Historical Collections Assistant (Student Wage)
About The Position
This is a part-time position (up to 10 hours per week) paying $16.71 per hour and is available beginning September 15, 2026, and may end no later than May 14, 2027. Setting and reliably maintaining a work schedule is important for success in this role. The work area’s temperature is generally below 65 degrees Fahrenheit to better preserve the collections, so employees should dress accordingly. Passing of a background check is required for this position, and I-9 documentation must be available to complete the hiring process. All scheduled work hours must fall between 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday. For more information about Historical Collections & Services, please visit https://hsl.virginia.edu/historical.
Requirements
- Currently Enrolled UVA student, undergraduate or graduate.
- Successful passing of a background check.
- Ability to handle rare and special materials with care.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Accuracy and attention to detail.
- Interest in history, rare book preservation, photographs, and personal papers.
- Experience using Microsoft Word and Excel.
- Good communication skills.
- Ability to focus on tasks and finish them in a timely manner.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Resume required.
- I-9 documentation must be available to complete the hiring process.
Nice To Haves
- Students who are eligible for Federal Work Study are preferred.
- Experience working in a special collections library or archives, or any library work experience.
- Familiarity with archival principles and practices.
- Data entry experience or experience working with databases.
- Experience reading 18th-20th century handwritten documents, including cursive.
- Familiarity with the Library of Congress Classification system.
- Familiarity with the history of medicine, especially in Virginia and at UVA.
- Foreign language skills are a plus.
Responsibilities
- Assist with processing archival collections and enter information into the ArchivesSpace database.
- Inventory the vaulted rare book collection and create shelf tags.
- Inventory, organize, and re-house artifacts and other collection materials in a variety of formats.
- Assist with the shifting of boxes and books in the stacks and reshelving materials.
- Create social media content and blog posts highlighting the collections.
- Support additional projects and duties as assigned.
- Work will be performed under supervision of the Archivist and training will be provided for skills/programs listed above.
- In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
