The American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a federation of 10 Member Societies which in turn have more than 130,000 members across the globe. AIP was founded in 1931 in an effort to alleviate societal and economic turmoil and to better humanity through science. Today, almost 100 years later, we further our positive impact through our mission: to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. We want you to become a part of this mission!

Who we are:

The Niels Bohr Library & Archives is a repository and clearinghouse for information in the history of physics, astronomy, geophysics and many others. As AIP’s pride and joy, the Library holds thousands of publications, photographs, and personal papers referenced by researchers and scholars alike.

As an outstanding resource for information, the Niels Bohr Library & Archives exists to collect, preserve, and present critical pieces of information that can be used by physics researchers and historians of today and tomorrow. 

Who you are:

AIP is seeking a full-time AV/Media Archivist to help support the operations of the esteemed Niels Bohr Library & Archives. As the AV/Media Archivist, you will preserve and maintain the audio-visual collections of the Niels Bohr Library & Archives, including the photographs in the Emilio Segrè Visual Archives. You will also be responsible for accessioning, describing, and providing access to audio-visual items and collections, including moving and still images, and audio formats of all types. As the AV/Media Archivist, you will work on a hybrid schedule primarily determined by project and team needs: on average, 2-3 days on-site in our office in College Park, MD, the reminder of the time working remotely.

Bring your passion and connect with all corners of the physical sciences and get an inside look at one of the most robust resources for physics related information. This is an amazing opportunity to join a dynamic team of passionate professionals who love what they do.

What you’ll do:

• Work with the Director of the Niels Bohr Library & Archives to lead collection development for AV collections.
• Accession new acquisitions and donations.
• Expand accessibility of AV collections by creating structured metadata, including MARC records and finding aids for all levels of description.
• Work with digital team on digitization projects and efforts to make digital surrogates available online. Help maintain Islandora digital repository and website content.
• Monitor AV collections for physical and digital preservation and conservation needs. Develop, implement, and update preservation strategies and policies to guide long-term preservation.
• Work with NBL&A staff to maintain network drives for preservation.
• Provide reference services to patrons in the Niels Bohr Library & Archives (NBL&A). Assist with other library responsibilities such as outreach, tours, and exhibit design as needed.
• Assist with maintenance of NBL&A web resources and outreach initiatives when necessary. Provides general reference service to NBL&A patrons.

• Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA accredited program, or a Master’s degree in history with relevant archival course work.
• Minimum of two years professional experience in a library or archives setting.
• Experience arranging and describing archival (specifically media) collections
• Knowledge of current archival descriptive standards and languages such as EAC-CPF, HTML, EAD, MODS, DACS and others.
• Knowledge of current best-practice procedures concerning preservation of AV materials
• Familiarity and interest in copyright research
• Ability to work with computer software, particularly Adobe Photoshop and MS Access, Outlook, Word and Excel
• Ability to operate and perform basic troubleshooting for a variety of AV and scanning equipment 

Why join us:

AIP embraces a flexible hybrid work environment to balance in-person collaborative work with remote work. The Niels Bohr Library team operates on a hybrid schedule, with an emphasis on in-person collaboration; therefore, this role will report to our office in College Park, Maryland 2-3 days per week. Employees are required to reside in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC.

We offer comprehensive benefits, including generous paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, an annual retirement contribution of 10% of base pay, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, and more.

Your colleagues at AIP are welcoming, gracious, and eager to help each other succeed. With our commitment to community service, institute-wide social opportunities, and ongoing learning and development, AIP is a rewarding place to work.

To Apply:

Include a resume, and a cover letter. We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a full match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.

About AIP:

The American Institute of Physics is a dynamic, forward-thinking 501(c)(3) membership corporation of scientific societies. Our mission is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. AIP is a trusted and reliable source of information and analysis and is a center of excellence that advances the physical sciences enterprise through research and analysis aimed at improving the understanding of our heritage and promoting future progress.

Diversity welcome! Diversity is integral to our mission and is engrained in everything that we do at AIP. We encourage and invite people of all backgrounds to apply and join our team. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, creed, marital status, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, personal appearance, national origin, ancestry, protected veteran status, or physical or mental disability. 

AIP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer  
EOE, including disability/Vets