Head Archivist, Ogden and Mary Louise Reid Cinema Archives

Wesleyan University•Middletown, CT

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Wesleyan University, a highly selective liberal arts institution, seeks a Head Archivist for the Ogden and Mary Louise Reid Cinema Archives within its College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM). The Reid Cinema Archives, founded in 1982, is a pioneer in collecting, curating, and preserving essential film history materials, housing collections from luminaries like Frank Capra, Elia Kazan, Ingrid Bergman, and modern artists such as John Waters, as well as papers from Wesleyan alumni in film and television. The archives contain 42 collections, primarily housed in a 2,500 square-foot vault. Reporting to the Curator, the Head Archivist will provide leadership for the stewardship, preservation, accessibility, and growth of the Archives. This role involves overseeing collection management (acquisitions, processing, preservation, digitization), exhibitions, and research services, while developing and implementing archival standards and best practices. The position will collaborate with faculty, students, researchers, donors, alumni, and other institutions to support collection development, scholarly research, exhibitions, and educational initiatives.

Requirements

Master's in Library Science with a concentration in Archives, Museum Studies, Film Studies, or closely related field, and a minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in Archives, special collections, museums, libraries, or another collection-based cultural institution.
Relevant professional and graduate-level experience. or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.
Demonstrated knowledge of archival principles, appraisal, and archival standards such as DACS and EAD.
Demonstrated experience managing archival collections, including arrangement and description, creation of finding aids, preservation, and digitization.
Demonstrated project management and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, exercise sound professional judgment, and build collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively while maintaining confidentiality when working with sensitive or valuable archival materials.
Experience providing archival reference and research services and collaborating with faculty, students, researchers, donors, and other internal and external stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to create workflows, policies, and procedures related to various aspects of archival work.
Physical ability to lift and move archival materials weighing up to 40 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Experience with moving image, film, television, media, or other specialized archival collections.
Experience with grant writing, grant administration, or securing external funding for archives, libraries, museums, or other cultural institutions.
Experience developing or expanding archival collections through donor cultivation, acquisitions, collection development, or the negotiation of donor agreements, rights, and permissions.
Experience curating exhibitions, developing public programming, supporting educational initiatives, or promoting the visibility and accessibility of archival collections through publications, partnerships, or other scholarly activities.
Experience with digital preservation technologies, digital asset management systems, digital repository platforms, or collection management systems.
Demonstrated ability to provide leadership, establish priorities, develop operational workflows, and guide archival initiatives in a collaborative environment.
Demonstrated supervisory experience, including the ability to recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate staff and student employees.

Responsibilities

Lead the stewardship of the Archives’ forty-two collections by establishing workflows and processes for the arrangement, description, preservation, cataloging, and long-term care of the collections.
Accession new acquisitions, coordinate appraisals, oversee all aspects of archival processing including the creation of finding aids, and manage digitization initiatives supporting preservation and access.
Respond to complex reference inquiries and assist internal and external researchers wishing to gain access to the collections.
Collaborate with University legal counsel to negotiate use fees for individuals and organizations seeking to publish, display, or broadcast images and documents from the Archives, consistent with the policies and guidelines established by the Curator.
Assist the Curator in drafting and negotiating donor agreements and deeds of gift to the Archives.
Assist the Curator in identifying, preparing, writing, and administering grant proposals that support the stewardship of the Archives.
Assist the Curator and Director of CFILM with public outreach and special projects, including presentations, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, tours, and community engagement activities using archival collections.
Monitor environmental conditions in storage facilities and ensure preservation standards are met within the archival storage areas.
Recommend, select, and install archival exhibitions in the Rick Nicita Gallery, Center for Film Studies.
Contribute to strategic planning for the continued growth, preservation, and accessibility of the Archives.
Support pedagogical use of the Archives by the Film Studies faculty and collaborate with the College of Film and the Moving Image to advance teaching, research, and scholarly initiatives.
Develop content for the Archives' website, exhibitions, and other outreach materials, and coordinate updates with the appropriate University staff responsible for website administration.
Provide supervision and direction for archival staff, including the Assistant Archivist position as established.
Recruit, train, supervise, and assign work to student employees, as necessary.
Other duties as assigned.