Job Description

Job Description

General Summary of Position: 

Reporting to the University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections, the Digital Initiatives Archivist is responsible for managing the digital assets of the University Archives and Special Collections (UASC). This includes developing and implementing digital research and pedagogical initiatives that align with the goals of the Archives, the Library, and the University. The Digital Initiatives Archivist will oversee the accessioning, processing, description, preservation, and access to born-digital and digitized materials according to archival standards and best practices.

The Digital Initiatives Archivist supports the development of digital infrastructure and strategy in the Archives at UMass Boston, including the coordination of digitization projects, management of collection content databases, and implementation of digital preservation workflows. This position will collaborate with UASC staff to establish, streamline, and improve digital initiatives in strategic, efficient ways to enhance access to archival materials for research and instruction. The position will also contribute to advancing the outreach and engagement goals of the Archives, including assisting with aspects of archival instruction and participatory archiving programs that align with the incumbent's expertise.

Example of Duties:

Digital Collection Management  

• Collaborate with departmental staff in developing digital procedures for accessioning, arranging, describing, and providing access to born-digital and digitized materials according to professional standards 
• Manage and preserve digital collections content databases for research and instruction 
• Process and provide access to born-digital collections, including email archives and content from legacy storage media 
• Implement file format migration strategies to ensure long-term access to digital assets 

Digital Preservation  

• Develop, document, and implement departmental policies and procedures for the preservation of digital materials 
• Maintain and improve workflows for digital preservation activities 
• Monitor developments in digital preservation standards and technologies 
• Implement and maintain appropriate storage systems for digital assets 
• Develop backup and disaster recovery procedures for digital collections 

Digitization Projects  

• Work with the Archival Collections Project Manager to oversee in-house and outsourced digitization projects  
• Develop digitization priorities and schedules in collaboration with UASC staff 
• Establish and maintain standards for the creation of digital surrogates 
• Ensure quality control for digitized materials 
• Manage the upload of digitized content to appropriate repository platforms 

Digital Initiatives for Instruction and Research  

• Collaborate with faculty partners, community partners, and Archives and Library colleagues to develop data-based resources for reference and instruction 
• Develop, launch, and maintain UASC datasets for research and instruction 
• Manage crowd-sourced or volunteer-engaged data entry initiatives 
• Provide support for digital humanities projects utilizing UASC collections 
• Create and maintain online exhibits featuring UASC materials 
• Explore and implement appropriate AI tools and approaches to enhance archival description, processing efficiency, and discovery of digital collections 

Supervision and Training  

• Supervise graduate assistant assigned to digital initiatives projects  
• Train UASC staff and student workers on digital preservation best practices and workflows 
• Document procedures related to digital initiatives for training purposes 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in library and information science (MLS/MLIS) from a program accredited by the American Library Association, or its appropriate equivalent in librarianship from another country, or appropriate equivalent degree, or in exceptional circumstances, have appropriate equivalent experience; and have qualifications appropriate to the specific job description. 
• Anticipated: Librarian II-IV: https://fsu.umb.edu/sites/fsu.umb.edu/files/2023-2024%20FSU%20Agreement.pdf
• Demonstrated knowledge of digital archives tools and initiatives within an academic setting 
• Demonstrated expertise or competence in at least five of the following areas:  
• Digital preservation theory and practice 
• Metadata standards and creation (Dublin Core, METS, MODS, etc.) 
• Digital repository management 
• Digital collection processing workflows 
• Structured data modeling 
• Archival description standards (DACS, EAD) 
• Digitization standards and workflows 
• Born-digital collection management 
• Database design and management 
• Digital humanities tools and methodologies 
• Ability to work productively in both individual and team settings 
• Excellent communication skills in instruction, oral presentations, and written documentation 
• Ability to convey technical concepts and issues to non-specialists 
• Experience integrating principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion into archival activities 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Familiarity with principles and practices of community archiving 
• Experience working with archival management systems (e.g., ArchivesSpace) 
• Experience with digital repository platforms (e.g., CONTENTdm, DuraSpace) 
• Experience with relational database management systems (e.g., Caspio, Airtable) 
• Knowledge of web content management systems (e.g., Omeka) 
• Experience with batch data processing methods 
• Experience with XML/XSLT 
• Experience with API development and implementation 
• Experience managing email preservation projects 
• Project management experience 
• Experience supporting digital humanities scholarship 
• Experience providing reference services using digital collections 
• Knowledge of artificial intelligence applications and tools that support archival description, accession, and management 
• Experience with or interest in implementing AI-assisted workflows for processing digital collections

Application instructions:

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact [email protected] or 617-287-5150.

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