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Job Description

The University of Denver Libraries, comprised of the Main Library at the Anderson Academic Commons, the Bonfils Stanton Music Library in the Newman Center, and the off-site Hampden Center storage facility, is a highly collaborative, team-based organization that serves a diverse population, ranging from our students, staff, and faculty to public and other academic patrons from around the country and the surrounding region. The Anderson Academic Commons is the campus centerpiece for collaborative, technology-infused teaching, learning, and engagement. Consistently ranked in the Top 5 of Princeton Review’s best college libraries, the University of Denver Libraries are central to discovery and creative interaction among students and faculty, and provide collections, services, personnel, and systems that support the teaching and research programs of the University. The institution is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and inclusive faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. To learn more, visit: https://library.du.edu/about-libraries/diversity-equity-inclusion. 

At 5,280 feet, Denver is located where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. Known as the Mile High City, you can expect to enjoy 300 days of sunshine, greenspace and parks, a thriving cultural scene, diverse neighborhoods, beautiful architecture and spectacular views of the mountain panorama near the city. To learn more, visit: https://www.denver.org/.

Established in 1976, the Ira M. and Peryle Hayutin Beck Memorial Archives of Rocky Mountain Jewish History serves as a repository of the heritage of Jewish culture and history of the region from the 1860s to the present, with an emphasis on Colorado. The Beck Archives are a part of the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Denver Libraries and contain a variety of materials including manuscripts, personal papers, institutional records, oral histories, photographs, newspapers, memorabilia, and documents. These materials reflect the history of organizations and businesses and the lives of individuals who have contributed to the building of Jewish life in the Rocky Mountain region. 

The Beck Archives works in tandem with the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society, part of the DU Center for Judaic Studies, to preserve and publicize the vibrant and rich Jewish historical experience in the area.

Position Summary

The Curator of Beck Archives oversees the acquisition, processing, and curation of Beck primary source collections in all formats, as well as providing direct reference and instruction services related to the Archives. The Curator works closely with departmental, library, university, and relevant community members and colleagues in optimizing discovery, developing exhibits, and ensuring long-term preservation and access for materials in this collecting area. In partnership with the Director of the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society at the Center for Judaic Studies, and with other organizations and individuals at DU and beyond, the Curator also works to encourage the acquisition of appropriate new collections and accruals, as well as financial donations to support Beck. 

The Curator develops and maintains subject matter expertise in the history of Jewish life and culture in the Rocky Mountain region and develops and maintains the Beck Archives so that the archives that document this rich written, oral, and visual history will be preserved under proper security and environmental conditions and available to researchers. 

The Curator reports to the Curator of Special Collections and Archives and works closely with the Director of the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society. The Curator serves as the liaison to the Center for Judaic Studies. 

All library faculty are members of the Professorial Series in University Libraries and are required to go through contract renewal and promotion according to the Library Faculty Guidelines. All faculty are evaluated based on their librarianship/curatorship, scholarship, and service. Further information and guidelines will be provided during the hiring process.

Essential Functions

• Participates as a member of the Special Collections and Archives department.
• Serves as liaison to the Center for Judaic Studies.
• Supervises one staff member and student assistants and oversees the work of volunteers.
• Works with Curator of Special Collections and Archives to integrate Beck collection-specific processes and procedures within the department and to collaborate on overall departmental processes and procedures.
• Serves on appropriate Libraries teams and committees to facilitate the operational work of the Beck Archives and assigned liaison area as necessary.
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the Beck Archives in accordance with departmental processes and procedures.
• Oversees longer-term strategic planning and development for the Beck collections, in accordance with national and international best practices and Libraries and University policies, processes, and procedures.
• Serves as the lead in partnering with other institutions on collaborative ventures which relate to the Beck Collections.
• Serves as the content specialist for the Beck Archives within the Special Collections and Archives department, which includes responsibility for training and documentation for staff with general departmental reference responsibilities and oversight of all collection-related reference inquiries.
• Answers reference inquiries and provides research consultations for students, faculty, staff, and external researchers with questions related to Beck collections and assigned liaison area.
• Plans and leads library and archives instruction involving Beck collections and assigned liaison area.
• Builds diverse collections to meet the research and curricular needs of students and faculty in assigned liaison area.
• Builds and maintains connections with cultural heritage professionals in related repositories, both in the Jewish community as well as regional repositories that collect more widely, for referral purposes as well as potential partnerships.
• Works with the Director of the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society at the Center for Judaic Studies, and with other organizations and individuals at DU and beyond, to encourage the acquisition of appropriate new collections and accruals, as well as helping to develop financial support for Beck.
• Promotes the use of Beck collection materials through exhibitions, programming, tours, and other forms of community engagement.
• Oversees all arrangement and description for Beck collections, including description and management of digital objects, in accordance with local practices and national and international standards.
• Maintains finding aids, exhibits, and discovery tools to ensure student and scholarly access and use of primary resource collections.
• Ensures that collections are preserved under proper security and environmental conditions.
• Engages actively in the library organization, including leadership and participation in teams, task forces, and committees, working professionally in support of colleagues, willingly stepping into other roles when needed, and sharing responsibility as a faculty member in the library’s mission, goals, programs, and plans.
• As a library faculty member, works in accord with the promotion guidelines, and engages in scholarly activities through research and publication.
• Participates in national and regional professional organizations.
• Serves on library and campus committees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly and knowledgeably, both verbally and in writing.
• Strong teaching and presentation skills, with knowledge of information literacy best practices and standards for archival research.
• Demonstrated knowledge of theory, best practices, and trends in archives and cultural heritage.
• Demonstrated experience managing and providing access to archives and special collections.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Jewish history and culture.
• Ability to prioritize and oversee the work of direct reports and volunteers with professionalism and sensitivity.
• Ability to work independently and effectively, using tact and excellent judgment.
• Ability to work collaboratively across organizational boundaries and reporting lines in pursuit of shared goals and priorities.
• Familiarity with archival digitization and digital preservation standards and practices.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, and ability to engage effectively with a broad spectrum of culturally diverse groups.

Required Qualifications

• ALA-accredited master’s degree in library science, or equivalent international master’s degree in Library Science/Information Studies. Other appropriate advanced degrees (e.g. Judaic Studies, American History) combined with significant experience, coursework, or academic training in archives, may be substituted for the MLS.
• At least two years of experience in an archives, including archival arrangement, description, and providing researcher access to collections.
• Experience providing research services, including library instruction and research consultations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in an academic or research library.
• Experience with acquisitions and curation of large or complex collections.
• Substantial knowledge of American Jewish history, Colorado and Jewish history in the Rocky Mountain region, and/or Jewish life and culture.
• Basic reading proficiency in Hebrew and Yiddish.
• Experience with ArchivesSpace or related archival collection management system.
• Experience hiring, training, and supervising student workers and/or staff.
• University coursework or degree in Judaic studies, or related area or discipline.
• Experience working with donors and applying for grants.

Working Environment

• The work environment is an academic library with cyclical periods of increased workloads.
• The Library is highly automated, with attention paid to ergonomics and safety.
• The division functions collaboratively and cooperatively in a team-based organization.

Physical Activities

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Must be able to sustain extended periods of time at a computer terminal.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus with the capability of transporting objects up to and sometimes over 20 lbs.

Work Schedule

While the University’s administrative offices are open Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, faculty schedules vary from term to term and are based on courses taught, service commitments, and research agendas. The University’s academic calendars are posted on the registrar’s website: https://www.du.edu/registrar/calendars-deadlines the law school is on a semester system and has a different academic calendar here: http://www.law.du.edu/academics/registrar).

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) March 31, 2024.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:

The salary grade for the position is UC.

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is $65,000 - $70,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter that addresses how your career has prepared you to meet all required and any preferred experiences. We are seeking candidates who have previous work advancing commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in library services and/or organizations. In your cover letter, address at least one specific experience advancing DEI commitments in your career.

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; Equal Pay Act; Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non‑Discrimination‑Statement.

The University of Denver recognizes that its success in being a great university dedicated to the public good depends greatly on how well it engages, supports, and champions the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. As part of our intentionality in recruiting and retaining faculty from a wide variety of historically excluded intersecting identities, including those from communities of color, with diverse gender and sexual identities, first-generation college graduates, or with disabilities, new faculty will have the opportunity to choose to participate in a pilot University-wide initiative. This initiative will connect new colleagues in a cohort, building community across units with supportive programming led by the Office of the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs in collaboration with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and each faculty participant’s academic unit. To learn more about the University of Denver’s commitments and work in support of DEI and J, please visit: https://www.du.edu/equity. For more information about this program or if you have any questions, please email inclusion@du.edu and/or visit https://duvpfa.du.edu/faculty-resources/prospective-faculty/.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.

Benefits & Additional Compensation Info

Benefits:

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Links

External Job Ad
https://jobs.du.edu/en-us/job/497136/curator-of-beck-archives