Job Details

Music & Recorded Sound Archivist

Position Number: 6969713
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Libraries

Music & Recorded Sound Archivist

Requisition Number: 70317
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Faculty
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 29-Mar-2026
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) Libraries invites applications from collaborative and innovative candidates for the position of Music & Recorded Sound Archivist! The University Libraries' Archives were established in 1918 and hold internationally renowned manuscript, photograph, records and media collections relating to the history of CU Boulder, the state of Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West, and transnational subjects, including American popular and classical music.
The Music and Recorded Sound Archivist is a non-tenure track, Teaching Professor track faculty position. Working in a highly-collaborative team environment, this individual prioritizes activities that appraise, process, and provide access to the extensive archival music and recorded sound collections held by the University Libraries and the American Music Research Center. This position actively amplifies under-represented voices in order to tell more inclusive stories that feature the Libraries' unique and growing archival collections. The Music and Recorded Sound Archivist independently prioritizes and completes archival processing in coordination with library personnel and established processes. They develop and implement plans for the continued evaluation and augmentation of workflows impacting access to these materials.
As a member of the University Libraries faculty, the Music & Recorded Sound Archivist will be expected to maintain a record of scholarly research/creative work, participate in professional service activities, and actively engage in faculty governance. This position has the opportunity to work in a hybrid capacity. This is a non-tenure track, Teaching Professor faculty position that will be hired at the Assistant Teaching Professor rank and reports to the Section Head of Archival and Metadata Processing (AMP). A typical annual merit formula for teaching professor-track faculty may be 70% librarianship, 10% scholarly and creative work, and 20% service. The Archival and Metadata Processing (AMP) section is part of the Resource Description Services (RDS) Team at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries which is part of the Research & Innovation Strategies Chapter. Please see the Libraries' organizational chart. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

MissionWe are a knowledge catalyst. We fuel inquiry, discovery, collaboration, creation, and the dissemination of knowledge. We welcome everyone, wherever they are on their educational journey.
VisionAn information-empowered world.
ValuesEmpower | Connect | Learn | Inspire
Our values define our interactions within the Libraries and radiate outwardly. This means that we develop a culture that compassionately and authentically embodies our values in all aspects of our work.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Establishes priorities for and performs efficient arrangement, description, and physical processing of the American Music Research Center collections and other archival music and recorded sound collections;
Facilitates discovery of archival music and recorded sound collections by creating or updating finding aids in ArchivesSpace and coordinating with relevant personnel to catalog collection items as needed in the Libraries' online catalog;
Applies archival theory and practice, national standards, relevant legal regulations, professional ethics, and best practices that govern the arrangement, description, and use of archival materials, including but not limited to DACS, MPLP, and copyright law;
Assesses and addresses preservation issues related to music and recorded sound collections, in collaboration with relevant Libraries personnel;
Collaborates with music catalogers and archivists in RDS on the coordination of processing and descriptive workflows for music and recorded sound materials;
Evaluates and judiciously implements emerging technologies to assist in the processing of collections when appropriate;
Collaborates with archivists in the Collection & Archival Strategy team on the acquisition of new materials; supports collection development activities for music special collections and recorded sound collections;
Assist with reference and instruction requests relating to music special collections and recorded sound collections;
Participates in weekly service point shifts in the Reading Room and other Libraries' service points as assigned;
Communicates collegially, is able to advocate for collections and resource needs, and contributes constructively to Library strategic priorities; Participates in building an inclusive campus environment;
Maintains a consistent record of contributions in the areas of professional service, research, and/or scholarly activity;
Actively participates in Libraries meetings, activities, and events and represents the Libraries in appropriate venue, including the AMRC Advisory Board and Partnership Steering Committee;
Assumes other responsibilities as assigned and performs other duties as required.

What You Should Know

This position is offered in a hybrid capacity. There will be an information session on March 24, 2026 from 11:00-11:45 am. At this information session, the search committee will share information about the Music & Recorded Sound Archivist job search, working at CU Boulder, the teaching professor track, and answer attendee questions. A webinar link will be provided to registrants via email.

What We Can Offer

The successful candidate will be appointed as a full-time (12-month) teaching professor-track faculty member at the Assistant Teaching Professor rank. The salary range for Assistant Teaching Professor is $73,000-$84,000. A candidate with seven or more years of professional experience may be eligible for the rank of Associate Teaching Professor with a starting salary range of $84,000-$88,000.
Relocation assistance may be available within University Libraries guidelines.
Faculty receive limited professional development funds annually.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be creative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Please address each of these qualifications in your application materials:

ALA-accredited Master's degree in Library and Information Science, or a degree in Archival Studies, or Public History with a focus or concentration in archives management;
Degree in music
Minimum of 1 year of experience in accessioning, arrangement, processing, description, and preservation of archives, manuscripts, and multi-format collections;
Demonstrated ability to support a welcoming and inclusive environment;
Demonstrated understanding of and experience with archival theory and practice, national standards, relevant legal and ethical regulations, and best practices that govern the accessioning, arrangement, description, and use of archival materials, including EAD, DACS and MPLP;
Demonstrated knowledge of confidentiality, U.S. copyright law, and other policy, legal, and ethical aspects of managing and providing access to archival materials;
Demonstrated ability to project manage and identify processing priorities in archival contexts.

What You Will Need

Demonstrated experience using archival descriptive systems (such as ArchivesSpace, Archivists' Toolkit, or Archon);
Demonstrated experience managing donor relations and managing various aspects of the acquisition of collections, including appraisal and gift agreements;
Demonstrated experience contributing constructively to team efforts;
Demonstrated capability to provide reference services using library or archival collections;
Potential for research, scholarly work, and professional service.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A cover letter of application specifically addressing qualifications for the position
CV/Resume

References will be requested at a later stage in the search process.
Review of applications will begin immediately. It is recommended that applications be submitted by 11:59pm March 29, 2026 in order to receive full consideration.
Questions may be directed to George Karpoff, Search Coordinator, at George.Karpoff@Colorado.EDU.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Music-Recorded-Sound-Archivist/70317