Historical Archivist

Job Summary

The ALLIED Hub at Drexel University seeks a Historical Archivist to curate, organize, and prepare the digital archives of Dr. Reid Lyon for permanent housing within the Drexel University Library system and integration into the ALLIED Hub.

This position will lead the scholarly organization of digital and written artifacts-including congressional testimony, keynote addresses, interviews, webinars, and related materials-into a coherent chronological and thematic timeline that reflects the evolution of scientific research on reading and its impact on education policy and practice.

The Archivist will ensure transcription accuracy, write contextual narratives for each archival entry, and collaborate with Drexel Library personnel to finalize a publicly accessible, research-aligned digital archive. Selected excerpts will also be curated for strategic display within the ALLIED Hub to support leadership development and research-to-practice translation.

This position is grant-funded; employment is contingent upon the continued availability of those funds.

Essential Functions

• Archival Review & Organization
  
  
  
  • Review and organize digital recordings and related materials into a coherent chronological and thematic archive
  • Develop a master tracking spreadsheet documenting key metadata and policy relevance
  • Identify major phases and historical inflection points in Dr. Reid Lyon's work.
  
  
  
  
• Transcript Verification & Accuracy
  
  
  
  • Review and verify all transcriptions for accuracy, completeness, and terminology precision
  • Collaborate with digitization personnel to resolve discrepancies
  • Ensure finalized transcripts meet archival quality and standards.
  
  
  
  
• Narrative Development
  
  
  
  • Develop contextual narratives highlighting historical significance and policy relevance, including introductory framing for major eras within the timeline, ensuring alignment with Drexel academic standards and ALLIED Hub branding.
  
  
  
  
• Timeline Construction
  
  
  
  • Create a coherent, research-aligned digital timeline that identifies key inflection points in federal reading policy and implementation, collaborating with Drexel Library staff to prepare the timeline for digital display.
  
  
  
  
• ALLIED Hub Content Curation
  
  
  
  • Identify and curate high-impact clips from digital recordings for leadership development and EdD coursework, providing time-stamped excerpt recommendations and explanatory summaries for each selected clip.
  
  
  
  
• Final Archive Integration
  
  
  
  • Collaborate with Drexel Library personnel to upload and categorize materials, ensuring metadata compliance and accessibility standards and preparing the archive for public launch within the Drexel Library system.
  
  
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Master's Degree in Education, History of Education, Literacy, Policy Studies, Archival Studies, or related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the science of reading and federal literacy policy history.
• Strong scholarly writing and synthesis skills.
• Experience working with digital archives or historical collections.
• Meticulous attention to detail and organizational precision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Dr. Reid Lyon's research and contributions to reading science.
• Experience collaborating with university library systems or digital repositories.
• Knowledge of implementation science frameworks.
• Understanding of structured literacy and education policy evolution.

Location

• Hybrid/Flexible Work Arrangement

Additional Information

This is a Part-Time Casual position classified as Non-Exempt. The offered pay is based on the successful candidate's qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.

For information about benefits, please review Drexel's Per Diem/Casual/Temporary Benefit Fact Sheet.

Special Instructions to the Applicant
Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

A review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.

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