Director of Archives & Special Collections at Barnard College

Director of Archives & Special Collections

Job:Director of Barnard Archive sand Special Collections

Position Summary
The Director of Barnard Archives and Special Collections (BASC) provides visionary leadership for the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, advancing its role as a center for feminist archival practice, historical research, and digital preservation.

Aboutthe Barnard Archives &Special Collections
The Archives also provides access to researchers across the college and around the world, through in-person research appointments and class drop‑in sessions; remote reference over email; and our digital collections of highly used materials. The Archives manages digital collections through Archipelago, Barnard’s digital repository platform designed for open, flexible presentation and metadata‑rich access. In collaboration with the Barnard Academic Technologies and Learning Innovation Services (ATLIS) team, the Archives is in the process of implementing a sustainable digital preservation pipeline.

This workflow will ensure the long‑term management, authenticity, and accessibility of born‑digital and digitized materials, aligned with best practices in preservation, metadata standards, and feminist digital stewardship. Finally, the Archives engages broad audiences through exhibition, programming, and online outreach, all of which is additionally embedded in the teaching and functioning of the college, and prioritizes the students, faculty, and staff of the College in all of our work.

Job Description:

Aboutthe Directorofthe Barnard Archives &Special Collections
The Director ensures the long‑term stewardship, accessibility, and ethical care of materials documenting Barnard College and broader histories of feminist activism, art, and scholarship. This position is responsible for managing or coordinating management of the day‑to‑day operations of the archives, which includes a portfolio of hiring, training, and supervising of professional and student staff, preparing reports, support for reference and consultation, teaching, faculty support, donor development, and administering an annual budget for acquisitions, special projects, preservation, and supplies.

The Director plans, organizes, and oversees all aspects of the College’s Archives and Special Collections. As part of the Barnard Library Management Team, this position will collaborate across library departments to leverage our various resources for projects and services, and to assess and create development opportunities for all staff. The Director will also work collaboratively across Barnard and the Columbia University Libraries partnership to expand access to collections, develop inclusive and reparative archival practices, and lead digital preservation initiatives that sustain the historical record.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Administration

• Provides leadership, vision, and management for the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, developing policies, setting long‑term goals, ensuring alignment with the mission and strategic priorities of Barnard College
• Responsible for overseeing the operations of the Archives, including the hiring, training, and supervising professional staff (1‑FTE), graduate assistants (2), and student workers (4+), fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture.
• Manages development, strategic planning, and grant‑seeking initiatives that strengthen the Archives’ resources and visibility.
• Develops and communicates policies and procedures for the use of materials housed in the Archives.

Collection Development and Stewardship

• Leads efforts to appraise, acquire, process, document, and preserve Barnard’s institutional history and special collections materials in the areas of feminist history in all formats, including born‑digital and hybrid collections, with adherence to standards and technical best practices shaping the future of the collection.
• Develops and maintains sustainable digital preservation workflows, policies, and infrastructure in collaboration with vendors, Barnard Information Technology (BCIT) ATLIS staff.
• Manages archives software and systems, including locally‑hosted servers, and…