Director, Southern Historical Collection

Director, Southern Historical Collection

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Position Summary:

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks a knowledgeable, collaborative, intellectually creative, collegial, and service-oriented individual for the position of Director of the Southern Historical Collection (SHC). Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Special Collections and supervising 3.5 staff members as well as student assistants, the Director will provide vision and leadership for the SHC (http: www.lib.unc.edu mss shc ) by ensuring its continued preeminence as the leading repository of unique materials reflecting the society, culture, and contributions of the American South. The Director will ensure that the SHC has a vibrant profile and visibility at UNC and in the larger research and public communities through its collecting and outreach programs. Working closely with staff in Technical Services, Research and Instructional Services, Conservation, the Carolina Digital Library and Archives (http: cdla.unc.edu ), and elsewhere, the Director will promote and set priorities for the preservation of and access to SHC holdings. By engaging and collaborating with UNC faculty, students, and Library staff and with developments in Southern studies, the Director is expected to ensure the ongoing relevance and integration of the SHC’s holdings, services, and programs in the academic life of the campus, the larger research community, and other constituencies. Welcoming professional, student, and public researchers from around the world, the Southern Historical Collection encourages the study and appreciation of the history and culture of the American South by collecting, preserving, and promoting the use of unique documentary materials of enduring historical value that reflect American life and culture between the late colonial period and the present day. Totaling over 17 million items organized in more than 4,700 collections, these materials document antebellum plantation life, slavery, the American Civil War, the Long Civil Rights Movement, and social change, with substantial holdings on family life, politics and governance, religion, business, labor, literature, sociology, and journalism. The SHC also is the repository for interviews conducted by the Southern Oral History Program (http: www.lib.unc.edu dc sohp ) with Southerners who have made significant contributions to a variety of fields and that will render historically visible those whose experience is not reflected in traditional written sources. In addition to the Southern Historical Collection, the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library (http: www.lib.unc.edu wilson ) includes the North Carolina Collection, the Rare Book Collection, the Southern Folklife Collection, and University Archives and Records Management Services, holding extensive collections documenting the University, North Carolina, and the American South.

Education Requirements:

ALA-accredited MLS with coursework in archives or special collections librarianship or a Master’s degree in U.S. history, American Studies, English, or related discipline with coursework or substantive experience in an archival, manuscript, special collections, or museum repository or historical program.

Qualification and Experience: Required ALA-accredited MLS with coursework in archives or special collections librarianship or a Master’s degree in U.S. history, American Studies, English, or related discipline with coursework or substantive experience in an archival, manuscript, special collections, or museum repository or historical program. Five (5) years of demonstrated experience working with individuals and organizations to acquire, create, or use archival, manuscript, or historical collections. Substantive experience managing a special collection, including supervising professional or support staff. Strong knowledge of U.S. history, particularly that of the American South. Demonstrated understanding of historical methodology and pedagogy, and current and emerging research and publication trends. Knowledge and awareness of current trends in the digitization of unique and rare scholarly resources for preservation and access. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining relationships with faculty and scholars to support the building and use of archival, manuscript, and special collections for research, teaching, and community engagement. Demonstrated leadership, collegiality, collaboration, and planning skills in an institutional or team setting. Preferred Experience in an archival or special collections repository in establishing and implementing collection scopes and priorities and in managing acquisitions and program budgets. Knowledge of preservation and conservation needs and practices for special collections. Experience in working with or establishing digitization priorities and programs. Experience in fund-raising, donor cultivation and stewardship, and grant administration. Advanced degree in U.S. history, English, or related discipline. Demonstrated record of scholarly publication and presentation. Experience in developing and administering exhibits, lectures, symposia, and similar public programming.

Department Contact Name: Tiffany Allen, Director of Library Human Resources

Department Contact Telephone or Email: Tiffany_Allen@unc.edu

For complete job descriptions and to apply, visit: http://hr.unc.edu


The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.


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