Preservation Graduate Assistant

ABOUT THE LIBRARIES: As the largest university library system in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore area, the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries serve more than 41,000 students and 14,000 faculty and staff of the flagship College Park campus. The Libraries’ extensive collections, programs, and services enable student success, support teaching, research, and creativity, and enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the community. A member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association of Research Libraries, the UMD Libraries was honored with the 2020 Excellence in Academic Libraries award in the university category from the Association of College and Research Libraries.

The Graduate Assistant (GA) supports the care, maintenance, and preservation of the University Libraries collections.  Under the supervision of the Preservation Librarian, the GA will learn to identify items in need of preservation, and to plan and take steps to keep content available for research and curricular use.  The GA will be called upon to set priorities and adjust their workflow in response to shifting work and public demands; various duties often need to be performed simultaneously.  

The Graduate Assistant (GA) supports the care, maintenance, and preservation of the University Libraries collections.  Under the supervision of the Preservation Librarian, the GA will learn to identify items in need of preservation, and to plan and take steps to keep content available for research and curricular use.  The GA will be called upon to set priorities and adjust their workflow in response to shifting work and public demands; various duties often need to be performed simultaneously. 

This is a Graduate I position for a Master's student.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

Assist in the care, maintenance, and preservation of general and special collections in legacy formats to ensure access to the content of these collections. 
Design and carry out collection condition surveys of high priority collections, create spreadsheets, analyze and report survey data. 
Perform Aleph searches to determine duplication of material in same or other formats in the Libraries’ collections, OCLC searches to determine how widely held a title is, and vendor searches to determine if the title is available for purchase. 
Share information with collection managers or curators; with the manager/curator and supervisor, identify and carry out subsequent steps. 
Undertake simple treatments for general collections materials including the rehousing of general and special collections materials.
Assist in more complex treatments of both general and special collections materials. 

Work with Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA)
Work with Preservation and SCUA staff to prepare materials for treatment, location transfers, and exhibit preparation. 
May work with Preservation, and SCUA, staff to organize, document, and treat materials for inclusion in digital conversion projects. 

Collaboration, communication, and service
Attend and participate in department, division, and library-wide meetings. 
Work as a member of team-based efforts within the department and, as appropriate, with faculty and staff across the libraries. 
Work with Preservation Staff to monitor the environmental conditions in the main library.  This may include deploying emergency equipment for water incidents.
The GA may have the opportunity to work on independent preservation related projects.
The Graduate Assistant may serve on Library, and University committees to the degree that they feel comfortable.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master's Student enrolled in a degree program.

Experience: Master's Student enrolled in a degree program.

Physical Demands: The position works in dusty environments; may require respiratory protection. Occasional sedentary work involving remaining in place for long periods and light work that includes moving objects up to 20 pounds and occasional medium work that includes moving objects up to 50 pounds. Work includes the use of scalpels and other sharp objects.

Preferences: Student participating in the MLIS program.

Licenses/ Certifications: n/a

Required Application Materials: Cover Letter, Resume and 3 References (Contact Information)

Best Consideration Date: June 24, 2025

Posting Close Date: n/a

Open Until Filled: Yes

If you already work at UMD, you can apply by using this link: /https://uhr.umd.edu/work-at-umd/student-employment or your workday jobs account. 

If you are a student, but do not work at UMD, please use this link:

/https://umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCP/job/University-of-Maryland-Colle…