Archivist (Term without Review)

Archivist
(Fixed Term Appointment, Full-time, 12 months)

The University of British Columbia | Okanagan Campus

The University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus is situated in Kelowna on the traditional, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Peoples.

DESCRIPTION:

The Library at UBC's Okanagan campus invites applications from creative, service-oriented archivists committed to supporting research excellence and transformative student learning experiences for a full-time, 12-month contract position as the Archivist (Term).

Reporting to the Head, Research Partnerships & Collections, this position is responsible for the coordination of special collections, archives, and digitization for the UBC Okanagan Campus Library. The Archivist (Term) manages Okanagan Special Collections (OSC), including its regionally focused print, digital, audio-visual and archival collections, as well as the archival record of the campus. The position also provides information services to faculty, students, staff, and the public to support teaching, research, and donations. Liaison coverage may vary depending on the candidate experience.

The Archivist (Term) serves on committees, working groups and teams, as appropriate, to build and promote regional collections as a participant in broader institutional goals. They work closely with librarians and archivists from both the UBC Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, and are a valued member of the Okanagan Library, taking a role in the planning, development and delivery of services, and management of collections and spaces relevant to archives and special information resources for students and faculty at the Okanagan Campus.

We are looking for candidates with up to two years' relevant experience who welcome an opportunity to work closely with staff, faculty, students, campus colleagues and the broader Okanagan community.

A complete job description can be viewed on the Work with Us webpage.

ENVIRONMENT:

The UBC Library is committed to being a respectful, healthy environment that encourages leadership, collegiality, diversity, individual growth and opportunity. We work collaboratively to deliver core library services and achieve the priorities outlined in the Library's Strategic Framework. We are committed to eliminating institutional and structural systems of oppression and power (such as colonialism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and white supremacy). This work is informed and guided by UBC's Indigenous Strategic Plan, Inclusion Action Plan, Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism Framework, and UBC Okanagan's Declaration of Truth and Reconciliation Commitments.

Employee-led EDIA activities from the Okanagan Library over the past few years have included an ongoing yearly anti-racist book club, collaborative readings of the TRC's Calls to Action, a campus-wide Indigenous Reads Book Club, and Pride in Place pop-up exhibit and discussion around the representation of queer history in the Okanagan.

Both the 2022 and 2023 Library Reports to Senate can provide a deeper look at the initiatives and achievements of the Okanagan Library from the last few years.

EQUITY:

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A masters-level degree with a specialization or concentration in archival science (e.g., Master of Archival Science, or Master of Library and Information Studies (or equivalent) with an archival concentration);

• Demonstrated knowledge of current archival theory and practices is required;

• Excellent organizational and analytical skills;

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

ADDITIONAL PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

UBC Okanagan Library emphasizes that the preferred skills and qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping and supporting our future colleague develop these preferred skills and qualifications as needed.

• An additional master's level degree from an accredited program of library, or information science, or equivalent internationally accredited program would be an asset for this position;

• Knowledge and understanding of digital repositories, including Islandora;

• Knowledge and understanding of technical metadata schemas, including MODS or Dublin Core;

• Knowledge and understanding of general subject liaison responsibilities, including reference and research help, instructional design and delivery, and collection development;

• Experience building and maintaining relationships, including with community partners and/or donors;

• Experience preparing exhibits or other programming events;

• Knowledge and understanding of maintaining a budget and setting expenditure priorities, including prospective projects;

• Supervisory experience;

• Knowledge and understanding of promotional outreach, including drafting social media posts and/or media releases;

• Experience in or knowledge of assessment activities to support continuous improvement of library and archival services that enhance learning and engagement;

• Ability to perform effectively independently and in a large and complex team environment;

• Knowledge of library systems and applications.

POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The specific work of this position will be developed based on the successful candidate's skills and in conjunction with existing relationships, projects, and activities that are currently being supported by the UBC Okanagan Library and the Okanagan Special Collections & Archives. The successful candidate for this position will have the opportunity to strengthen, contribute, expand, and/or assume responsibility for elements of this work, as well as identify new opportunities in collaboration with colleagues, depending on capacity and interest:

• Prepare, or supervise the preparation of finding aids for current and backlog archival fonds and maintain, upgrade, and update existing finding aids.

• Oversee routine processing activities such as inventory, rehousing, digitization, and basic conservation of archival resources;

• Liaise with assigned academic departments to enhance the value of the Library as a partner in teaching, research, and scholarship;

• Provide reference, instruction and research services to students, staff, faculty, and members of the public;

• Supervise the selection and acquisition of new and hard-to-find regional resources that meet the mandate of the Okanagan Special Collections, including through gifts-in-kind.

• Coordinate the BC Regional Digitized History web portal, including collaboration with communities, other professionals, and external campus partners to deliver ongoing community-focused collection development services on the basis of stewardship of information resources not owned by UBC;

• Implement and assess digital preservation practices for special collections and archival holdings at UBCO;

• Maintain public-facing digital repositories and other delivery systems. May include activities such as selection, preparation, and management of digital assets, preparation and configuration of descriptive, administrative, and technical metadata, and evaluation and implementation of indexing;

• Participate in events, projects, and committees that bring together the library and the wider community on the basis of archival, primary source, and special information objects;

• Prepare exhibitions of collections, including yearly ongoing cyclical events and proposing new opportunities. Events may support the campus and/or wider community partners, and are often developed for public-facing engagement;

• Manage promotional outreach, including social media and media releases;

• Manage archival reproductions, in conformance to the Canada Copyright Act and the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;

• Participate on library, campus, and university committees and working groups, as needed;

• Contribute to or participate in research, as applicable;

• Supervise one Library Services Assistant (Archives);

• Participate in relevant conferences, committees and other professional development activities.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT:

This is a full-time, 12-month appointment with an anticipated start date of May 1, 2025 at the earliest. The start date is flexible depending on candidate requirements.

The successful candidate will be a member of The University of British Columbia Faculty Association and the terms and conditions of appointment are governed by the Collective Agreement between UBC and the UBC Faculty Association (https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc/collective-agreements-and-terms-conditions-employment).

This position is anticipated to be filled at an annual starting gross salary of $6,996.28 monthly ($83,955.30 per annum equivalent) plus vacation and benefits. This salary reflects having up to and including two (2) years of relevant professional experience in accordance with the Collective Agreement between UBC and the UBC Faculty Association (http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty-relations/collective-agreements/).

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications for this exciting opportunity are to be submitted in one consolidated file (PDF or Microsoft Word format) and must include:

• A cover letter including a statement of citizenship/immigration status;

• A detailed and current curriculum vitae specifying education, training, and work experience in the areas listed above;

• The names and emails of three professional references (Note: references will not be contacted without prior permission).

Please note candidates will be required to create a profile through the UBC system in order to submit an application.

Applicants who are invited for an interview will be contacted to discuss any accessibility needs in advance of the interview. We encourage applicants invited for an interview to request any and all accommodations that they may need in this process.

Please direct your questions to:
Lois Marshall lois.marshall@ubc.ca
Manager, Planning and Operations | Library
The University of British Columbia | Okanagan Campus
3287 University Way Kelowna BC V1V 1V7