PT Archives Processing Assistant (on-site)

DePaul University•Chicago, IL

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Archives Processing Assistant is primarily responsible for applying standard archival principles and practices to arrange, describe and provide access to archival collections. The Archives Processing Assistant provides reference support to remote and on-site researchers, including paging and reshelving books and archival collections, as well as registering researchers and monitoring the Reading Room. The Archives Processing Assistant will work in a highly supportive, collegial culture that encourages active participation in meaningful and valuable skills training and professional development. This includes training workshops, committee memberships, and engagement in programs that support the Library’s mission and its Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access goals, while building connections and partnerships across DePaul’s wider academic and user community.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
Ability to read and comprehend handwritten and printed text, and to create accurate structured and narrative descriptions with minimal oversight or intervention
Ability to think critically and shift perspective in order to create effective arrangements and descriptions of archival collections
Ability to adapt to change with flexibility, creativity, and sound judgment
Ability to learn new skills through research and self-study
Experience working both independently and collaboratively in a collegial, team-based environment and maintaining positive working relationships
Excellent planning, project management, and problem-solving skills
Ability to work with diverse constituencies
Knowledge of information technology resources, print information resources, and web-based information resources required

Nice To Haves

Experience with processing archival collections
Familiarity with DACS, EAD, and collection management software

Responsibilities

Creates accurate archival accession records.
Conducts preliminary surveys and preservation assessments.
Rehouses incoming collections.
Evaluates, sorts, arranges, and describes materials according to archival principles.
Maintains a record describing the collection and the activities performed upon it.
Performs rehousing, reformatting, and other preservation measures as needed.
Creates structured, detailed descriptions for narrative finding aids and database entries.
Manages the physical collections as needed, including shelving, shifting, and moving as required.
Updates department records for the intellectual control and description of archival materials.
Assists in-person and remote researchers by identifying materials of interest and supplying requested information.
Supervises the reading room during scheduled desk shifts and as-needed substitute coverage.
Assists in training student employees to perform basic processing projects; may proof, edit, and correct archival descriptions created by others.