SCUA is Hiring for Student Employee Positions - Undergraduate and Graduate UNCG Students

 SCUA is currently hiring for the following positions:

Positions Available April 2017

Literary Map - Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Graduate Student Assistant

Greensboro, North Carolina - On-Campus - Non FWS

Description

The Graduate Assistant/s will be working with the Literary Map of North Carolina (http://library.uncg.edu/dp/nclitmap). This online map reflects North Carolina’s rich literary heritage and serves as a geographic guide to both famous and little-known writers, of any and all literary genres, who were born here, who moved here, who retired here, who were educated here, or who wrote about the area. The works represented on this map include novels, biographies, historical works, poetry, plays, short stories, children’s books, and young adult literature.

The Graduate Assistant/s will be responsible for researching information concerning North Carolina authors and inputting corresponding names and bibliographical information into the Literary Map of North Carolina database and other related projects.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated research skills
• Knowledge of current web technology
• Superior communication skills

How to apply:  Search SpartanCareers

Oral History Transcriber - Women Veterans Historical Project, Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections & University Archives

Greensboro, North Carolina - On-Campus - Non FWS

Description

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives department within University Libraries is seeking to hire a motivated and resourceful individual to assist in the transcribing, researching, and editing of oral histories. The successful candidate is expected to work 8 hours per week and directly report to the curator of the Women Veterans Historical Project and the Assistant Dean.

Job Description:
Successful candidate will edit, research, and transcribe audio interviews from the department’s Women Veterans Historical Project and University Oral History Collection. These interviews were collected on audio tapes and digital files. The employee will also assist in metadata creation. The focus of this position is to make the oral history collections more accessible to the research community.

Position is available to begin summer 2017.

Responsibilities:
• Transcribe oral history interviews from audio files (using relevant style guide); (60%)
• conduct research in order to add, clarify, correct historical information; (5%)
• edit transcriptions for accuracy; (25%)
• metadata creation: (5%)
• provide weekly updates to supervisor. (5%)

Qualifications

• must be dependable, adaptable, detail oriented, and able to follow instructions;
• excellent keyboarding skills and good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and databases;
• good organizational skills and the ability to multi-task;
• ability to work under own initiative and as part of a small team;
• methodical approach, with an eye for detail and ability to concentrate for long periods;
• ability to handle and respect sensitive and confidential information. 

How to apply:  Search SpartanCareers

Positions Available May 2017

Special Collections, Manuscripts, and University Archives [Jackson Library] Student Assistant Position

Greensboro, North Carolina - On-Campus - Non FWS

Description

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives [ http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/ ] at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro relies on the skills and energy of its student employees to perform the necessary work in supporting research and learning.

SCUA currently has openings for students interested in working with University Archives and UNCG-related collections. Positions are available beginning summer 2017.

Student will be working on a variety of projects which may involve Special Collections and University Archives. Duties include, but are not limited to:
• assisting in the organization and inventorying of material which includes but is not limited to Women Veterans Collection, rare books, manuscripts, cello music, and/or artifacts
• labeling processed and unprocessed collections
• packing/unpacking archival records, manuscripts, rare books, cello music, and related materials
• completing additional projects as needed

See our collections here:
Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project: http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/WVHP/

Rare Books Collection:
http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/collections/rare_books/index.aspx

Cello Music Collection:
http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/collections/cello/index.aspx

Manuscripts:
http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/collections/manuscripts/index.aspx

University Archives:
http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/collections/university_archives/index.aspx

Qualifications

Student must be dependable, adaptable, detail oriented, able to follow complex instructions, work with diverse colleagues, and lift boxes weighing up to 40 lbs. This position will call for repetitive bending and lifting. The successful candidate will have excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills and familiarity with MS Office software. Library or Archives experiences helpful, but not required. Knowledge of Library of Congress classification system helpful, but training will be provided. Strong interest in archival management, books, the books arts, preservation, history, and violoncello music appreciated and encouraged.

How to apply:  Search SpartanCareers

Positions Available Beginning in August 2017

University Archives and Manuscripts Federal Work Study Student Assistant

Greensboro, North Carolina - Federal Work-Study (FWS)

Description

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives [http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/ ] at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro relies on the skills and energy of its student employees to perform the necessary work in supporting research and learning.
Student will be working on a variety of projects including, but not limited to, Manuscripts, University Archives, and the Women Veterans Historical Collection. Duties may include processing and writing finding aids for a backlog of small collections, assisting in the re-organization and inventorying of materials, processing, labeling, sleeving historical photographs, editing and creating abstracts for oral history interviews, and completing additional projects as needed.

Student may interact with researchers and be required to answer basic reference questions or direct them to information resources.

Qualifications

MUST HAVE FEDERAL WORK STUDY AS PART OF FINANCIAL AID. Student must be dependable, adaptable, detail oriented, able to follow complex instructions, work with diverse colleagues, and lift boxes weighing up to 40 lbs. This position will call for repetitive bending and lifting. The
successful candidate will have excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills and familiarity with MS Office software. Library, archives, or museum studies experiences helpful, but not required. Strong interest in preservation and history appreciated and encouraged.

How to apply:  Search SpartanCareers

New Exhibit: African American Staff at State Normal, 1892-1919

A new exhibit titled "African American Staff at State Normal, 1892-1919" is now on display in the case in the Elliott Center University connector. This exhibit features photographs of many of the African Americans who worked on the State Normal and Industrial School (now UNCG) campus during its earliest years.

While the student body of the State Normal was limited to white women, nearly all of the support staff (cooks, maids, janitors, handymen, etc.) were African American. There were at least 21 African American support staff employees at State Normal during its opening year (1892-1893). Two years later, that number had doubled to 42. These African American employees were essential to the operations of the campus, ensuring that the lights operated, the buildings and grounds were clean, the students and faculty were fed, and the general operations proceeded smoothly and did not disrupt the school's educational mission. But sadly many of their stories -- and some of their names -- have been lost to history.

Housekeeping Staff, late 1890s

One person featured in the exhibit is Ezekiel "Zeke" Robinson. Robinson was hired by State Normal's founding president Charles Duncan McIver soon after the school opened. In addition to managing the African American support staff, Robinson performed numerous tasks that were critical to the function of the school, including ringing the campus bell, waiting table at state dinners, delivering the mail, and serving as porter for three college presidents. Ill health forced Robinson to retire in 1944 after a 52-year career. During his time on campus, he saw the transition from horses to automobiles, from oil lamps to electricity, from fireplaces to central heating, and from wells and pumps to running water. He saw the acreage of campus increase tenfold, and saw the student body grow from 200 to over 2200. On December 1, 1960, Ezekiel Robinson died at a local nursing home at the age of 93. He was the last surviving member of the faculty and staff from the first year of State Normal.

Ezekiel "Zeke" Robinson

Please stop by the exhibit to learn more about this important part of UNCG's history. The exhibit will be available through March 1, 2016.

A Flair for the Dramatic: Early Campus Theater Productions,1896-1916

A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1912

The students of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro claim a rich history of dramatic performance. From the campus’s earliest years as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women, the student body has authored plays, created stage sets, sewn costumes, and performed both male and female roles. The first theatrical performance was County Fair in 1894, and each subsequent year saw an increase in the dramatic repertoire enjoyed by students, faculty, and the public. As there was no drama program at the time, student groups, such as the campus literary societies (predecessors of the modern sorority), the YWCA, specific classes, and the Dramatics Club (beginning in 1912) organized and performed for the pleasure of the campus.

An exhibit featuring photographs of student dramatic productions dating from 1896 to 1916 is on display in the Elliott University Center connector from September 1st until November 1st.

New Exhibit in EUC Connector

A new exhibit in the EUC connector focuses on the university's dual personality. Namely, Minerva and the Spartan.

The two part exhibit explains the origins of our patron goddess, Minerva, and how she grew to become the symbol of the university. You'll also find out why the Spartan was picked as the mascot for our athletic teams (a hint-it happened after we became co-educational!), while showing some of the changes the mascot has undergone through the years. The exhibit will be up through August 30th and we hope it helps with any confusion our SOAR students may be having in reconciling UNCG's split personalities.

Why do archives matter to you?

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) is seeking input from researchers and others who use and enjoy archives, like those we have here at UNCG. They're seeking comments or testimonials on why archives matter to you!!

If you're willing to share a short statement about why archives matter to you (and you're willing to let us share that statement with the folks at SAA), please comment on this blog post or email us at scua@uncg.edu. It can be anything from a short and sweet comment on something interesting you learned the archives to a lengthier story about archival research you've done. We look forward to hearing from you!!

Celebrating North Carolina Archives Week

This week -- October 21-27 -- is North Carolina Archives Week, an annual, week-long observance of the agencies and people responsible for maintaining and making available the archival and historical records of our nation, state, communities and people. The Archives Week theme for 2013 is "Home Grown! A Celebration of N.C. Food Culture and History."

Preserving food during World War I

To celebrate, SCUA has developed an exhibit in Jackson Library featuring images, publications, and other archival materials related to culinary history. Stop by the large exhibit case at the library's College Avenue entrance through the end of October to see historic images from the campus's dairy farm, home economics department, dining halls, and more!

You can also read excerpts from Tea-Kettle Talk, a 1924 cookbook published by the Alumnae Association of the North Carolina College for Women (now UNCG), on the Spartan Stories blog.

A Student's Perspective: Behind the Stacks in Manuscripts and Archives

I started in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) as a volunteer during the fall semester of my freshman year at UNCG (2010). I had emailed someone (I can’t remember who now) in the library and asked if there was any need for volunteers in the library. I thought I’d be checking out books or reshelving things. The person replied and told me that there was no need for help in the main part of the library and suggested that I email Kathelene Smith in Archives. I did, and a week later I started as a volunteer. I mentioned this to my older brother, Dr. Joe Sanders, who is a faculty member at Kansas State University. He was surprised to hear this; he had just given a lecture on some research that he had done at SCUA. This was a nice surprise and made me even more interested in the work that goes on here.

Throughout my first year at SCUA, I worked on many different projects. The most extensive was some cataloguing with the State Normal Magazine that I did for Hermann Trojanowski, one of the archivists here. Hermann was a great sport and taught me a LOT about many aspects of archives. I also worked on organizing some photographs, supervised by Kathelene and Hermann. As it turns out, I knew less than I thought I did because after proudly presenting the results of my photograph organizing, Hermann gently pointed out that I had done the notes on the back of the photographs upside

down! Regardless of my stumbling during the first year, Keith Gorman and Kathelene pulled me aside and told me that if I wanted to return the next year, they would allow me to do so as a paid departmental student employee!

During the fall 2012 semester, I had to do a class project. It was a biography of a student who had gone to UNCG when it was still the State Normal and Industrial School, and we were required to use the archives to do it. It was great fun to experience SCUA from a researcher’s point of view, and I definitely had a head start because of my experiences and knowledge of what the archives contain. But I was surprised at how many more resources exist – it never ends!

Over the course of the last two years, I've learned about an amazing world of processing, administration, and project planning that I had no idea even existed. I absolutely love what I do; there are so many great things about working at SCUA. I've worked on some projects with nearly every staff member here and gotten to know them fairly well. I can honestly say that I have never worked with a group of people who are this kind and understanding and hilarious to be with. Every day there is something new to explore within the projects that I’m doing, and every day I learn more about UNCG – an entire history that I never would have guessed was there.

Rachel Sanders

President

UNCG Historical Society

Chairperson

Student Libraries' Advisory Council

Peer Career Ambassador

UNCG Career Services Center

Kappa Delta Pi - Education Honor Society

A Student's Perspective : Behind the Stacks in Archives and Manuscripts

When I first started my graduate career at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), I decided to look for a job with the University Libraries. Directed to the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives department, I learned that they only had a volunteer position available, for which I promptly interviewed.

In the fall of 2011, I began working as a volunteer in the University Archives for a relatively modest ten hours each week. My first exposure to history at UNCG’s Archives came through the personal recollections of prominent local Rotarians through working with the Preserving the Past: The Rotary Club of Greensboro Oral History Project. I proofread transcripts, drafted abstracts, and organized the digital interviews. I was captivated by their first-hand recollections of the history of Greensboro, the Civil Rights Movement, World War II, and the changing economics of the United States. My first few months working with the Project showed me the importance of preserving these valuable memories, which would otherwise be lost.

I enjoyed my experience in the department and found the entire concept of an archive fascinating. While I had experience with using archival resources, I had never really given the academic archive serious consideration. Nestled away in libraries across the country, archivists and librarians were preserving the past – of both institutions and individuals – for future generations.

After a semester as a volunteer, I was offered a student assistant position in the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives. With this new position, I began to tackle more varied and difficult projects. I began processing the records of the International Double Reed Society and the University’s historical photographs and postcards collections. Each new challenge and experience made me more assured that I wanted to pursue a career in archives.

Although I had entertained thoughts of obtaining a Ph.D. in English, my time in the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives showed me that I was better suited to a career as an archivist. I would still be able to teach, assist students and researchers, and maintain a connection to literature within this one wonderful field. Encouraged by my supervisors, I applied to several schools’ Library Science graduate programs, settling on UNC-Chapel Hill’s SILS program which I will begin in the fall of 2013.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact moment or experience that altered my life and career plans. Whatever it was, I am remarkably pleased that my family encouraged me to volunteer at the library and that I found such an enjoyable career path.

After personally experiencing the numerous emotional, touching, comical, and just plain outrageous things you can stumble across in University Archives, I would encourage everyone to make a trip to an archive!

Patrick Dollar