Digital Archivist

The Digital Archivist is responsible for evaluating, acquiring, arranging, describing, and providing access to electronic records of the South Dakota State Historical Society-State Archives. Duties include the development of policies and procedures for electronic records; selecting and transfering electronic records from private donors and state agencies to the archives; preparing and ingesting electronic records into a digital repository; providing reference services for electronic records; and improving access to digital collections. The Digital Archivist also maintains statistics and reports to the State Archivist.

In the event of an extended absence of the Archives Associate, the Digital Archivist will train, supervise and inspect the work of inmate workers.

The position will work with archival materials which includes exposure to dust. Applicant must also be able to lift boxes weighing up to 50 lbs. and climb ladders. Some travel is required.

This position will also be responsible for filling in for the Archives Associate at the women’s prison during extended absences which will require staying informed about the progress and processes at the Special Projects Program and staying current with Department of Corrections training for non-Department of Corrections personnel.

This is a full-time permanent position.

Please attach a cover letter to your online application that describes your interest and addresses your qualifications for this position. Please also attach a resume showing your work history, including dates of employment and relevant coursework.

Additional Requirements: To be considered, attach your curriculum vitae and a writing sample.

For more information on the South Dakota State Historical Society-State Archives, please visit https://history.sd.gov.

Successful applicant(s) will be required to undergo a background investigation. An arrest/conviction record will not necessarily bar employment.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

Master’s degree from an ALA accredited university in Library and Information Science or the equivalent, with successful completion of relevant coursework in electronic records and digital preservation is preferred. One year of experience working with born-digital records in an archives is preferred. Experience with project management experience and experience with arrangement and description of archival materials is preferred.

Knowledge of:

• metadata standards such as Dublin Core, MODS, METS, etc.;
• archival and/or digital content management systems such as ArchivesSpace, Archivist’s Toolkit and CONTENTdm;
• modern archival theory, standards, and practices and their implementation. This knowledge includes an understanding of appraisal methods, arrangement and description, cataloging, preservation, access, and outreach;
• current electronic records management theory, standards and practices and their implementation, including hardware/software needs, naming protocols and migration plans;
• United States and South Dakota history;
• historical research methods in both primary and secondary sources;
• electronic information systems and specialized technology related to archival cataloging and patron information retrieval systems, including MARC and EAD;
• digital formats, their preservation, and access issues and issues related to security/authenticity;
• information storage systems;
• standards such as technical, preservation, structural, packaging, and transfer metadata schemes;
• copyright and data protection issues.

Skill to:

• prioritize day-to-day tasks;
• collaborate on the most cost-effective and timely means to preserve and provide public access to records;
• determine how and at what level collections should be arranged and cataloged;
• identify materials requiring supplemental preservation and determine the priority of electronic records collections for processing, based on knowledge of research needs, agency priorities, historical significance, and professional standards;
• with the archives team, provide on-site and electronic reference assistance regarding archival and manuscript collections to researchers.

Ability to:

• build partnerships between representatives in various state agencies;
• communicate effectively with IT specialists;
• communicate both simple and complex ideas effectively to people with various degrees of knowledge of archival theories and historical research methods;
• successfully work with a variety of people and to assist patrons while maintaining a professional demeanor;
• pick up and deliver records from donors;
• answer requests for information regarding the archival collections;
• prepare monthly status reports;
• participate in communication efforts to inform the public about the historical society and its collections through presentations, social media posts and press releases;
• participate in continuing education and professional development opportunities as needed to maintain required skills;
• conduct site visits to historical organizations and collecting institutions to provide technical advice and assistance on archival practices and preservation issues upon request.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE ELIGIBLE

The State of South Dakota offers paid employee health insurance plus ten paid holidays, generous vacation leave accrual, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information visit http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus/workbenefits.aspx