Harrison Wick (MLS/MA History ’02) is a currently serving as Assistant Professor, Special Collections Librarian, and University Archivist at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in Indiana, Pennsylvania. He has been at IUP since 2007 and was recently granted tenure. In addition to his position, Harrison has also published three books about regional Pennsylvania history: 1. Pennsylvania's Back Mountain, 2. Greater Wyoming Valley Trolleys, and 3. Luzerne County.
We asked Harrison some questions about his position in an email interview. Here is what he had to say:
- Basic Job Duties:
-
- Faculty member responsible for facilitating the development of the IUP Special Collections & University Archives.
- Answer research requests, update online collection finding aids, and maintain the department website.
- Collaborate with other offices and departments on campus to collect material.
- Train and supervise undergraduate and graduate student workers, volunteers, and interns.
- Improve access to collections including: Record Groups about IUP, Manuscript Groups about Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Book Collection, and the Rare Book Collection.
- Provide reference services at the University Libraries reference desk.
- Contribute to university service on committees and advisory groups. I chair the University Senate’s Development and Finance Committee.
- Favorite aspects of the job:
-
- Work with the university community and help researchers from around the world.
- Build partnerships to enhance department visibility and improve collections.
- Get to advise students on potential career paths, and help to build new opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students through internships.
- Started coursework for my Doctorate in Education.
- Look forward to coming to work, and I work on something new every day.
- Tips for SLIS students:
-
- For SLIS students interested in archives, consider the dual degree program in History (MA) and MLS, and either the Archives and Records Management Specialization or the Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship Specialization.
- Remember to only apply for positions that you can see yourself in five years from now.
- Don’t apply too early for positions before you graduate.
- I have been an archivist for 10 years, and it takes time to find the right position.
Posted June 07, 2012