Archival Assistant – Temporary

Job Title
Archival Assistant – Temporary

Requisition Number
DU14231

Department Name
40520:KY Geological Survey

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Salary Range
$17.00 - $18.00/hour

Type of Position
Temporary

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Required Education

Bachelor’s Degree Required.
Masters in Library & Information Science Strongly Preferred.

Required Related Experience

MS Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat Pro, scanning, accessioning, accurate typing/spelling, legible handwriting.

Required License/Registration/Certification

NA

Physical Requirements

Ability to lift 25 lb boxes, push wheeled carts, and move stacks of publications from one storage location to another. Ability to lift materials above head to shelve/store. Sitting for long periods of time. Typing and handwriting. Operating scanning equipment. Walking short distances across UK campus to perform work tasks. Ability to work in an environment with various air particulates.

Shift

On-site working hours between Monday – Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
40 hours per week.

Job Summary

The Kentucky Geological Survey is seeking a detail-oriented and motivated individual to work on a grant-funded project. This project’s goals include organizing and cataloging publications and documents belonging to the Kentucky Geological Survey, expanding metadata for existing entries, and posting digital versions of materials to the web. The physical collections in question are housed in the Mining and Mineral Resources building on UK’s campus. The position is eligible for healthcare benefits.

What you’ll do:

• Catalog documents, primarily publications and associated charts/maps/tables
• Enter item-level metadata into our Publications Database
• Perform condition assessments of materials
• Learn established KGS naming conventions for publications and maps
• Use specific criteria to determine scanning, storage and preservation needs
• Record metadata and descriptions of physical and digital representations of items
• Work closely with KGS staff to ensure data conformity in collection management systems
• Manipulate PDF files and add materials/errata where required and/or deemed necessary
• Post completed scans to OER Commons, Internet Archive, KGS Publications Database and UKnowledge, where applicable
• Help with data use tracking and review

You’ll be a great fit if:

• You have high attention to detail and can spot minute differences between documents
• You have an interest in geology, Kentucky history, archives and/or earth sciences
• You care about findability and preservation of research data
• Your written and verbal communication skills are clear (including handwriting)
• You enjoy working on a small team
• You are skilled at organizing things by topic, type, and/or identifying relationships between items/collections
• You have (or desire) training with archival preservation and storage techniques

Where you’ll work:

• The KGS Publication Resources Center is on UK’s central campus, in the Mining and Mineral Resources Building.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Attention to detail, organizational skills, excellent communication and interpersonal relationship skills, teamwork, legible handwriting, accurate spelling/transcription of titles, researchers’ names, etc.

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No

Preferred Education/Experience

Experience with data management, Excel or similar spreadsheet tools; entering item-level metadata; experience organizing and cataloging collections of physical items; interest or experience in preservation and archival storage a plus.

Deadline to Apply
12/28/2025

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.