"Visiting Archivist for the Jim Alexander photographs"

Job Description

Visiting Archivist for the Jim Alexander photographs

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

Salary: $63,600. This is a grant-funded position with a fixed starting salary that is not negotiable.

Position Availability: Immediately

Position Summary

Reporting to the Head of Archives Processing, the Visiting Archivist leads the processing of the Jim Alexander photographs collection and creates descriptive tools for the collection including a comprehensive finding aid and a MARC catalog record. The Visiting Archivist is also responsible for providing reference services to researchers using the collection, which may include Emory students and faculty, visiting scholars, and members of the public. The incumbent is expected to participate in outreach activities to promote the collection through social media, contributions to Rose Library publications, and other collection activation efforts and activities.

Jim Alexander is an American documentary photographer who has spent over 50 years documenting Black culture and civil and human rights movements across the United States. In 1977, he became photographer in residence at the Atlanta Neighborhood Arts Center and was photographer in residence at Clark College from 1984-1990. The collection consists of 108 linear feet of photograph prints, negatives, slides, and contact sheets of images taken by Jim Alexander from circa 1960-2022, including images of prominent African American politicians, athletes, activists, authors, and artists.

This is an entry-level position, but it does require some prior experience arranging and describing archival collections, such as through a graduate internship, practicum, or part-time role.

The successful candidate will have knowledge of African American history, art, or visual culture, demonstrated through (for example) an undergraduate minor or major in African American studies, art history, or related field, or hands-on experience with African American archival collections.

This position is funded by a grant from the Getty Foundation.

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

• Arrangement and Description of the Jim Alexander photograph collection, in consultation with the Curator of African American Collections and the Head of Archives Processing. (80%)
• Outreach, Public Programming, and Reference, in coordination with the Curator of African American Collections, to promote and activate the collection through writing blog posts, articles, or social media and/or programming opportunities to promote the collection and its use. (15%)
• Maintains up-to-date professional knowledge and skills in areas related to primary job assignment as well as maintains general knowledge of current trends in higher education, academic libraries, and information and educational technology and participates in library and campus committees as appropriate for service purposes. (5%)

Preferred and Required Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• ALA-accredited master's degree in Library and Information Science OR equivalent education and relevant library experience.
• 0-3 years' experience arranging and describing archives and manuscript collections.
• Knowledge of current national archival and descriptive standards and best practices, including working knowledge of MARC, EAD, DACS, and other archival descriptive standards.
• Background in African American history, art, or visual culture.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with photographic collections, or knowledge of trends in digitization or processing of photographic collections.
• Experience working in an academic library, public library, school library or other cultural heritage setting, or education institution.

Application Details

Join Our Information Session: Visiting Archivist for the Jim Alexander photographs

Date: August 12, 2025

Time: 3:00–4:00 PM (ET)

Details: Learn more about the role, our collections, and what we're looking for in the next curator. If you're interested and available to join, please register here to receive the Zoom webinar link: https://emory.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CQBnBmMzShqG9RzHbqqO3w

Application Procedures

Interested candidates should review the applications requirements and apply online at https://apply.interfolio.com/171624

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 September 5, 2025, will receive priority consideration. Review of applications will continue until the position is successfully filled. Emory is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks 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.

Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).

Emory University is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to seek a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at accessibility@emory.edu or call 404-727-9877 (Voice) | 404-712-2049 (TDD). We kindly ask that requests be made at least seven business days in advance to allow adequate time for coordination.