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Archivist for Popular Music & Culture

Employer
Georgia State University
Location
Georgia, United States
Salary
$50,000.00 - $65,000.00
Date posted
Aug 18, 2021

Library Faculty Position, Atlanta Campus

 

Position

The Georgia State University Library seeks an intellectually curious and innovative colleague to join us as the Archivist for Popular Music & Culture.

Responsibilities

The Archivist for Popular Music & Culture is responsible for managing music collections that include the Johnny Mercer Collection, country music, and Southern gospel. The Archivist will also be empowered to expand the scope of the collection to include rap, hip-hop, trap and other music influenced by the Atlanta Metro Area and the Greater Southeast. Other collecting areas under the management of the Archivist include regional radio broadcasting materials and pulp literature collections. Several substantial endowments provide resources for managing and promoting these assigned collections.

The Archivist will solicit, acquire, and appraise materials. Collection management responsibilities also include overseeing arrangement and description activities. In addition to these duties, the Archivist will serve as the main point of contact with the Johnny Mercer Foundation and related programming, which currently includes collaboration with the School of Music to develop K-12 curricula related to the Great American Songbook and production of a biennial live concert with the GSU Jazz Band.

The Archivist will be expected to stay current on developing technologies, standards, and practices in the archival field. This position includes supervision of students and additional staff as needed.

Additionally, this individual will represent the University Library by participating in professional activities at the local, state, and national level. Other expectations include instruction, oral history project management, grant writing, and donor relations. This is a non-tenure track faculty appointment with associated responsibilities for scholarship and service.

On-site training opportunities and funding for travel and professional development will be provided. The position serves as a member of the library faculty (12-month, non-tenure track), holds faculty rank, and is expected to participate in research, professional development, and service activities as outlined in the University Library’s faculty guidelines.

Environment

Special Collections & Archives collects and preserves unique and rare historical materials in selected subject areas. The department promotes the use of these materials by the Georgia State University community, scholars and the public. Its goal is to advance scholarship and to further the educational, research and service missions of the university.

The collection focus is on records of organizations or papers of individuals documenting the twentieth- and twenty-first century American South. Subject strengths include the heritage of workers and their unions, American popular music and culture, efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the

second wave of the women’s movement, women-centered and LGBTQ advocacy in Georgia and the Southeast, and other social movements, especially in Georgia. The department also houses the Georgia

 

State University Archives, consisting of records of University offices, deliberative bodies, and organizations, as well as resources on GSU history.

In addition to manuscripts and organizational records, many of the collections contain visual resources, sound recordings, and moving images. Special Collections and Archives houses millions of historical photographs documenting twentieth-century Atlanta and Georgia. Active oral history programs are a feature of many of the collections.

The University Library, Atlanta Campus is a valued partner within the campus community and offers a modern, inviting, and centralized facility supporting both teaching and research with extensive collections and outstanding assistance. The CURVE (curve.gsu.edu), located in Library South, brings together students and expert researchers from all disciplines in a shared, hands-on, interactive space featuring cutting-edge hardware and software for data visualization and analysis. For additional information about the Georgia State University Library, visit library.gsu.edu.

Georgia State University, consistently ranked among the Most Innovative Universities by U.S. News & World Report, has one of the fastest growing research profiles in the country and a proven commitment to the success of students from all backgrounds. Georgia State readies students for professional pursuits, educates future leaders, and prepares citizens for lifelong learning. Enrolling one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation at its downtown research campus, at its vibrant branch campuses, and online, the university provides educational opportunities for more than 54,000 students at the graduate, baccalaureate, associate and certificate levels. For additional information about Georgia State University, visit gsu.edu.

Required qualifications
  • Master's degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or an advanced degree in a relevant subject area
  • Demonstrated knowledge of archival standards, best practices, and forensic methods for appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, and description of born-digital materials
  • Ability to work independently as well as collegially in a complex, rapidly changing, and professionally diverse environment
  • Ability to work effectively with culturally diverse library users, colleagues, and donors
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills

 

Preferred qualifications
  • Subject knowledge of music, radio broadcasting, and/or pulp literature
  • Understanding of the rapidly changing role of archivists and the academic library in higher education
  • Experience with oral history projects
  • Familiarity with Aeon, ArchivesSpace, or similar archival systems
  • Demonstrated knowledge fundraising, and/or grant writing
  • Familiarity with legacy audiovisual formats

If you feel that you don’t meet these preferred qualifications, don’t let a confidence gap stop you from applying. Sometimes a list of preferred qualifications can miss the elements that

 

would most strengthen our team; we value the many different skills which make all of us unique.

 

 

Condition of Work and Benefits

Twelve-month assignment Faculty rank and status Non-tenure track

Health and retirement benefits

Support for research and professional activities

 

Salary and Rank

$50,000 - $65,000 for 12 months. Salary commensurate with the candidate’s education, experience, and assigned faculty rank. Appointment at faculty rank (Instructor/Assistant/Associate Professor) on a contract renewal basis.

To Apply

To apply, please follow the link for detailed instructions. https://lib.gsu.edu/musicarchivist

Review of materials will begin immediately, with complete applications received by September 19, 2021, receiving full consideration.

 

Any offer of employment at Georgia State University is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background investigation. Georgia State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, or on the basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

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