# Academic Archivist

*/JobTypes/Academic_Archivist*

Departments: Special Collections and Archives, University Archives, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Digital Initiatives and Preservation, Records Management Office.

## Job Type Profile

**Produces**: Produces detailed finding aids, digitized asset collections, and archival metadata records that enable researchers to discover and access historical university materials.
**Ai Surface**: Metadata entry, finding aid formatting, and optical character recognition transcription of digitized documents occur within highly structured digital environments. Physical appraisal of fragile materials, donor relations, and nuanced reference consultations require direct human interaction and judgment.
**Core Tools**:
- [ArchivesSpace](/JobTypes/Academic_Archivist/Products/ArchivesSpace)
- [Preservica](/JobTypes/Academic_Archivist/Products/Preservica)
- [CONTENTdm](/JobTypes/Academic_Archivist/Products/CONTENTdm)
- [Alma](/JobTypes/Academic_Archivist/Products/Alma)
**Responsibilities**:
- Accession, arrange, and describe incoming university records and special collections
- Create and update finding aids using Encoded Archival Description and metadata standards
- Digitize rare books, manuscripts, and archival materials for online repository access
- Assist faculty, students, and external researchers with reference inquiries and reading room protocols
- Evaluate and appraise historical materials for physical preservation or deaccessioning

## Neighborhood

### Parent

- [Archivists](/Occupations/Archivists) — parent · Occupations

### Siblings

- [Audiovisual Archivist](/JobTypes/Audiovisual_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Corporate Archivist](/JobTypes/Corporate_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Digital Archivist](/JobTypes/Digital_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Government Archivist](/JobTypes/Government_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Lone Arranger](/JobTypes/Lone_Arranger) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Processing Archivist](/JobTypes/Processing_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Reference Archivist](/JobTypes/Reference_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Web Archivist](/JobTypes/Web_Archivist) — siblings · JobTypes

### Engage in

- [Appraise Records for Archival Retention](/Activities/Appraise_Records_for_Archival_Retention) — engage in · Activities
- [Create Finding Aids](/Activities/Create_Finding_Aids) — engage in · Activities
- [Arrange and Describe Collections](/Activities/Arrange_and_Describe_Collections) — engage in · Activities

### Perform

- [Provide Reference Services to Researchers](/Tasks/Provide_Reference_Services_to_Researchers) — perform · Tasks
- [Prepare archival records, such as document descriptions, to allow easy access to information.](/Tasks/Prepare_archival_records,_such_as_document_descriptions,_to_allow_easy_access_to_information.) — perform · Tasks
- [Catalog Materials to Archival Standards](/Tasks/Catalog_Materials_to_Archival_Standards) — perform · Tasks
- [Apply Preservation and Conservation Measures](/Tasks/Apply_Preservation_and_Conservation_Measures) — perform · Tasks
- [Manage Digital Preservation Workflows](/Tasks/Manage_Digital_Preservation_Workflows) — perform · Tasks
- [Process Donated Manuscript Collections](/Tasks/Process_Donated_Manuscript_Collections) — perform · Tasks
- [Create Finding Aids](/Tasks/Create_Finding_Aids) — perform · Tasks
- [Appraise Records for Archival Value](/Tasks/Appraise_Records_for_Archival_Value) — perform · Tasks

### Uses tool

- [Archival Storage Box](/Products/Archival_Storage_Box) — uses tool · Products
- [Preservation Handling Tools](/Products/Preservation_Handling_Tools) — uses tool · Products
- [Document Scanner](/Products/Document_Scanner) — uses tool · Products

### Problems this exposes

- [donor deed-of-gift restrictions must propagate down to item-level access flags in the finding aid, applied manually per box](/Problems/donor_deed-of-gift_restrictions_must_propagate_down_to_item-level_access_flags_in_the_finding_aid,_applied_manually_per_box) — exposes problem · Problems
- [fixity-check failures surface bit-rot, but the migration provenance chain proving the master is unaltered is kept by hand](/Problems/fixity-check_failures_surface_bit-rot,_but_the_migration_provenance_chain_proving_the_master_is_unaltered_is_kept_by_hand) — exposes problem · Problems
- [name and subject authority headings reconciled by hand across collections so the same creator isn't split into variant forms](/Problems/name_and_subject_authority_headings_reconciled_by_hand_across_collections_so_the_same_creator_isn't_split_into_variant_forms) — exposes problem · Problems
- [conservation-treatment triage prioritization across a physical backlog with finite bench hours](/Problems/conservation-treatment_triage_prioritization_across_a_physical_backlog_with_finite_bench_hours) — exposes problem · Problems
- [research reference requests served against collections that have no processed finding aid yet](/Problems/research_reference_requests_served_against_collections_that_have_no_processed_finding_aid_yet) — exposes problem · Problems
- [fragile original-order arrangement reconstruction across mixed boxes](/Problems/fragile_original-order_arrangement_reconstruction_across_mixed_boxes) — exposes problem · Problems
- [appraisal and accession decisions on unprocessed donor materials](/Problems/appraisal_and_accession_decisions_on_unprocessed_donor_materials) — exposes problem · Problems
- [reconciling rights/copyright and donor-restriction metadata before access](/Problems/reconciling_rights%2Fcopyright_and_donor-restriction_metadata_before_access) — exposes problem · Problems
- [digital preservation of obsolete media formats before bit-rot](/Problems/digital_preservation_of_obsolete_media_formats_before_bit-rot) — exposes problem · Problems
- [describing backlog collections to DACS/EAD finding-aid standards](/Problems/describing_backlog_collections_to_DACS%2FEAD_finding-aid_standards) — exposes problem · Problems

### Uses software

- [Library Catalog System](/Software/Library_Catalog_System) — uses software · Software
- [Digital Asset Management System](/Software/Digital_Asset_Management_System) — uses software · Software
- [ArchivesSpace](/Software/ArchivesSpace) — uses software · Software

### Requires ability

- [Categorization Flexibility](/Ability/Categorization_Flexibility) — requires ability · Ability
- [Written Comprehension](/Ability/Written_Comprehension) — requires ability · Ability
- [Information Ordering](/Ability/Information_Ordering) — requires ability · Ability

### Required knowledge

- [Copyright and Access Law](/Knowledge/Copyright_and_Access_Law) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Preservation and Conservation](/Knowledge/Preservation_and_Conservation) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Records Management](/Knowledge/Records_Management) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Descriptive Metadata Standards](/Knowledge/Descriptive_Metadata_Standards) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Archival Theory and Practice](/Knowledge/Archival_Theory_and_Practice) — requires knowledge · Knowledge

### Required skills

- [Digital Preservation](/Skills/Digital_Preservation) — requires skill · Skills
- [Reference Service](/Skills/Reference_Service) — requires skill · Skills
- [Records Appraisal](/Skills/Records_Appraisal) — requires skill · Skills
- [Finding Aid Authoring](/Skills/Finding_Aid_Authoring) — requires skill · Skills
- [Archival Arrangement and Description](/Skills/Archival_Arrangement_and_Description) — requires skill · Skills

### What it uses

- [Alma](/Products/Alma) — uses · Products
- [Preservica](/Products/Preservica) — uses · Products
- [ArchivesSpace](/Products/ArchivesSpace) — uses · Products
- [CONTENTdm](/Products/CONTENTdm) — uses · Products