The Student Special Collections Assistant supports the arrangement, description, preservation, and digitization of the Kevin Erwin Environmental Ecology Collection. This large, high-impact collection includes ecological surveys, permits, planning documents, maps, photographs, correspondence, field data, and other materials that document the environmental history of Southwest Florida and the development of FGCU. The Student Special Collections Assistant will help make these materials accessible to students, faculty, staff, visiting researchers, and the global scientific community by preparing them for long-term preservation and online access. The position will collaborate directly with ecosystem ecology, Kevin Erwin, to verify and enhance contextual information while this opportunity remains available.
Job Description
Primary Responsibilities:
- Arrange, organize, process, and digitize archival materials using professional archival standards (e.g., DACS) and methods.
- Research the materials to create descriptive metadata, finding aids, and item-level inventories for online and physical access that highlight the scientific purposes and importance of the materials.
- Consult with the collection creator to capture contextual information and ensure accurate description of the materials already in the collection and potential acquisitions to the collection.
- Support public access initiatives, including reproduction requests, research requests, and instructional use.
- Maintain documentation of processing workflows and project progress.
Other Responsibilities:
- Other job-related duties as assigned.
Additional Job Description
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree OR pursuing bachelor's degree in environmental studies, environmental ecology, ecological history, or related field.
- Currently enrolled student at Florida Gulf Coast University at time of hire and throughout the appointment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Enrolled in a graduate degree program for environmental studies, environmental ecology, ecological history, or a related field.
- Coursework or experience working with ecological or historical materials.
- Experience with digitization equipment, scanning software, or metadata creation.
- Experience working with large research collections or scientific data.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Knowledge of ecological terminology; ability to identify and differentiate between ecological map types and survey data.
- Comfort working independently and collaboratively with faculty, staff, donors, and researchers.
- Willingness to learn professional archival standards, methods, and processes.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability7 to lift archival boxes up to 20 lbs.
- Ability to move and rehouse large-format materials (blueprints, maps, oversized documents).
- Extended periods of standing, scanning, or working with collections in storage environments.
FGCU is a State University System of Florida member and an Equal Opportunity and Equal Access employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
