
Cal Poly State University
The University Archivist serves as the primary representative, advocate, and steward of the University Archives, the official repository for records documenting Cal Poly University. Guided by a commitment to inclusive, community-engaged collection development, as well as the California State University (CSU) system Records Retention and Disposition Schedule policy, the University Archivist is responsible for identifying, appraising, selecting, and acquiring university records which campus communities deem important to preserve, and recognizes the opportunity to situate the archives as a site of cultural and social memory. The University Archivist participates in activities related to arrangement, preservation description, and public access, interprets archival records for publication and public programs, and promotes their active use. The University Archivist also provides specialized research services and primary source instruction sessions that contribute to Cal Poly’s DEI initiatives, Learn by Doing curriculum, Student Success, and the Librarian-Scholar model.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences at the time of hire; or comparable experience with a relevant advanced degree.
- A minimum of three (3) years of relevant work experience with a focus on maintaining or building archives.
- Knowledge and experience with historical and contemporary ethical issues in developing, using, and managing archival collections. Demonstrated knowledge or experience in fostering community belonging and of foregrounding the sociopolitical contexts of archives.
- Knowledge of or experience in working with historically marginalized populations and communities. Ability to curate archival materials with an ethics of care and with sensitivity for harm minimization and mitigation. Knowledge of historical and contemporary issues in working with such communities.
- Experience in appraisal, selection, and processing, including the arrangement, preservation, and description of archival records and related manuscript collections following national archival standards and practices.
- Ability to build and sustain relationships with a variety of individuals and groups, including faculty, students, administrators, donors, alumni, and other stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work successfully with a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds.
- Demonstrated knowledge of or experience in using archives as a site of critical pedagogy, especially in relation to topics of race, gender, class, and other historically underrepresented and/or marginalized communities. Ability to provide specialized reference and instruction in archival use.
- Demonstrated knowledge of or experience in critical archival studies, especially related to ethical dimensions of archival representation and usage.
- Knowledge of legal and ethical issues related to acquiring, stewarding, and using archives and their digital surrogates, including University and CSU-wide policies pertaining to University Archives and records management, and policies related to privacy, confidentiality, and compliance with copyright law. Ability to advise the campus community on records retention, disposition, and transfer in alignment with policies and best practices.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Experience working with institutional or organizational records, archives, and digital assets, including knowledge of records management practices.
- Experience building and sustaining relationships with records creators and/or custodians.
- Experience providing specialized reference services.
- Experience providing instructional services with primary sources.
- Experience using content management systems such as ArchivesSpace and library management systems such as Alma.
- Experience managing archives in an academic library.
- Experience executing a records retention schedule.
- Project management experience.
- Experience processing archival materials in a university or other institution of higher learning setting.
- Familiarity with preservation and conservation standards and practices and their challenges for a variety of physical and digital formats
- Academic degree in a related field and/or advanced coursework at the post-graduate level.
- American Certified Archivist (ACA) certification.
- Bilingual or knowledge of at least one language other than English. Preferably Spanish.
Special Conditions
- All CSU employees are designated “mandated reporters” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act. As a condition of your employment, you will be required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 and any subsequent amendments.
- Following a conditional offer of employment, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate may start work with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may result in the withdrawal of the offer of employment. Note: Cal Poly cannot deny an applicant a position solely or in part due to a criminal conviction history until it has performed an individualized assessment and linked the relevant conviction history with specific job duties in the position being sought.
- Please note: Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Sensitive positions are those requiring heightened scrutiny of individuals holding the position based on potential for harm to children, concerns for the safety and security of people, animals, or property, or heightened risk of financial loss to Cal Poly or individuals in the university community.
- For health and well-being, Cal Poly is a smoke & tobacco-free campus. The university is committed to promoting a healthy environment for all members of our community.
- In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California. It is also expected that tenure-line faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.
- May be required to lift a max. of 40 lbs. and move weighted book trucks a max. of 300 lbs.
- May work in environments containing dust.
To apply for this job please visit jobs.calpoly.edu.