The Archives and Special Collections at Palace Green Library comprise exceptionally rich and varied material, dating from early medieval to modern, and including manuscripts, archives, rare and open access books, maps, prints, photographs, born-digital and digitised material and some objects. The University also works in partnership with Durham Cathedral to manage and provide access to their archives, based at 5 The College. The archives of the University are an important and growing part of the holdings at Palace Green Library.
The postholder collaborates with colleagues across the University to develop the University’s institutional archive and has responsibility for the management of this archive. This includes:
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Recommending principles and priorities for collection development, influencing records retention policies and working with colleagues to ensure they are implemented
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Working with record creators across the University to ensure regular transfers of material to the archives
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Undertaking accessioning, cataloguing, appraisal and management of storage
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Applying policies, procedures and standards
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Ensuring legislative and regulatory compliance in the management of the archives
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Defining requirements for systems and workflows for digital preservation of university archives and collaborating with colleagues to develop and implement these
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Ensuring appropriate physical collections care is maintained, in collaboration with professional colleagues in conservation
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Undertaking research relating to the history of the university in support of initiatives, programmes and events (see further details below)
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Promoting collections to users and potential users
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Facilitating and enhancing access through development of, delivery of or support for events or resources to support research, educational and engagement activities
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Identifying potential partnerships or projects and contributing to funding applications
During 2022 and 2023 one particular focus of the role will be to undertake work relating to the history of the University and its custodianship of collections, in support of the University’s Race Equality Charter programme.
The postholder also contributes to the delivery of the public service in the searchroom at Palace Green Library to facilitate research access to collections.
The role involves building and maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, in particular with administrators and record creators in departments across the university and researchers and research projects within Durham University and externally; regional, national and international networks.