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Join Special Collections as a Graduate Assistant for Spring 2021!

Home » Join Special Collections as a Graduate Assistant for Spring 2021!

Thank you for your interest. These positions have been filled.

 

Graduate Assistants (GA) help Special Collections achieve its mission by working on archival processing and description, digital capture and metadata projects, and outreach initiatives including exhibitions and lesson plan development. In consultation with the Director of Special Collections, GAs will work on projects based on the students’ learning objectives and how the assistantship would meet the applicant’s career goals as well as unit needs. Students who successfully complete projects in Special Collections gain important transferable skills and exposure to professional software applications and data management strategies that help prepare them for further study or careers in a wide range of fields, including English, Psychology, Public Administration, Criminal Justice, and Education.

Special Collections is offering two Graduate Assistantships in the Spring 2021 semester. Graduate Assistants are expected to work 20 hours/week for a total of 280 hours/semester. The successful applicants will be awarded a $4500 stipend and a maintenance fee waiver of $4225 each semester.

Information about graduate assistantships, including eligibility and requirements to remain eligible is available on the Graduate School’s Opportunities of Assistantships and Internships page.

Position Descriptions

Austin-Western Company Records Graduate Assistant

Works collaboratively with the Director of the Jeffrey L. Brown Institute of Archaeology and Director of Special Collections to inventory materials in the Austin-Western Company Records collection, which includes corporate correspondence, engineering files (with a blueprint collection), a product film archives, and promotional product models. Bequeathed to the Institute by the late Dr. Jeffrey L. Brown, the Institute’s collection is a valuable resource in industrial archaeology. To inventory this collection, the successful candidate will work primarily onsite in the Special Collections unit of the Library, but also in the Jeffrey L. Brown Institute of Archaeology’s storage space. The graduate assistant will meet onsite with the Directors of the of the Jeffrey L. Brown Institute of Archaeology and of Special Collections weekly, and will be available for chat via Microsoft Teams during their scheduled shifts.

The Austin-Western Company Records Graduate Assistant is require to work onsite at least 15 hours/week during the Spring 2021 semester, and may have the option to work 5 hours/week remotely.

University Archives Graduate Assistant

Works collaboratively with the University Archivist to physically rearrange and rehouse a variety of university-related archival materials onsite in the Special Collections unit of the Library. Additionally, the successful candidate will assist with data entry involved in the creation of Finding Aids for university-related archival collections housed in Special Collections. The graduate assistant will meet onsite with the University Archivist weekly, and will be available for chat via Microsoft Teams during their scheduled shifts.

The University Archives Graduate Assistant is required to work onsite 20 hours/week during the Spring 2021 semester.

Duties and Qualifications

Assistantship duties may include:

  • arranging and describing archival collections;
  • authoring biographical and historical notes that provide context for archival materials;
  • applying controlled vocabularies, including LCSH, LCNAF, AAT, and RightsStatements.org, to describe archival;
  • creating finding aids in compliance with Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) and local practices using ArchivesSpace;
  • using scanners and cameras to digitize archival materials and rare books;
  • and conducting research and writing narratives for grant applications.

Required qualifications include:

  • ability to lift and move boxes weighing up to 50 pounds;
  • ability to work independently and produce high quality, thorough, and accurate work;
  • strong organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills as well as demonstrated initiative and adaptability;
  • working knowledge of office productivity suites, such as Microsoft Office and Google Drive;
  • effective written and oral communication skills;
  • ability to follow detailed written instructions;
  • and ability to work 20 hours/week during Special Collections’ hours of operation.

Application

Interested parties should apply for a Graduate Assistantship in Special Collections for the 2020 semester by submitting a cover letter, resume, and application to the Director of Special Collections, Carolyn Runyon, at Carolyn-Runyon@utc.edu. The cover letter should include which position (Austin-Western Company Records Graduate Assistant or University Archives Graduate Assistant) the applicant prefers, a description of the applicant’s relevant experience and expertise, and address what the applicant hopes to gain from the assistantship.

Review of applications will begin on Monday, November 2, 2020 and will continue until the position is filled.