Sports Archivist

The University of Notre Dame seeks an innovative and highly motivated professional for the position of Sports Archivist within the Hesburgh Libraries’ Program for Specialized Collection Services. The Sports Archivist will develop partnerships across the University and the broader research community that document the history of sports. 

Working both in the Hesburgh Libraries’ Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) and University Archives (UA), the successful candidate will develop a collecting strategy that strengthens and expands on the holdings of the Joyce Sports Research Collection within RBSC and the extensive University of Notre Dame sports collections within UA. The individual will provide instruction that promotes the use of primary source materials in teaching and learning and that is responsive to the research needs of faculty and students. S/he will support outreach efforts by contributing to exhibitions, online content, and other programming. This individual will also contribute meaningfully to relevant professional groups, training and development activities, and will present or publish in appropriate forums and otherwise enrich his/her professional profile and knowledge.

Duties & Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the Head of Archival Collections & Management and in close collaboration with curators, archivists, and staff from across the program, the successful candidate will:

• Develop the Sports Research Collections across Rare Books & Special Collections and University Archives. Oversee and define the growth and development of the overall collection. 
• Provide advanced reference and instruction for related courses and programs in American Studies (including Journalism); Film, Television, and Theater; History; Gender Studies; Economics; English; and related fields. Develop services to support undergraduate and graduate teaching and advanced research programs.
• In collaboration with subject librarians, curators, and archivists, integrate the use of collections into the curriculum of academic departments through teaching in a variety of formats (seminars, presentations, exhibitions, digital projects, tours, etc.).
• Serve as the subject specialist for the libraries’ overall collections in Sports Studies, purchasing materials across formats for the general stacks and for digital collections; manage the materials budget for the subject. 
• Work with libraries and university colleagues to manage intellectual copyright of the sports collections.
• Collaborate with colleagues in evaluating the preservation needs of the collection and determining the most appropriate means of fulfilling them.
• Participate in organization-wide digital preservation planning, implementation, and stewardship activities to ensure long term access to born-analog and born-digital content.
• Liaise with colleagues in the libraries’ Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship to facilitate digital scholarship projects. 
• Arrange and describe archival collections of varying formats, including born-digital, audiovisual, photographic, and paper materials in accordance with national and local best practices and standards. 
• Create and publish original discovery tools utilizing the most appropriate metadata schemas (EAD, DCRM, Dublin Core) and platforms (ArchivesSpace, ILS) available. 
• Collaborate with colleagues across the libraries to ensure collections discovery tools are responsive to researcher needs and collections are managed to ensure long-term preservation and access. 
• Participate in broad management and planning activities of the Hesburgh Libraries through participation in appropriate committees, task forces and working groups. Serve on College or University committees when appropriate.
• Participate in relevant local, national and international library and professional organizations.

Qualifications

Required

• MLS degree from an ALA-accredited program or non-U.S. equivalent, or equivalent terminal degree required. Degree must be completed prior to the candidate's starting date of employment.
• Deep knowledge of sports history/sports studies through academic degree(s) or through professional experience in sports journalism, sports performance, or related fields. 
• Minimum of three years’ professional work experience in an academic research library, archival repository, or historical society. 
• Knowledge of current trends and best practices in special collections and archives. 
• Commitment to creating a more inclusive historical record, and to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Strong patron service orientation with demonstrated ability to work effectively, professionally, and discretely with colleagues, administrators, staff, faculty, patrons, and donors at all levels of the University community.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills; excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills; excellent interpersonal skills and experience working collaboratively with varied groups within a complex organization and team environment.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in American Studies or a related field in the humanities or social sciences, with particular focus in the history of sports or sports studies.
• Experience in collection development and management. 
• Experience with donor relations and grant administration. 
• Outreach experience, including but not limited to exhibitions and public programs and establishing and maintaining relationships with user communities.

The Joyce Sports Research Collection in Rare Books and Special Collections is one of the largest accumulations of sports-related print and manuscript matter in the world, facilitating scholarly inquiry into the history, sociology, and economics of American sports and their antecedents abroad. Related subject areas supported by the collection include health and exercise, sporting activities and the outdoors, and sports literature and journalism. The most prevalent formats are books, periodicals, printed ephemera (record books, media guides, scorecards, catalogs, broadsides, etc.), printed illustrations and photographs, and manuscripts.

University Archives’ collection of Notre Dame’s sports history extends back to the nineteenth century, with the bulk of the collection focused on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Archives collects and maintains many records relating to Notre Dame’s varsity, club, and intramural sports. Sports material include media guides, programs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and ephemera, as well as administrative records, photographs, and audio-visual recordings. 

Salary and Benefits:

Appointment salary and rank are competitive, commensurate with experience and qualifications.  The Sports Archivist is a non-tenure track member of the Library Faculty. The University offers an excellent benefits and annual vacation package.

Review of applications will begin immediately and the application deadline is August 2, 2021.

Environment:

The University of Notre Dame is a highly selective national Catholic teaching and research university in northern Indiana about ninety miles from Chicago. Approximately 8,200 undergraduates and 3,100 graduate students pursue a broad range of studies. For more information about the University of Notre Dame, please visit the University of Notre Dame homepage at http://nd.edu/.  The Hesburgh Libraries (http://library.nd.edu) hold about 3.5 million volumes and provide access to more than 23,000 serials. The Libraries have 141 staff and 57 librarians. The Libraries are a member of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI), ARL, NERL and other consortia. The University of Notre Dame is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer strongly committed to diversity. We value qualified candidates who can bring a variety of backgrounds to our community.

Further details & application instructions:

This position posting and application instructions can be found on the Interfolio website: apply.interfolio.com/89194

Additional information about Hesburgh Libraries can be found on the Libraries’ website http://www.library.nd.edu/

For additional information about working at the University of Notre Dame and various benefits available to employees, please visit http://hr.nd.edu/why-nd.  The University of Notre Dame supports the needs of dual career couples and has a Dual Career Assistance Program (http://hr.nd.edu/employment-opportunities/dualcareer/) in place to assist relocating spouses and .significant others with their job search.

Diversity and Inclusion:

The Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented identities to apply.

Hesburgh Library is a member of the ACRL Diversity Alliance, which unites academic libraries who are committed to increasing the hiring pipeline of qualified and talented individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace. We strongly encourage applications from female and minority candidates and others that will enhance our community. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and requires affirmative action by covered contractors to employ and advance veterans and qualified individuals with disabilities in compliance with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a).