Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian

Department: Ethnomusicology Archive
Rank and Salary: Assistant Librarian – Librarian ($61,920 - $108,349)
Position Availability: Immediately
Application deadline for first consideration: April 5, 2024

The UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive seeks a highly collaborative, knowledgeable and user-driven librarian to work with students and faculty to advance research, scholarship, and teaching and to oversee and direct the preservation of audio, video, film, and other time-based media operations within the Ethnomusicology Archive.

Position Duties

Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Ethnomusicology, the Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian oversees and directs the preservation of audio, video, film, and other time-based media operations within the Ethnomusicology Archive. In collaboration with the other librarian, the Chair of the Department of Ethnomusicology, the Director of the World Music Center (WMC), and the Herb Alpert School of Music (HASOM) stakeholders, the Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian works with the unique and diverse collections held in the Archive to ensure and enhance access to the Archive's media collections.

The Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian is responsible for:

Digital/Preservation Initiatives: Designs and implements Archive digitization and/or preservation projects. Digitizes sound recordings, audiovisual recordings, paper documents, and photographs, using a variety of digitization hardware and software. Plans, constructs, and maintains online finding aids (e.g. ArchivesSpace). When necessary, enters descriptive, structural, and technical metadata into electronic finding aids. Maintains working knowledge of the significance and structure of metadata schemata, thesauri, finding aids, and mark-up languages (e.g. Dublin Core, the Ethnographic Thesaurus, EAD, and XML). Works with collectors of field recordings in processing deposits, digitizing recordings, and making their collections accessible.

Development: Proactively researches and identifies potential grants and other funding sources for the Archive. Writes, assembles, and submits grant applications that further the Archive's goals. Monitors grants that have been awarded to the Archive, ensuring compliance with timelines for expenditures and fulfillment of all other requirements. Proactively solicits the deposit of new collections into the Archive and acquires permissions, contracts, deeds of gift, and information from collectors about the cultural, historical, and technical nature of collections.

Specifically, as a member of the Archive team and in consultation with the Director of the World Music Center, is responsible for the collection development and stewardship of relationships and content and collections in support of research, teaching and the development of a set of evolving collecting priorities in the areas of Los Angeles musical communities. Works with the Director of the World Music Center and Archive colleagues to identify public and private funding opportunities and grants, and prepares project funding proposals. Works with the Director of the World Music Center, Archive colleagues, the Department of Ethnomusicology, and Herb Alpert School of Music Development in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual and institutional donors, including participating in meetings and events; preparing funding requests.

Student Training: Provides advice and expertise to students and patrons in the archival aspects of research practice and public ethnomusicology. Collaborates with Ethnomusicology Department faculty in the preparation and realization of a course in audiovisual archiving, administered to both undergraduate and graduate students in ethnomusicology and other fields. Collaborates with Archive colleagues and faculty to support both faculty and student research utilizing the collections, works with faculty to integrate the collections into their curricula and serves as key instructor and support for teaching with the Los Angeles-based archival collections. Collaborates with Archive colleagues, faculty, and researchers providing expertise and coordination to develop digitization and digital humanities projects to support preservation and broad teaching, research, and use of the collections.

Reference: Meets with users, analyzes questions, suggests search strategies, and evaluates resources from the general, special and/or reference collections regardless of format. Responds to reference inquires by phone and written communication and assists students, faculty, visiting researchers, and the public in the use of Archive collections. Offers information literacy sessions for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Outreach: Conceptualizes and participates in unique outreach initiatives. Works with users, collectors, and community members in repatriating copies of unique sounds recordings to pertinent individuals. Develops partnerships with university and community individuals and groups in order to collaborate on acquiring, preserving, and making accessible collections related to the multiplicity of musical cultures found in diverse communities throughout Los Angeles. Works collaboratively with colleagues in the Archive and within the Department of Ethnomusicology to develop lectures, panel discussions, symposia, and other programming featuring existing collections and new acquisitions of Los Angeles archival materials, emphasizing communities and diversity, including outreach and programming at community sites, to increase accessibility for community members.

The Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian will be committed to promoting and enhancing diversity through engagement with and promotion of the UCLA Principles of Community and be committed to fostering a diverse educational environment and workplace and in order to work with a diverse student and faculty population. The incumbent will also develop partnerships with university and community individuals and groups in order to collaborate on acquiring, preserving, and making accessible collections related to the multiplicity of musical cultures found in diverse communities throughout Los Angeles. Its efforts highlight existing collections and attract and create new acquisitions related to Los Angeles, emphasizing musical communities, diversity, and intersections.

The Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian has the capacity to thrive in the exciting and future-oriented environment of a world-class research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities. The Ethnomusicology Archive Librarian works creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently, and promotes teamwork among colleagues. The Ethnomusicology Librarian consistently meets a high standard of quality of work independently and expeditiously.

General Information

Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position. They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Description of Unit

One of the affiliated library units at UCLA, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is the largest university held ethnographic sound recording collection in North America. The Archive is an administrative unit of the Department of Ethnomusicology. Established in 1961, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is a world-renowned research archive dedicated to the study of musical traditions from around the globe. The Archive's collection of more than 150,000 audio, video, print, and photographic items documents musical expressions throughout the world and includes unique field recordings as well as rare commercial recordings. As part of UCLA's Department of Ethnomusicology, the Archive preserves and makes accessible over 50 years' worth of audio and video recordings of the department's famed concerts and also of lectures by legendary scholars and performers, ranging from Mantle Hood to Ravi Shankar to Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to preservation and access, the Archive offers a wide range of research, outreach, and educational services. From international scholars to local community members and UCLA students and faculty, the Archive is recognized locally and internationally as an important center of ethnomusicological research and discovery.

Description of Institution and Library

As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.

UCLA's diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.

To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public. It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students' research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children's literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts. It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.

The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship. More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors. Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the University of California and key components of the University's commitment to excellence. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California policy on discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action see: University of California – Policy Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction

Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.

Visit the Jobs @ UCLA Library website at: https://www.library.ucla.edu/about/jobs/

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy.