Curator, South Dakota Oral History Center, Assistant Professor of Practice

Job Posting: University of South Dakota

Overview: The University Libraries, of the University of South Dakota (USD), seeks a teacher, scholar and public historian to serve as the Curator of the South Dakota Oral History Center. Through teaching, fieldwork, scholarship and public engagement, the successful candidate will advance the center’s mission of collecting, preserving and sharing oral histories of the people of the Northern Plains. Integral to accomplishing this mission, the curator will collaborate with programs in the University Libraries, specifically Archives and Special Collections and Digital Humanities, as well as departments and programs across campus, especially the departments of History and Native Studies, and the Institute of American Indian Studies. The curator will strive to advance the center’s relationships with tribal communities in South Dakota and the region, elevate the visibility and impact of the center throughout the state, region and nation, and move the center towards greater engagement with the profession of oral history.

Review of applications begins January 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.

Responsibilities: 

Teaching:

• Develops and delivers credit-bearing courses in oral history, oral history orientations and workshops for academic and community audiences, and library and research skills orientations and programming for USD courses and the community.
• Develops and supervises credit-bearing internships in the field of oral history.
  

Scholarship:

• Designs, leads and executes research projects through the collection, preservation and dissemination of oral histories.
• Presents and publishes in the field of oral history.
• Seeks and secures grants to advance a program of scholarship, as well as the preservation of and access to oral histories held by the center.
• Engages with the discipline and practice of oral history, e.g., ethics, research with tribal communities, copyright and the uses and roles of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Preservation and Access:

• Uses national standards, best practices and local policies and procedures to ensure the preservation, organization, transcription, description and digital access to oral histories.
• Provides research support and assistance to individuals seeking to use oral histories held by the center.

Service:

• Collaborates with organizations in South Dakota, the region and nation to develop oral history projects and workshops, as well as serves on committees of the library, and/or the university, and/or professional societies.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications include:
• Ph.D. in History, Native Studies, Anthropology, English or a relevant field within the humanities or social sciences; or dual master degrees—M.A. or M.S. in Oral History with a M.A or M.S. in History, Native Studies, Anthropology, English, Library & Information Science, or another relevant field within the humanities or social sciences.
• A record of undergraduate and/or graduate teaching in the field of history, or another field of the humanities, or a relevant field in the social sciences.
• A record of fieldwork in oral history.
• A record of experience in using descriptive metadata schemas for cataloging oral histories.
• Demonstrated experience with technologies used in recording, transcribing, editing, digitizing, and cataloging oral histories.
• Evidence of a strong public service orientation, ability to work independently, project management skills, and strong oral/written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications include:
• A record of undergraduate and/or graduate teaching in the field of oral history, and/or substantially integrating oral history in humanities and/or social sciences courses.
• A record of scholarship in the field of oral history, including publishing peer-reviewed articles.
• A record of developing policies and practices for research with marginalized communities.
• Experience with digital humanities methodologies and tools in one or more of the following areas: textual analysis, mapping, timelines, multimedia exhibits, or podcasting.
• A record of securing grants and funding for oral history projects and scholarship.
• A record of managing oral history projects.
• A record of engaging community audiences through oral history projects.
• Managing and supervising students, including graduate assistants, and/or staff.

Position reports to the Dean of the University Libraries.

To apply, see https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/41068 and submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter addressing required qualifications, and provide contact information for at least 3 professional references.

U.S. sponsorship is not available for this position.

Salary: $70,000–$80,000

Department Description: Students, families, faculty and scholars from across the nation engage with the oral history collections of the South Dakota Oral History Center https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Libraries/ID-Weeks-Library/South-Dakota-Oral-History-Center, a department of the University Libraries. The center houses over 5,000 recordings, most of which are digitized and document settler colonial and Indigenous experiences on the Northern Plains in the 19th and early 20th centuries; South Dakota’s history, society and culture during the early and mid 20th century; South Dakota’s political history; and university history.

In 2022, the University of South Dakota renovated and expanded Archives and Special Collections (ASC) and the South Dakota Oral History Center (SDOHC). The SDOHC is co-located with ASC, the University Libraries’ Digital Imaging Lab, a research room that also serves as a teaching and learning space, and ample collection storage and processing spaces. The University Libraries manage an archival collection storage space and processing space at the Preservation Center, an off-site facility shared by the University Libraries and the National Music Museum. In 2023, the University of South Dakota launched a digital humanities initiative, which is led by the Digital Humanities Librarian/Assistant Professor of Practice. The Curator of SDOHC will join a vibrant team of humanities scholars, imaging professionals, and archivists.

The University Libraries include I.D. Weeks Library and the Wegner Health Sciences Library. The position is based at the I.D. Weeks Library on the University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion, SD. Vermillion is located on the Missouri River and within an hour drive of Sioux Falls – South Dakota’s largest city.

Contact: Kim Miller

Program Assistant

University Libraries

University of South Dakota

605-658-3367

Kim.miller@usd.edu