Archivist

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Archivist -** **Job Description***

The Role

**Job title**:Archivist***

**Department**:Digital Innovation***

**Responsible to**:Director of Digital Innovation***

**Location**:Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester***

**Salary**:Grade 7: £15,706 - £18,736 per annum DOE (full-time equivalent of £31,412
- £37,473)***

**Term**:Part-time 0.5FTE, permanent

**Relationships with**: Staff, students, suppliers, regulatory bodies and HE sector bodies

Role Purpose

The RAU archive and special collections is a distinct and important part of the University’s institutional

memory. The preservation of this resource and provision of appropriate access is central to our

internal and external identity.

The Archivist will provide specialist knowledge and leadership to the management of the University

archive and special collections to preserve this resource, facilitate its development and provide

appropriate access to our research and interested communities.

Key Responsibilities

**Development of the Archive**

1. Identify, evaluate and acquire RAC/RAU Archive content that meets collection policy

requirements

2. Be responsible for drawing up and periodically updating a collection policy for the Archive

and Historical Collection

3. Be responsible for drawing up a clear, documented donations policy to include a formal

deposit agreement for items donated to the collections

4. Liaise and maintain good relationships with donors and depositors of Archive material, both

internal and external in support of the University’s reputation

5. Catalogue collections and manage information and records, accessioning new additions to

the appropriate standards and following best standards in the sector

6. Ensure items are easy to locate and retrieve, digitally and physically

7. Investigate and advise on ways of making the archives more accessible to a wider range of

users, e.g. by a programme of digitisation and use of a web-based catalogue and index

8. Collect, maintain and report on usage of the collections, and log all enquiries

9. Develop expert knowledge of the collections

10. Develop a more strategic approach to the management of our collections
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**Preservation**

11. Advise on the on-going organisation, security, preservation and storage of archival materials

in the short and long term

12. Assess items that may be fragile and need careful handling, repair or conservation; and

identify ways of enhancing their protection and preservation

13. Identify sensitive, unique and/or valuable material meriting special consideration

14. Identify material suitable for digitisation

15. If required, source suitable external advice and expertise, e.g. specialist book binders, paper

conservators

**Digitisation**

16. Scope and develop a digitisation programme for the Archive, with a view to making e.g.

images accessible to the wider community via an online platform

**Budgetary**

17. Bid for internal funding for the day-to-day management of the archive, and monitor and

manage the budget

18. Identify and bid for alternative sources of internal and external funding to assist archives

projects

**Outreach/Promotion**

19. Promote the collections as assets to be utilised for the benefit of the University and wider

community, which may include opportunities to work with interested media/television

companies

20. Investigate feasibility of relisting on Archives Hub, and improving the data therein (particularly

item-level descriptions)

21. Develop a customer focus and respond promptly to external and internal personal, telephone,

22. Work with Marketing and Alumni departments to raise the online and social media presence

of the Archive

23. Advise and support users on how best to access, use and interpret the collections without

compromising their security and integrity

24. Promote awareness of the collections by, for example, arranging and / or assisting with

exhibitions, presentations, displays and other outreach

**Compliance**

25. Ensure Archive related processes are fully compliant with e.g. GDPR and copyright

26. Assist Finance and the University auditors with the annual audit of the Historical Collection

and/or Archive

**Wider contribution**

27. Liaise with other archivists, particularly in the local area

28. Keep abreast of the archive sector and best practice in the management of archives

**Other**

29. Provide transitional training and support for the Resource, Discovery and Licensing Manage

30. Undertake any other duties appropriate to the role and level

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General responsibilities
- The University is committed to equality of opportunity. All staff are required to comply with

current legislation, University policies and good practice guidance.
- All staff are required to act in a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and

vulnerable adults at all times. The post holder must be familiar with an