PROJECT ARCHIVES ASSISTANT (PART-TIME)

Posted On: November 6, 2026

Hours: Part Time

Description:

The Project Archives Assistant will work 20 hours a week onsite during normal business hours (9am-5pm) under the direction of the College Archivist.

They will rehouse a group of collections related to free education and held in The Cooper Union Archive and Special Collections (CUASC). The CUASC maintains approximately 1000 linear feet of archival material comprised of manuscripts, objects, publications, color slides, film, video, audio, and photographs that document the development of The Cooper Union, as well as the continued contributions and achievements of our founders, faculty, staff, and alumni.

This is a grant-funded temporary six-month position reporting to the Director of the Library.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Project Archives Assistant’s primary responsibility will be rehousing materials. This entails handling and physically arranging collections in accordance with archival principles and best practice. While rehousing, they will also be expected to assess materials and apply basic preservation interventions (e.g. removing paper clips, separating newspapers from letter paper, etc.) as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS
•    MLIS holder, or currently enrolled MLIS student
•    Completed at least one graduate course on archives
•    Familiarity with archival standards and best practices 
•    Well-organized, detail-oriented, able to work independently and collaboratively

SALARY
$32.00/hour

DATES
February 2027 – July 2027
 

This is a non-union position.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Email materials to: hr@cooper.edu

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.