The Processing and Digital Archivist is focused on the processing and description of archival collections held within Tufts Archival Research Center at Tufts University. The Processing and Digital Archivist processes, describes and ensures long-term access to archives and manuscript material under TARC’s stewardship and, under the direction of the Head of Technical Services, utilizes extensible archival processing practices and executes workflows for productive and sustainable processes, ensuring a user-centered, access-driven approach in all archival processing work. This work will include refining, implementing, and executing processes that enable effective acquisition, appraisal, description, preservation, access to and security of born-digital and hybrid archival collections acquired and stewarded by TARC. The Processing and Digital Archivist will collaborate with TARC staff in developing new acquisitions and transfer models for managing born-digital content, including post-custodial approaches.    

 The Processing and Digital Archivist is fully integrated into the functioning of the department and participates in reference and research services and collection management activities involving both digital and analog material.  

Processing and Collections Management: 

• Processes and describes digital and analog archival collections, utilizing extensible processing principles. 

• Participates in collection assessment surveys and analysis. 

• Ingests collections material into preservation and access systems.  

• Performs digital curation and preservation tasks such as digital media inventorying, disk imaging, and email archiving. 

• Participates in TARC’s web archiving program. 

• Identifies and inventories physical digital media throughout TARC collections and accessions.  
• Supervises the work of student assistants. 

Assist with the investigation, refinement, and implementation of policies and procedures for digital preservation: 

• Works with the Head of Technical Services to refine, implement, and execute processes enabling effective acquisition, appraisal, description, preservation, access to and security of born-digital and hybrid archival collections acquired by TARC.  

• Assists with evaluation and implementation of methods, tools, and systems related to the preservation of born-digital content, including digital preservation systems and hardware used to transfer data from physical media. 

• Aids in the development of additional initiatives related to the stewardship of born-digital material, including migration policies, distributed digital preservation processes, and emulation strategies. 

• Creates documentation and provides training on digital curation and preservation techniques. 

• Assists with developing strategies and resources to preserve and provide access to new and/or complex data types. 

Participate in planning and policy development and departmental activities:  

• Participates in reference and research activities of the department.  

• Participates in general planning and policy development in the support of TARC strategic directions. 

• Participates in Tufts committees related to primary job assignment.