"Collections Processing Archivist"

Job Description

Collections Processing Archivist

Department: Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

Position Availability: Immediately

Position Summary

Reporting to the Head of Collections Processing, the Collections Processing Archivist arranges and describes manuscript and Emory University Archives collections in all formats, analog and digital; accessions newly acquired collections and additions to existing collections; creates and maintains descriptive records including finding aids, MARC records, and copyright risk analysis reports. The Collection Processing Archivist provides reference services to researchers, which may include Emory students and faculty, visiting scholars, and members of the public, and may also provide outreach on behalf of the Rose Library by contributing to social media, programs, exhibitions, or library publications. The Collection Processing Archivist also works with Collection Development staff to pack and acquire new collections. Finally, the Collection Processing Archivist is expected to contribute to the library and professional community through committee service, conference presentations, and/or scholarship. This position may supervise graduate student assistants.

Flexible Workplace

This position offers some possibility for flexible work arrangements; however, the expectation is that the successful candidate will work primarily on-site.

Essential Responsibilities & Duties

• Arranges and describes manuscript and Emory University Archives collection in all formats in accordance with library and archival standards and local guidelines.
• Writes finding aids and MARC records for collection, describing the records, records creator, and context of creation and use of the records using Archives Space, Alma, and other relevant archival and bibliographic information systems.
• Receives, verifies, records, rehouses, and creates accession records and preliminary descriptive tools for newly acquired archives and manuscript collections.
• Participates in collection management and stacks management projects such as stacks shifting, preservation surveys, records surveys, and descriptive projects.
• Provides research and reference assistance to Rose Library patrons, including 3-6 hours of weekly reference desk or reading room shifts a week, including occasional evening or weekend shifts.
• Contributes to the library and professional community through committee service, conference presentations, and/or scholarship.

Preferred and Required Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• ALA-accredited master's degree in Library and Information Science OR equivalent education and relevant library experience.
• Experience arranging and describing archives and manuscript collections in an internship, student worker, or professional capacity.
• Knowledge of current national archival standards and best practices, including a working knowledge of DACS, MARC, EAD, and other archival descriptive standards.
• Ability to work collaboratively both as part of and across various teams.
• Evidence of active participation, involvement, and leadership in local, state, regional, national, or international professional or scholarly associations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of experience arranging and describing archives and manuscript collections in an academic library, public library, school library or other cultural heritage setting, or education institution.
• Background in Southern history and culture, African American history and culture, or English Literature.
• Experience arranging and describing born digital archival materials.

Application Details (to apply use the Apply Now button below.)

Join Our Information Session: Collections Processing Archivist
Date: October 29, 2025
Time: 2:00–3:00 PM (ET)
Details: Learn more about the role, our collections, and what we're looking for in the next archivist.

If you're interested and available to join, please register here to receive the Zoom webinar link:
https://emory.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O1CcIO0LQAm9oyugCFGbfA

Application Procedures
Interested candidates should review the application requirements and apply online at
https://apply.interfolio.com/175843

Applications may be submitted as Word or PDF attachments and must include:

1. A cover letter that includes a statement of interest, describing your qualifications and relevant experience, as well as your interest in this position and in contributing to the mission and values of Emory.
2. A current resume or curriculum vitae (CV) detailing your educational background and relevant professional experience.
3. On a separate document list the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of 3 professional references including a current or previous supervisor.

Candidates applying by November 14, 2025 will receive priority consideration. Review of applications will continue until the position is successfully filled. Emory is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and encourages applications and nominations from women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans.

General Information

Professional librarians at Emory Libraries are 12-month faculty-equivalent positions evaluated annually with assigned ranks renewable for 3 or 5 years based on experience and background. Appropriate professional leave and funding is provided. Depending on educational credentials and position, librarians may be considered for a shared/dual appointment between the library and academic department as a faculty member.

Librarian appointees at Emory generally have educational credentials and professional backgrounds with academic library experience and/or disciplinary knowledge and demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning, professional engagement and involvement, research and scholarship, creativity, innovation, and flexibility. Such backgrounds will normally include a graduate degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science program AND/OR a discipline-specific master's OR doctoral degree. In addition to professional competence and service within the library in the primary job assignment, advancement and/or appointment renewal requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library and scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

Emory provides an extremely competitive fringe benefit plan that includes personal leave, holiday pay, medical and dental plans, life insurance, courtesy scholarships, and tuition reimbursement just to name a few. For a full list of benefit programs, please go to http://www.hr.emory.edu/eu/benefits/.

Description of Institution and Library

Emory University is internationally recognized for its outstanding liberal arts college, superb professional schools, and one of the South's leading health care systems. Emory's beautiful, leafy main campus is located in Atlanta's historic Druid Hills suburb and is home to 8,332 undergraduates and 7,687 graduate and professional students. As the second largest private employer in Atlanta, Emory University and Emory Healthcare have a combined workforce of approximately, 37,716 and an annual operating budget of $5.6 billion. Emory University secured $1.1 billion in sponsored research awards in FY24.

Ranked among the top 20 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in North America, Emory University Libraries in Atlanta and Oxford, Georgia is the interdisciplinary intellectual commons for Emory University. The collections at the nine Emory Libraries include more than 5.6 million volumes, over 500,000 electronic journals, over 2 million electronic books, and internationally renowned special collections. The Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Books Library is home to over 133,976 print titles, 201,134 volumes and over 2,200 collections measuring over 21,815 linear feet of manuscript material. Rose Library's collections span more than 800 years of history, with particular depth in modern literature and poetry, African American history and culture, political, social and cultural movements, rare books and the University's archives.

Emory Libraries staff, including student workers, number approximately 350 with an overall library budget of approximately $42 million. The WHSC Library has institutional memberships with the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) and the Medical Library Association (MLA). Emory University Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE), the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), the Digital Library Federation (DLF), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) as well as regional associations including the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) and Georgia Library Learning Online (GALILEO).

The Emory University Libraries include the Robert W. Woodruff Library, which is also home to the Goizueta Business Library, the Heilbrun Music and Media Library, and the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. Other library spaces include the Science Commons, the Library Service Center operated in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, the Pitts Theology Library, the Hugh F. MacMillan Law Library, and the Oxford College Library located on the Oxford Campus approximately 30 miles from Atlanta.