Carnegie Mellon University Libraries seeks a collaborative, curious, creative, and technically skilled colleague with experience working in digital preservation and digital curation to join the University Archives and Distinctive Collections team.

  

In this role, you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the Carnegie Mellon University Archives' born-digital program. This includes developing policies and procedures for accessioning, ingesting, preserving, managing, and providing access to electronic records; developing procedures and workflows for describing born-digital records within hybrid collections; and managing web-archiving activities. You will also work closely with colleagues focused on digitization, and digital strategies and infrastructure to develop policies and procedures for managing digital records and integrate them into existing projects and programs.

You will be joining an agile, innovative, and enthusiastic archives team focused on re-envisioning how archives can support and capture work across a wide variety of fields, including STEM, fine arts, and humanities fields, as well as building collections that represent our diverse university community. As a member of this team, and under the leadership of the associate dean for distinctive collections, you will: 

• work with library faculty and staff to support university priorities 
• help meet the wide range of preservation and records management needs on campus and 
• become involved with larger communities of practice related to digital preservation, software preservation, collections as data, and digital archives. 

What You Will Do

• Develop and implement policies and procedures for the transfer, appraisal, ingest, preservation, and management of born-digital records.
• Develop procedures and workflows for describing born-digital records, including those within hybrid collections.
• Process and describe born-digital materials in collaboration with colleagues.
• Lead efforts to archive websites, social media, and other web-based content. 
• Establish procedures and policies for access to born-digital materials.
• Advise departments and donors on the management of electronic records.
• Collaborate with multiple library units to develop and maintain digital preservation standards for the library.
• Maintain familiarity with professional best practices related to digital preservation and access to born-digital materials.

Qualifications

What We Require
The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in library/information science (with a focus on archives or digital preservation) and enthusiasm for developing as a professional. They will also be able to demonstrate a willingness to continue learning in order to implement ever-evolving best practices, and be able to demonstrate training and/or direct experience with the following: 

• Experience working with digital archives 
• Knowledge of digital preservation standards and best practices
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience with archival management systems

 

What We Would Like You To Have

• Knowledge of Python or similar scripting languages
• Experience working in an academic archive
• Experience with ArchivesSpace and/or Islandora
• Experience with web archiving tools
• Experience with digital forensics and data extraction tools

 

What We Can Offer

• A competitive annual salary commensurate with experience
• Professional development and travel funds
• Generous health, tuition, and retirement benefits
• A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

 

About CMU

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a world-leading and global research-intensive institution known for its distinctive interdisciplinary culture, which champions creative and technological inquiry and collaborative efforts, and its faculty who inspire students to think creatively, interpret with insight, and solve major societal, scientific, and technological challenges. Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world. 

About CMU Libraries

The CMU Libraries is the destination for scholarly information, creative inquiry and intellectual collaboration across disciplines, propelling the significance, reach and impact of the university. Investment in the library is part of the University’s Strategic Plan 2025, which calls for the creation of “a 21st century library that serves as a cornerstone of world-class research and scholarship.” In alignment with that plan,  the Libraries proudly accelerates research and discovery and leads the way in open access to information and data, amplifying the work happening at CMU.

CMU Libraries offers generous health, tuition, and retirement benefits; flexible work opportunities and robust professional development support. 

About Pittsburgh

A thriving city known for its great restaurants, outdoor adventure, culture, and reasonable cost of living, Pittsburgh has been repeatedly recognized as one of the most liveable cities in the United States. The university’s main campus is located adjacent to Schenley Park, with its more than 4,450 acres of trails and access to outdoor activities, ten minutes from the city’s vibrant downtown. 

To Apply       

We hope you are interested in joining us. To be considered, please apply here.  This position requires a background check. 

Flexibility, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within the CMU Libraries.  Inclusion, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity are valued competencies at CMU. Therefore, we are searching for a team member who can effectively interact with a diverse population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

We strongly encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized and/or underrepresented in academic librarianship and who will contribute to the breadth of our organization.

Deadline

Applications received by September 27, 2024  will be given first consideration. 

Thinking about applying? Have questions about your eligibility, or about the role, CMU, or Pittsburgh? Reach out to Julia Corrin, our associate dean for distinctive collections, at jcorrin@andrew.cmu.edu.