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Pay Grade/Pay Range: $13.00/hour

Department/Organization: 219101 - University Libraries

Normal Work Schedule: Varies; Monday - Friday 9:00am to 4:45pm, up to 20 hours per week

Job Summary: The Graduate Research Assistant reviews collection materials and develops original descriptive metadata in accordance with archival best practices. Reviews digitized content returned from the digitization vendor to ensure that national and local best practices are upheld. Performs research for and contributes to digital exhibits that showcase the project work and topic. Documents and tracks workflows on interdepartmental Trello boards. Reports directly to the Project Director and works closely with other project staff.

Additional Department Summary: The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections seeks two Graduate Research Assistants to support an NHPRC-funded archival grant project, digitizing the records of Alabama coal and iron labor history. UA Libraries is digitizing and making freely available approximately 40,730 pages of archival collections that document the racialized labor history of Alabama coal and iron industry from the Civil War through the early 20th century.

In partnership with a digitization vendor, the project will collect original descriptive metadata for selected materials, digitally reformat to archival standards, create derivative files for web delivery, and repurpose metadata to enhance collection finding aid description. The project will also curate a digital exhibit utilizing digitized materials to further contextualize the historical topic.

Required Minimum Qualifications: Current University of Alabama graduate student. Familiarity with formats held in Special Collections libraries.

Skills and Knowledge: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to multitask. High degree of adaptability. Effective time management skills. Strong attention to detail. Self-motivation and ability to work on tasks independently. Basic technical competency, including Microsoft Excel. Familiarity with basic archival principles and practices.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with digitization projects in a library or cultural heritage setting. Proficiency with basic metadata principles and image file formats. Knowledge of image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Camera Raw. Ability to work consecutive semesters.

Enrollment Requirements: Applicants must meet enrollment requirements to be eligible for on-campus student employment. Applicants must be enrolled in a UA degree program and meet minimum credit hour requirements during the academic year: Undergraduate Students must be registered for at least 6 credit hours during fall/spring semesters; Graduate Students must be registered for at least 4.5 credit hours during fall/spring semesters; International Students must be registered full-time (Undergraduate = 12 credit hours, Graduate = 9 credit hours) during fall/spring semesters. Enrollment requirements must be maintained for the duration of on-campus employment. Individual hiring departments and programs may also have additional eligibility requirements for employment.

Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, genetic or family medical history information, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" Poster