Born Digital Archivist
University of PennsylvaniaAbout the role
University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Born Digital ArchivistJob Profile Title
Archivist BJob Description Summary
Reporting to the Head of Manuscripts and Archives Processing in the Special Collections Processing Center at the Kislak Center, the Born-Digital Archivist will develop the born-digital archives program by creating workflows, policies, and training modules for the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts and the University Archives , with the goal of efficiently and responsibly stewarding all born-digital archival content. The born-digital archivist will process born-digital, analog, and hybrid collections held by the Kislak Center, the University Archives and the Katz Center. The born-digital archivist will work closely with colleagues in the Preservation Department and the Technology and Digital Initiatives, as well as fellow archivists, curators, donors, and record managers.Job Description
Job Responsibilities
- Manage and grow the born-digital processing program, from acquisition to access, establishing or enhancing policies, workflows, and manuals to process specific media types, and for hardware (especially Forensic Recovery of Evidence Device) and software.
- Continually enhance and update training modules and train all processing archivists (within the Penn Libraries) to process born-digital materials within their collections and make them accessible to researchers.
- Organize and attend training sessions for all relevant digital archival tools and tasks in order to stay up-to-date on continually evolving media, preservation methodologies, and processing methodologies.
- Supervise interns, students, and project staff, when needed.
- Process archival collections (analog, hybrid, and born-digital).
- Work with curators and donors to ethically and responsibly acquire collections containing born-digital material and make recommendations for processing material.
- Work within the wider Penn Libraries, archivists across t
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