Please reply to the address below, not to me personally.

Sue


Access Archivist
The Pennsylvania State University
Special Collections Library

The Pennsylvania State University Libraries is seeking a
forward-looking archivist for a new position of Access Archivist in
the Special Collections Library. The Access Archivist, collaborating
closely with and reporting to the Archivist/Processing Coordinator,
will have three primary responsibilities: collection-level
description, reference services, and Web site development and
maintenance. The successful candidate will work on an active and
comprehensive program to provide online access to the approximately
5,000 archival and manuscript collections in the Special Collections
Library. This is a Fixed Term, Multi-Year, non-tenure track academic
appointment (3 year contract) with excellent potential for renewal.

  RESPONSIBILITIES: The successful candidate will:
    * Create collection-level, archival standards-based descriptions
as part of a project to automate the creation of online finding aids
from the collections database;
    * Provide online and in-house reference services; and
    * Collaborate in the development and maintenance of the
departmental Web site.
Depending on candidate qualifications, additional responsibilities
may include:
    * Supervising processing grant personnel;
    * Editing existing collection descriptions to meet current best practices;
    * Participating in the conversion of database information into
EAD finding aids;
    * Conducting user studies.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Requires a Master's degree in Archival or
Library Studies from an ALA accredited program (or equivalent); two
years' experience in special collections setting; superior verbal and
written communications skills; demonstrated experience writing
archival descriptions to current archival standards; commitment to
diversity; superior interpersonal skills; ability to work some
weekends and evenings; excellent research and critical thinking
skills; experience developing and maintaining Web pages.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Minimum two years' experience in collection
description, processing, and public service; understanding of rare
books operations and procedures; experience creating EAD finding
aids; familiarity with DACS and MARC descriptive standards;
detail-oriented editing experience; familiarity with usability issues
related to online access; knowledgeable about content management
systems; thorough knowledge of professional standards.

ENVIRONMENT: Located on the University Park Campus of Penn State, in
State College, PA, the Special Collections Library consists of
Historical Collections and Labor Archives, the Penn State University
Archives, and Rare Books and Manuscripts. The mission of Special
Collections is to provide primary source materials for researchers
from Penn State and the larger world of scholarship.

The researcher can find here more than 150,000 printed volumes, more
than 25 million archival records and manuscripts, and another million
photographs, maps, prints, and audio-visual items, documenting many
subjects including American and British literature, German literature
in English translation, and art and architectural history;
industrial, labor and political history with a strong emphasis on
Pennsylvania since 1800; and the history of Penn State and the local
area. Visit the Special Collections Library Web site for more
information:
<http://extranet.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/>http://extranet.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/

Penn State, a land-grant institution, is a member of the CIC (Big 10)
academic consortium. The Penn State University Libraries currently
rank 12th in North America among private and public research
universities, based on Association for Research Libraries data. In
2006 Washington Monthly, a political, inside-the-beltway publication,
ranked Penn State 3rd in the nation among public universities in
preparing students to benefit the nation. The Libraries hold
membership in ARL, OCLC, CRL and the Digital Library Federation.
Collections exceed 5 million volumes, including more than 68,000
current serial subscriptions. The University Libraries are located at
University Park and 23 other campuses throughout Pennsylvania, with
approximately 6,000 faculty and 42,000 students at University Park,
and more than 82,000 students system wide. The University Park campus
is set in the State College metropolitan area, a university town
located in the heart of central Pennsylvania. State College offers a
vibrant community with outstanding recreational facilities, a low
crime rate, and excellent public schools. The campus is within a
half-day drive to Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York
City and Pittsburgh. For more information, please
<http://www.libraries.psu.edu>www.libraries.psu.edu and
<http://www.cbicc.org>www.cbicc.org.

COMPENSATION: Excellent fringe benefits include liberal vacation,
excellent insurance, State or TIAA/CREF retirement options, and
educational privileges.

TO APPLY, send letter of application, resume, and the names of three
references to Search Committee, The Pennsylvania State University,
Libraries Human Resources, Box SCAA-PSUA, 511 Paterno Library,
University Park, PA 16802. Review of applications will begin
September 30, 2008, and continue until the position is filled. For
additional information about the Penn State University Libraries
visit <http://www.libraries.psu.edu>www.libraries.psu.edu .

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and
diversity of its workforce.