University Archivist

Job Description:

University Archivist

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting directly to the Dean of Library Services and working collaboratively with the Director of Special Collections and Archives who provides operational supervision, the University Archivist serves as the primary representative, advocate, and steward of the University Archives, the official repository for records documenting Cal Poly University. Guided by a commitment to inclusive, community-engaged collection development, as well as the California State University (CSU) system Records Retention and Disposition Schedule policy, the University Archivist is responsible for identifying, appraising, selecting, and acquiring university records which campus communities deem important to preserve, and recognizes the opportunity to situate the archives as a site of cultural and social memory. The University Archivist participates in activities related to arrangement, preservation description, and public access, interprets archival records for publication and public programs, and promotes their active use. The University Archivist also provides specialized research services and primary source instruction sessions that contribute to Cal Poly’s DEI initiatives, Learn by Doing curriculum, Student Success, and the Librarian-Scholar model.

Librarians have full faculty status and are expected to meet faculty requirements for tenure and promotion. The typical workload allows for 20% of time to be allocated to research, scholarship and creative activities. Faculty are required to conduct an active ongoing program of scholarship or creative works that advances knowledge in the library and information field or other fields of one’s specialty. Faculty also participate in shared governance and actively engage in committees, task forces, and professional organizations to shape the future of the library in accordance with the goals of the library, Cal Poly, and CSU. Please refer to the Robert E. Kennedy Library Vision and Values and DEI Plan for more information.

Cal Poly strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the classroom, in scholarship, in the service experience, and in library collections, resources, and programs. The University Archivist position is part of a university-wide cluster hire designed to increase curricular coverage in areas related to DEI, as well as to promote inclusive and equity-minded teaching strategies across the university. The successful University Archivist candidate will be expected to contribute to the university’s goals in these areas, and build collections that prioritize representation and diversity, document university DEI principles and initiatives, and support the development and implementation of critical, inclusive, and reparative archival practices. As a candidate selected through this DEI cluster hire, the University Archivist will be given start-up funds to support their work in DEI and a dedicated mentor will be given upon appointment. Once hired, the successful candidate will collaborate with the Dean of Library Services and others to develop a plan for utilizing these funds for professional development activities.

The other searches are for positions in the following disciplines across campus:

• African American Politics and/or Policy (Political Science)
  

• African American Psychology (Psychology & Child Development)
  

• Criminal Justice or Social Work, with a focus on Latinx/e populations, (Social Sciences)
  

• Director of General Engineering (Dept. dependent on specialty)
  

• Environmental Health in Latinx/e Populations (Kinesiology and Public Health)
  

• Environmental Justice and Sustainability, focus on Latinx/e or Black populations (Natural Resources and Environmental Science)
  

• Exercise Physiology (Kinesiology and Public Health)
  

• Metadata and Cataloguing Librarian (Collection Strategies and Discovery, Library)
  

• Spanish Language Journalism (Journalism)
  

• Visual and Performing Arts Education, focus on Black and Latinx/e populations (Liberal Studies)
  

For more information about Cal Poly’s DEI-Focused Cluster Hires, please visit: https://academic-personnel.calpoly.edu/clusterhire

Salary Range - $85,524 - $90,655

Department Description

The University Archives program is organized within the Special Collections and Archives department of the Robert E. Kennedy Library. Special Collections and Archives actively develops and cares for unique and distinctive collections for research, teaching, learning, and public exhibition. In addition to University Archives, these collections have concentrations in graphic arts and technology, including artists’ books and fine press printing; and California and regional history with strengths in architecture and the built environment, tourism and promotion, environmental conservation, and the diverse communities of the Central Coast. The department also curates the University Art Collection, which includes public artworks, and is responsible for the library’s exhibition program.

Library Description

Kennedy Library manages campus-wide information resources and services with an annual budget of $8+ million and approximately 40 employees. The library is comprised of four major departments: Academic Services; Special Collections and Archives; Administrative Services; and Collections, Systems and Digital Strategies. Librarians hold faculty status and are represented by the California Faculty Association (CFA) and staff are represented by the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU). The library continuously adapts its services, tools, programs, and spaces to evolving academic programs, research interests, and university community needs. The library is a magnet for students and faculty alike with annual visits exceeding 1.5 million, providing access to information resources, classrooms, specialized computing, an expansive 24-hour study space, and a wide range of collaborative and individual study spaces. Significantly, the library is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as demonstrated by its DEI Action Plan. The library is partnering with the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) and actively participates in university and system wide strategic initiatives such as the CSU Black Student Excellence initiative and the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative.

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees, and our community. Bringing people together from different backgrounds and experiences fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly’s values of free inquiry and reflection on impacts of cultural context, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility. Cal Poly's commitment to DEI informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences at the time of hire; or comparable experience with a relevant advanced degree.

• A minimum of three (3) years of relevant work experience with a focus on maintaining or building archives.

• Knowledge and experience with historical and contemporary ethical issues in developing, using, and managing archival collections. Demonstrated knowledge or experience in fostering community belonging and of foregrounding the sociopolitical contexts of archives.

• Knowledge of or experience in working w ith historically marginalized p opulations and communities. Ability to curate archival materials with an ethics of care and with sensitivity for harm minimization and mitigation. Knowledge of historical and contemporary issues in working with such communities.

• Experience in appraisal, selection, and processing, including the arrangement, preservation, and description of archival records and related manuscript collections following national archival standards and practices.

• Ability to build and sustain relationships with a variety of indi viduals and groups, including faculty, students, administrators, donors, alumni, and other stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work successfully with a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds.

• Demonstrated knowledge of or experience in using archives as a site of critical pedagogy, especially in relation to topics of race, gender, class, and other historically underrepresented and/or marginalized communities. Ability to provide specialized reference and instruction in archival use.

• Demonstrated knowledge o f or experience in critical archival studies, especially related to ethical dimensions of archival representation and usage.

• Knowledge of legal and ethical issues related to acquiring, stewarding, and using archives and their digital surrogates, including University and CSU-wide policies pertaining to University Archives and records management, and policies related to privacy, confidentiality, and compliance with copyright law. Ability to advise the campus community on records retention, disposition, and transfer in alignment with policies and best practices.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Experience working with institutional or organizational records, archives, and digital assets, including knowledge of records management practices.

• Experience building and sustaining relationships with records creators and/or custodians.

• Experience providing specialized reference services.

• Experience providing instructional services with primary sources.

• Experience using content management systems such as ArchivesSpace and library management systems such as Alma.

• Experience managing archives in an academic library.

• Experience executing a records retention schedule.

• Project management experience.

• Experience processing archival materials in a university or other institution of higher learning setting.

• Familiarity with preservation and conservation standards and practices and their challenges for a variety of physical and digital formats

• Academic degree in a related field and/or advanced coursework at the post-graduate level.

• American Certified Archivist (ACA) certification.

• Bilingual or knowledge of at least one language other than English. Preferably Spanish.

Special Conditions

• All CSU employees are designated "mandated reporters" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act. As a condition of your employment, you will be required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 and any subsequent amendments.
  

• Following a conditional offer of employment, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate may start work with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may result in the withdrawal of the offer of employment. Note: Cal Poly cannot deny an applicant a position solely or in part due to a criminal conviction history until it has performed an individualized assessment and linked the relevant conviction history with specific job duties in the position being sought.
  

• Please note: Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Sensitive positions are those requiring heightened scrutiny of individuals holding the position based on potential for harm to children, concerns for the safety and security of people, animals, or property, or heightened risk of financial loss to Cal Poly or individuals in the university community.
  

• For health and well-being, Cal Poly is a smoke & tobacco-free campus. The university is committed to promoting a healthy environment for all members of our community.
  

• In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California. It is also expected that tenure-line faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.
  

• May be required to lift a max. of 40 lbs. and move weighted book trucks a max. of 300 lbs.
  

• May work in environments containing dust.
  

HOW TO APPLY

Please attach to your electronic application the following materials:
Cover letter Current curriculum vita Statement of demonstrated commitment to DEI in teaching, scholarship and/or service describing experience, contributions to DEI efforts, the impact on students, faculty, staff and/or your field and a description of how you will demonstrate a commitment in these areas in teaching, research, and/or service at Cal Poly Unofficial transcripts showing highest degree earned. Official sealed transcript showing highest degree earned will be required prior to appointment.
Please be prepared to provide three professional references with names and email addresses when completing the application. Cal Poly will directly solicit letters from the individuals listed by applicants. This position is open until filled.

Projected Start Date: 09-01-2025

Review Begin Date: February 17, 2025. Applicants with complete files by the Review Begin Date will be given full consideration.

For questions about the position please contact search committee chair Mark Bieraugel, at mbieraug@calpoly.edu

Advertised: Jan 14 2025 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close:

Closing Date/Time: