Director, Oral History Research Center, UNLV University Libraries [R0150012]

Nevada System of Higher Education

13d•$90,000

About The Position

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas invites applications for Director, Oral History Research Center, UNLV University Libraries [R0150012]. ROLE of the POSITION Reporting to the Director of Special Collections and Archives, the Director provides strategic leadership and direction for the Oral History Research Center (OHRC) within the University Libraries. They are responsible for overseeing the entire program, including collecting oral histories; developing new projects; conducting research; creating question sets; identifying, interviewing, and recording narrators; and transcribing and editing interviews consistent with current best practices in the field of Oral History. They supervise a team of 1-2 project managers, as well as a varying number of part-time editors, office assistants, and students as projects demand. They are responsible for the administration of the center, including reporting requirements, budget creation and management, policy creation, and setting priorities in alignment with the division and library strategic plans. This is a highly collaborative role and the Director is expected to work across Special Collections, the University Libraries, UNLV, and the Las Vegas community to build relationships, cultivate and steward donors, promote the collection and use of oral histories, and ensure the long-term success of the OHRC. The Director is also a key member of the Special Collections and Archives Area Leads Team, the cross-divisional leadership team for the unit. PROFILE of the UNLV UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES As a strong partner in research and student learning, UNLV Libraries fosters critical thinking and lifelong learning at one of the nation's fastest growing universities. University Libraries comprises Lied Library and four branch libraries and we are a gateway to more than 80,000 electronic journals, 1.2 million volumes, and 1.4 million e-books. We welcome individuals with diverse backgrounds to join our growing organization of over 120 experienced faculty librarians, professionals, and staff members. The primary mission of the Special Collections and Archives Division is to collect, preserve, provide discovery and access to, and promote, interpret, and instruct in the use of our materials. Special Collections and Archives documents the history, culture, and physical environment of the city of Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada region, the global gaming industry, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Our collections include manuscripts, books, photographs, periodicals, maps, architectural drawings, oral history interviews, audiovisual materials, University archives, born-digital records, and other cultural artifacts. Significant collecting areas are: gaming and gambling; regional community groups and organizations; sexual entertainment and economies; Las Vegas entertainment and the arts; Las Vegas and urban resort architecture; mining and railroads; and Southern and Central Nevada history. The division is comprised of three departments: Technical Services, Public Services, and Digital Collections. It also includes the Libraries’ preservation unit and conservation lab and the Oral History Research Center.

Requirements

This position requires a Master’s degree in library or information science from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent degree in public history or other relevant humanities discipline from an accredited college or university as recognized by the United States Department of Education and/or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Credentials must be obtained prior to the employment start date.
Competence and sensitivity in working with individuals who are highly diverse regarding many facets of identity, including but not limited to gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, ability, income, level of educational attainment, and religion.
3-5 years of experience conducting, transcribing, and editing oral history interviews
1-3 years of experience supervising and managing a unit of professional staff and students within a complex organization
Knowledge of oral history best practices, methodologies, theories, ethics and the management of and access to oral histories
Knowledge of requirements for effective use agreements/release forms
Demonstrated experience leading collaborative work, preferably oral history projects
Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Experience creating and managing budgets
Experience with grant writing and fundraising
Experience identifying, cultivating, and stewarding financial donors
Ability to conduct research on any topic in preparation for projects and individual interviews
Ability to work independently and collaboratively while building trustful, respectful relationships with colleagues, donors, narrators, and diverse individuals and communities.
Ability to prioritize work, set goals, and manage projects
Ability to develop and maintain workflows and training manuals, as well as effectively manage processes

Nice To Haves

Experience working in an academic library
Knowledge of preservation requirements for legacy physical media and digital interview recordings
Knowledge of copyright law as it pertains to oral history interviews
Knowledge of descriptive metadata schema or archival descriptive practices for oral histories
Knowledge of the history of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada
Knowledge of library and archival practice broadly
Experience creating and teaching oral history workshops for general audiences
Experience promoting the use of oral history and/or archival collections
Familiarity with project management tools such as Airtable or Asana
Familiarity with technologies used to manage and provide access to oral histories, such as the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS), library databases and catalogs, and digital asset management systems
Familiarity with providing archival reference services or conducting archival research
Ability to create, implement, and assess policies

Responsibilities

Collecting oral histories
Developing new projects
Conducting research
Creating question sets
Identifying, interviewing, and recording narrators
Transcribing and editing interviews consistent with current best practices in the field of Oral History
Supervise a team of 1-2 project managers, as well as a varying number of part-time editors, office assistants, and students as projects demand
Administration of the center, including reporting requirements, budget creation and management, policy creation, and setting priorities in alignment with the division and library strategic plans
Work across Special Collections, the University Libraries, UNLV, and the Las Vegas community to build relationships, cultivate and steward donors, promote the collection and use of oral histories, and ensure the long-term success of the OHRC
Key member of the Special Collections and Archives Area Leads Team, the cross-divisional leadership team for the unit