James W Foley Project Archivist

Introduction

Marquette University's Raynor Library invites applicants for a 2-year Project Archivist position in the library's Archival Collections and Institutional Repository department. The Project Archivist will process the James W. Foley Collection, creating an online repository that serves as a portal for students and scholars of conflict journalism worldwide. James Foley was a Marquette graduate and a freelance journalist who was taken hostage and executed in 2014 by ISIS militants. The James W. Foley Collection documents Foley's life and journalistic work in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.

The Project Archivist will be responsible for preserving and providing access to the James Foley collection's nine terabytes of digital records and fifteen linear feet of analog material. Reporting to the University and Digital Archivist, the person in this position will undertake digitization, arrangement, description, and preservation of the collection's materials, and integrating the use of Preservica digital preservation software. The position may also supervise student workers.

The Project Archivist will be an integral member of a dynamic team that is committed to careful stewardship and preservation of collections and to increasing access and use of the department's unique holdings. The Archival Collections and Institutional Repository department holds Marquette's university archives, more than 225 manuscript collections, and a significant collection of rare books. The department's institutional repository includes over 34,000 works with 10 million downloads of Marquette scholarship.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborates with the University Archivist to prepare a plan for processing, description, access, and preservation (in all formats) of the James W. Foley Collection.
• In collaboration with the University Archivist, advises and assists in the implementation and use of Preservica software.
• Contributes to the development of workflows that govern the ingest, processing, preservation, and general management of digital materials in the Foley Collection, including those regarding metadata standards and access conditions.
• Participates in professional development opportunities (conferences, workshops, etc.) and contributes to the archival profession through participation in appropriate national, regional, and local organizations or committees.
• Maintains an awareness of current trends in digital records processing, access and preservation and brings those to bear in their work with the Foley Collection.
• Contributes to a collaborative and collegial department work environment.
• Contributes to the work of library cross-departmental teams as appropriate.

About Marquette University and Raynor Library

Marquette University is located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee-a beautiful, diverse, and walkable city with a rich history located on the shores of Lake Michigan. The university is a private, Catholic, Jesuit doctoral-granting institution with 7,700 undergraduates, 3,600 graduate students, and 2,500 faculty and staff. Student success, access to education, and service are emphasized by the university in its work to educate well-rounded servant leaders who transform their fields, their society, and the world.

Raynor Library, which sits at the intellectual and geographic center of Marquette's campus, houses a 1.8 million volume print collection, many one-of-a-kind archival collections, and an online collection that includes 2.5 million e-books and 500 databases. In fall 2024, the library will become the gateway to Marquette's new Lemonis Center for Student Success, an innovative hub for academic support services for students.

Raynor Library welcomes candidates with a wide range of lived experience and who enjoy working with individuals of diverse backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and perspectives.

Requirements

• MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution.
• Familiarity with metadata standards for digital media.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Ability to build collegial working relationships with colleagues and work as a part of a multifaceted team.
• Capacity to do work that requires extensive computer use.

Preferred

• MLIS with specialization or concentration in archives.
• Two years of experience in archives.
• One year of experience with Preservica software, including ingest, processing, and preservation.
• Demonstrated ability in using Preservica software for a major digital collection.