digital preservation tools.
• Knowledge and understanding of the process and principles of records appraisal and disposition and the basic principles of archival theory and practice.
• Demonstrated competency in spreadsheet, database, and word processing skills.
• Strong competency in English composition equivalent to that of a successful research paper at the graduate level.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work collegially are essential.
• Ability to work in confined quarters and dusty or damp conditions for extended periods of time during the examination of neglected records storage.
• Knowledge and experience with archival processing, including archival theory and best practices regarding arrangement and description, are required. Familiarity with DACS preferred.
• Project management skills and experience preferred.
• Ability to work periodic Saturdays for stack retrieval tasks.
• Highly motivated individual.
• Ability to work independently and with limited supervision.
  
  

Salary: $47,000 plus the State of Tennessee Benefits Package.