Visual Materials Archivist

earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Veterans' Preference Statement

The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.

Advertised Job Summary

Reporting to the Head of Processing, the Visual Materials Archivist will process visual materials and other archival collections; write, publish, and revise descriptive information for archival collections using Archives Space, Alma/Primo, and other library software; supervise the Hollingsworth Visual Materials Student Assistant(s); complete in-house preservation and conservation of archival materials; and complete other duties as assigned. This is a professional-track faculty position, and will not be eligible for tenure.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities/Competencies

• Strong knowledge of information organization standards and practices, including current cataloging and archival processing standards.
• Ability to plan and organize work activities to prioritize task completion according to schedules and goals.
• Effective and clear communication skills.

Function: Archival Collections Processing

• Following professional standards and library procedures, process visual materials collections encompassing a variety of formats including photographs, negatives, slides, artwork, design drawings, etc.; Process archival collections of manuscripts, organizational records, and published materials on an as-needed basis; Research collection formats and materials to determine the best permanent housings for preservation; Identify and assess needed preservation and conservation measures in archival collections; Apply appropriate techniques per professional standards and library procedures; Recommend items for professional conservation

Function: Collections Finding Aids and Description

• Create finding aids of collection contents and containers, using ArchivesSpace. Create item records for collections in Alma/Primo. Update and revise ArchivesSpace and Alma/Primo records to ensure information stays current.

Function: Supervise Student Assistant

• Supervise the Hollingsworth Visual Materials Student Assistant(s); plan and assign projects for the student assistant; review student assistant’s work at appropriate intervals and recommend any needed corrections or adjustments; review and approve timesheets

Function: Consultation and Collaboration

• Consult with the Digital Collections department on collections for digitization and digital exhibits; Consult and collaborate with the South Caroliniana Library Instruction and Outreach Librarian on the use of visual materials collections in exhibits and programming; Provide guidance and assistance to other USC Special Collections libraries and colleagues on visual material projects.

Function: Other Duties

• Performs other duties as requested or required, whether specifically mentioned in this job description.

Required Education and Experience

• A Master’s Degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution; a combination of another appropriate graduate degree, training, and experience will be given equal consideration.
• At least three years of experience processing archival and/or unique historic collections.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience arranging, describing, and preserving a variety of visual materials formats.
• Experience supervising student employees and/or interns.

Desired Start Date: 01/04/2027

Job Open Date: 10/06/2026

Job Close Date: 11/20/2026

Open Until Filled: No

Special Instructions to Applicant

Positions are advertised for a minimum of forty-five (45) days on our job website. After forty-five (45) days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This position is open until filled. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

Quicklink for Posting: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/214107

EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.

Working at University of South Carolina

With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.

The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.

Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.

By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.

Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.

In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.

South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.

The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.

South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of research centers of economic excellence in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.

The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.