ASC Digitization Assistant

General Purpose

Reporting to the Head, Archival & Special Collections (ASC), the primary responsibility of this role is to perform high-quality digitization of archival and special collections materials and provide front-line support for researcher access. This position operates specialized scanning equipment, applies metadata standards, and ensures adherence to digital preservation best practices. The Digitization Assistant also retrieves and reshelves materials, assists with shelf maintenance, and enforces handling protocols in the ASC reading room. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Some of the responsibilities of this position include: 

• Prepare, scan, and process archival and special collections materials in multiple formats (textual, photographic, graphic, audiovisual). 

• Apply metadata standards and ensure adherence to digital preservation best practices. 

• Operate digitization equipment and software; perform image editing tasks such as cropping, color correction, and dust/scratch removal. 

• Apply OCR and accessibility treatments to digital surrogates. 

• Retrieve requested materials for researcher appointments and return items promptly to secure storage. 

• Conduct shelf-reading, holdings surveys, and monitor environmental conditions to protect collections. 

• Assist with digitization project planning and documentation; contribute to workflow improvements. 

• Maintain accurate tracking of item locations, and manage the movement of material between ASC spaces. 

Requirements

• Two-year college diploma in archival studies, library science, or a related discipline. 

• Minimum 8 months of experience in a primary source material repository or similar environment, including hands-on digitization work. 

• Familiarity with archival handling protocols and digitization workflows. 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, ABBYY FineReader, and digitization hardware/software. 

• Knowledge of metadata standards (e.g., Dublin Core), Access to Memory (AtoM), Archivematica, and digital preservation lifecycle principles. 

• Ability to lift boxes up to 35 lbs and work with fragile materials under controlled conditions. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in history, art history, information science, or related field. 

• Advanced training in archival description or digital preservation. 

• Experience with audiovisual digitization of various formats and related metadata standards.