- Job Type: Pre-Professional Archival Processing Graduate Assistantship
- FTE: .375 FTE (15 hours/week)
- Duration: August 16, 2026 – May 15, 2027
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
This pre-professional graduate assistantship provides practical experience in processing archival collections of literary papers and complements the coursework provided by the School of Information Sciences (iSchool). This position will provide exposure to the working environment of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML), one of the largest and most significant repositories for rare books and manuscripts in the United States. In order for the student to gain a well-rounded experience, RBML will also provide cross-training in all facets of rare book librarianship.
Under the supervision of the Visiting Archives & Literary Manuscript Specialist, the Archival Processing Graduate Assistant will be responsible for:
- Arranging and describing archival collections
- Creating and editing finding aids, collection inventories, and other descriptive metadata
- Rehousing, labeling, and reshelving archival collections
- Responding to reference inquiries
- Other duties as assigned
Required:
- Interest in special collections work
- Strong attention to detail
- Familiarity with humanities research
- Ability to decipher handwriting
- Basic computer skills (Microsoft Office, etc.)
Preferred:
- Familiarity with English literature
- Familiarity with a non-English language
- Prior classroom and/or work experience with archival collections or literary papers
- Experience with Archon and/or other archival management systems
To apply: please submit your resume and a cover letter describing your qualifications and interest using the following form: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/160458646