Student Accessioning Assistant in Small Special Collections Library - Work Study Position (Student Wage)

University of Virginia•Charlottesville, VA

5d•$17•Onsite

About The Position

This student position in the University of Virginia Library's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library focuses on accessioning, which is the foundational step in archival stewardship. The role involves appraising, transferring, stabilizing, and documenting new acquisitions. Students will gain hands-on experience with archival methods, including training in ArchivesSpace (a standard collection management system), digital preservation workflows, and direct interaction with rare historical materials. The position offers practical experience in inventorying, rehousing, and researching collections under the supervision of the Accessioning Archivist.

Requirements

Current UVA student
Federal Work Study eligible
Accuracy, attention to detail, and excellent organizational skills
Adaptability and agility in work assignments and finish tasks in a timely manner
Excellent communication skills and ability to ask questions
Experience using the Microsoft Office suite
Comfortable reading 18th, 19th, and or 20th century hand-written documents
Ability to work independently

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with U.S. and Virginia history, or American literature
Data entry experience
Foreign language or computer skills

Responsibilities

Help unpack collections and verify contents
Create collection inventories in the Microsoft Office suite
Barcode and label boxes and folders
Rehouse collection material into archival containers
Shelve collection material
Enter data and create stub records into ArchivesSpace, a collection management system
Participate in digital accessioning activities including entering data into spreadsheets, photographing physical media, migrating materials off media (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.) and running basic reports using a Forensic Workstation
Work on special projects identified by the supervisor
Occasionally help Public Services staff pull items from the stacks