| Senior Archivist
Reference Library & Institutional Archive
Yale Center for British Art (YCBA)
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Rank: Librarian III-IV http://www.yale.edu/jobs Schedule: Full-time (37.5 hours per week); Standard Work Week (M-F, 8:30-5:00) Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include two major art museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music. The Yale Center for British Art The Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) is both a research institute and a public museum, housing the largest collection of British paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, rare books and manuscripts outside the United Kingdom. Presented to Yale University by the late Paul Mellon (Yale Class of 1929), the YCBA is a flourishing center for research and scholarship on all aspects of the history of British art since the 16th century and offers a year-round schedule of exhibitions and programs. For additional information about the Center, consult the web site at http://www.britishart.yale.edu Opened to the public in 1977, the Center is housed in the final building designed by Louis I. Kahn. Located across the street from Kahn’s first major commission, the Yale University Art Gallery (1953), the YCBA represents a culmination of Kahn’s architectural ideals and exemplifies a unique collaboration between the University, Kahn, and Paul Mellon. Reference Library and Archives The Reference Library and Archives support the research activities of the Center as well as those of the faculty and students of Yale. Docents, volunteers, visiting scholars, and general visitors to the Center are also important constituents of the Library. The Reference Library holds over 30,000 secondary resources in a variety of formats supporting the study of British art, architecture, history, literature, costume, and culture. The Photograph Archive, located within the Reference Library, consists of over 200,000 black-and-white study photographs of British art worldwide, with a special focus on holdings in the United States, Canada, and Australia. http://britishart.yale.edu/about-us/departments/reference-library-and-archives The Reference Library and Archives particularly reinforce the work of the three curatorial departments of the Center. The Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts contains approximately 35,000 titles consisting of material relating to the visual arts and cultural life in the United Kingdom and former British Empire from the 16th century to the present. The prints and drawings collection of over 50,000 objects, offers a comprehensive view of the development of British art on paper, and includes an emphasis on the flowering of the British watercolor school. The paintings and sculpture collection is comprised of over 2,200 masterpieces by artists that include: Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Stubbs, Constable, Turner, and Hepworth. While the YCBA Reference Library and Archives enjoy a close collaborative relationship with the Yale University Library, contributing to many aspects of the Library’s public and technical efforts, it nevertheless remains distinctly under the direction of the Center. Institutional Archive The YCBA Institutional Archive falls under the administrative umbrella of the Reference Library and holds records that document the Center’s inception and stewardship from the mid-1960s onward. Records of all types from each of the Center’s departments are represented in the Archive, as are hundreds of architectural drawings documenting the Center’s initial construction and subsequent renovation projects. The creation and organization of the YCBA Institutional Archive comes at a propitious moment in the history of the Center as it has launched a major initiative to provide online access to the complete collections of the Center (paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, rare books, manuscripts, and reference materials) through a ground-breaking cross-collections search tool. The collections of the Archive will contribute to this growing online discovery tool, as appropriate. Position Description Under the general direction of the Chief Librarian of the Reference Library and Archives, the Senior Archivist has primary responsibility for all aspects of the YCBA Institutional Archive. The Senior Archivist’s major responsibilities include: the development and implementation of collections management policies and activities for the Center (including record retention policies and procedures), the assessment, sorting, and arrangement of the archival collection, the creation and maintenance of databases, finding aids, and other tools facilitating discovery of, and access to, the holdings of the Center’s Archive, and for providing public and research services to a wide variety of users. Reporting to the Chief Librarian of the Reference Library and Archives, the Senior Archivist will coordinate all aspects of the fledgling YCBA Institutional Archive including assessment, sorting, processing, and providing access to the accumulated records of the Center; establishing a records retention program and providing reference and research services related to the archival collections. As the Center’s inaugural archivist, the Senior Archivist will have the unique opportunity to create a model of organization and access for institutional archive in conjunction with the art, rare book and manuscript collections of the Center. The Senior Archivist will be the steward of the Center’s historical record and will provide leadership in the care, organization, and access – both physical and intellectual – to the Center’s varied archival collections. The Center and the University offer rich opportunities for collaboration. The Senior Archivist will work closely with YCBA departments; with the Center’s sister institution in London, The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art; and other departments across Yale such as the Library’s Department of Manuscripts and Archives, and other special collections across the University. The Senior Archivist will liaise with institutions outside of Yale including those associated with Paul Mellon such as: The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; as well as the Kahn Archive at the University of Pennsylvania, and other US and UK institutions. Representative Job Summary Yale University librarians work in libraries across the Central, West, Medical, and Science campuses, to build, manage, and provide access to a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. They demonstrate flexibility, creativity, and imagination in their work and adapt to and help shape a continuously evolving work environment. Yale librarians provide consistently high quality service to the University, and help meet the needs of the local, national, and international teaching and research communities. Representative Responsibilities The Librarian 3 is expected to demonstrate excellence in meeting the position responsibilities, as defined by the job description and annual goals. Demonstrate continued effectiveness in job performance through evidence of increasing knowledge, understanding, and skill in performing the duties of his or her position. Demonstrate an ability to work effectively without supervision, to suggest new methods or procedures, and to foresee problems and suggest solutions. Provide substantive contributions to the library, university, and/or community. Provide substantive professional contributions at the regional, national, or international level. Departmental Responsibilities Crafts and implements a plan and timeline to sort, arrange, assess, fully process, and provide access to the collected records of the Center. Creates a record retention plan and program for the Center that encompasses print and electronic records. Creates strategies for implementing the Center’s record retention program, and devises a plan for informational meetings/presentations across the Center’s departments. Creates access tools for the collection in special consideration of the collection’s unique subject matter and specialized users. Provides public service functions that include: defining policies and procedures for the Archival reading room, providing reference and research services, preparing user support documentation, and conducting research instruction for Center staff, University students and faculty, and the general public. Discusses and contributes to the formation of departmental and interdepartmental policies and procedures through meetings and committee projects. Advises and assists in the Center’s initiative to provide seamless online access to art collection records in conjunction with relevant archival records. Serves as the Center’s liaison with other Yale archival units and represent the Center on Yale Library committees and task forces. Maintains a close collaborative relationship with our sister institution, the Paul Mellon Centre (PMC) for Studies in British Art (London). Interfaces closely with the PMC archivist to identify common goals and possible collaborative efforts. Directly supervises archival assistants, student assistants, and interns. Administers and authorizes requests to publish archival materials; requests and collects reproduction fees; advises on copyright and permissions policies. Creates outreach strategies promoting research in the archival collections. Contributes to the advancement of the archival profession at the national and/or international level. May be required to participate in disaster recovery efforts. Qualifications Master’s degree in art history or a related discipline and/or Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program for library and information science and five years of professional experience in a major archival or manuscript repository, including substantive management, planning, and supervisory responsibilities. Appointment to the Librarian 3 rank requires at least five years of professional experience; appointment to the Librarian 4 rank requires at least eight years of professional experience; and demonstrated professional accomplishments appropriate to the rank. Knowledge of a broad range of archival theory and practice based on training and professional experience. Knowledge of record retention programs, their creation, and implementation. Understanding of electronic records and digital preservation issues. Demonstrated commitment to innovation and original thinking as applied to archival access strategies, finding aid creation, and the utilization of Web 2.0 functionality. Ability (through training and experience) to plan and build an institutional archive from the ground up. Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and coordinate complex and grant-funded projects. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with colleagues, patrons, and funding agencies. Ability to cultivate collegiality to enable collaboration across departments and institutions. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Preferred: Extensive professional experience in a museum archive, preferably one with close ties to a university repository. Salary and Benefits We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country's great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more. Applications consisting of a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references should be sent by creating an account and applying online at http://www.yale.edu/jobs for immediate consideration - the STARS req ID for this position is 15959BR. Please be sure to reference #15959BR in your cover letter. Background Check Requirements All external candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. Internal candidates may be subject to a motor vehicle or credit check for this position based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent on successful completion of the required background check. Please visit http://www.yale.edu/hronline/careers/screening/faqs.html for additional information on the background check requirements and process. Yale University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Yale values diversity in its faculty, staff, and students and strongly encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups. |
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