Reference Archivist

UJA Federation of Greater Toronto•Toronto, ON

5d•CA$72,000 - CA$82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre (OJA), seeks a skilled, enthusiastic and motivated Reference Archivist to serve our active network of donors, researchers, and supporters. The successful candidate will be responsible for archival services that support and expand the OJA’s engagement with the public and facilitates access to the OJA’s archival collections. These services include providing direct reference assistance to a wide range of remote and in-person researchers and users, supporting storytelling and oral history initiatives, managing record donation inquiries, developing research aids and guides for users, and programming the use of the OJA’s research room and storytelling lab. This role also involves assisting with other outreach activities as needed.

Requirements

Master of Information with a focus on Archives and Records Management or equivalent
3-5-years of experience working in an archival institution with a focus on reference services and outreach.
Demonstrated expertise in archival principles and practices, including appraisal, arrangement, description, and digital preservation.
Proven experience delivering reference services and supporting diverse users with their information needs.
Familiarity with conservation and preservation techniques, as well as the proper handling of a wide range of archival materials.
Working proficiency in the application of the Rules for Archival Description (RAD).
Thorough understanding of Canadian copyright, privacy, and access-to-information legislation.
Knowledge of current oral history standards, methodologies, and best practices.
Ability to conduct scholarly historical research and communicate findings effectively to diverse audiences.
Proficiency in using social media platforms and digital engagement tools.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with archival and digital preservation systems, including InMagic and Preservica, is considered an asset.
Insight into the history and development of Jewish communities in Canada, particularly the Ontario Jewish community, is considered an asset.
Understanding of Canadian history is considered an asset.
Proficiency in other language such as Hebrew, Yiddish or Russian are considered an asset

Responsibilities

Responds to and provides reference services to a range of publics including: academics, genealogists, cultural producers, educators, community organizations, the general public, and internal UJA staff
Develops audience-appropriate research guides and tools for accessing the OJA’s collection, both in-person and online
Applies applicable privacy and access procedures according to legislation and OJA policies
Completes reproduction requests and all legal contracts for use and publication
Performs basic preservation actions as required
Digitizes as required and ingests collections into OJA’s digital repository
Monitors use of reference room and storytelling lab (to open in late 2027)
Develops programming opportunities for OJA’s storytelling lab
Curates storytelling submissions received through the OJA’s website
Contributes content to OJA’s newsletters, UJA’s communications channels, and OJA’s social media platforms.
Works closely with archivists to profile and highlight new acquisitions and researcher profiles across OJA platforms
Develops and leads community archival literacy workshops
Supports the OJA team with additional outreach and archival work as needed, including physical control and collection management responsibilities, curatorial research and design, speaking engagements, and walking tour administration.