Director of Moving Image Research Collections

The University of South Carolina is seeking a Director of Moving Image Research Collections (MIRC) to provide the administration of Moving Image Research Collections (MIRC), oversee curation and preservation of its collections and major collecting areas; supports and promotes access through digitization and management of print and celluloid materials; and facilitates outreach to scholars, media-makers, and cultural heritage organizations.

Responsibilities include:

• Working closely with faculty, staff, and administration for the unit. Working with faculty and staff to manage projects and budgets, conduct media relations, write grants, and enhance development activities.
• Overseeing film, video, print, and still image collections, including preservation and restoration efforts and setting metadata standards.
• Overseeing management of digital assets in cloud storage and coordinates with University Divisions and outside service providers.
• Promoting and facilitating inquiry into the collections through publication of foundation research, the development of online video collections and other reference aids, public presentations and screenings, including active involvement in professional associations.
• Ensuring the sustainability of MIRC’s collections by overseeing its business operation and production workflows.
• Supervision management of faculty, staff, temporary employees and students
• Collaborating with libraries administration as well as off-site staff in managing and planning of existing facilities as well as new facilities.
• Participating in library committees, task forces, and special projects.

This is a tenure-track faculty position reporting to the Associate Dean for Special Collections.

Required Education & Experience:

Three years relevant work experience including at least one year in a film archive; master’s degree, certificate, or five years’ experience in moving image archiving or a master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA accredited program; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; evidence of individual initiative, flexibility and analytical skills to resolve complex problems; evidence of managerial ability including budgeting; demonstrable ability to identify, safely handle, and assess the condition of diverse film and video tape formats; demonstrable knowledge of film preservation techniques and strategies, digital asset management, and metadata standards.

Preferred Qualifications:

Managerial experience; success in writing grants; a record of publication or conference presentations relevant to position; subject area expertise in one or more of the collecting areas; familiarity with digitization techniques and workflows; experience evaluating and implementing new technologies.

The University of South Carolina, founded in 1801, is the flagship campus of an eight-campus, fully accredited, state-system. The University is one of only 40 public universities to earn the Carnegie Foundation’s top-tier designations in research activity and community engagement. The University of South Carolina – Columbia has strong undergraduate and graduate programs and other highly regarded professional schools including medicine, law, education, engineering, social work, pharmacy, public health, arts and sciences, nursing, and business administration. About 32,000 students are enrolled with more than 8,000 students in graduate and professional programs.

University Libraries serves the graduate and undergraduate programs of all schools and colleges, with the exceptions of the School of Law and the School of Medicine. Holdings include more than 4.9 million volumes, 20 million manuscripts, 475,000 e-books, and four distinct special collections. University Libraries is a member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, the Association of Research Libraries, and the Center for Research Libraries.

The City of Columbia is the state capital with a metropolitan area population of nearly 800,000. The city is a state center of financial, transportation, and industrial development, and it has a rich historical and cultural tradition. Columbia is located within easy driving distance of both mountains and coast. The University of South Carolina Libraries is committed to cultivating an educational and professional environment that is rich with cultural, social, and intellectual diversity. We believe inclusivity is critical to fostering excellence in all of our endeavors, and we promote diversity in our collections and the services that we provide, as well as in our recruiting, hiring, and retention practices. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. USC is an EOE.

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