About IIHS University
The IIHS (Institution Deemed to be) University is dedicated to the transformative opportunities of urbanisation, and is recognised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, as a unique and distinct Institution Deemed to be University.
We are a rare educational institution that brings together teaching, research and applied research to focus on the equitable, sustainable, and efficient transformation of India’s cities, towns and villages.
For more information, please see https://www.iihs.ac.in
About the IIHS Library
The IIHS Library is an open knowledge, research, and teaching hub focused on India’s urbanisation. It brings together interdisciplinary resources spanning more than 40 disciplines from around the world. One of the fastest-growing urban libraries in the Global South, it has steadily expanded its collection since 2012 and has been open to the public since 2014. The collection includes: over 25,000 books, 3,000 journals, 11,000 e-books, 800 journal archives, 1,300 films, and 700 maps. The Library also houses special collections donated across a wide range of subjects, including urbanisation in the Global South and developing countries, urban governance, municipal finance, fiscal policy and reforms, architecture, city guides and engineering works, classical Indian literature and philosophy, Gazetteers, the Indian national movement, economics, and solid waste management.
Located on a 54-acre site in Kengeri, Bengaluru, the Library sits at the heart of the IIHS Campus, which will bring together 2.5 lakh sq. m of integrated research, teaching, and residential facilities. It is being developed as one of the world’s largest public reference libraries on urbanisation, with a planned collection of more than 200,000 books and e-books.
Job Description
IIHS seeks a meticulous and passionate archivist to support the development, preservation, and management of its specialised collection of private papers. This role focuses on building a world-class repository of materials related to urbanisation and the 35+ thematic areas that IIHS works on. The candidate will be responsible for ensuring that critical historical and contemporary records are organised, digitised, and made accessible to researchers, urban practitioners, and the public, contributing to the institutional memory of urban transformation in India and the Global South.
This will be a contractual position for an initial term of 11 months, renewable on mutual consent.
Activities and Tasks
Responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Collection Management & Processing:
- Appraisal and acquisition: Assisting in evaluating and acquiring physical and digital records from diverse sources, including within IIHS, private donors, public institutions, and external organisations;
- Arrangement and description: Organising records according to archival principles (Original Order and Provenance); creating detailed finding aids, metadata, and catalogues to facilitate easy retrieval;
- Preservation: Implementing best practices for the physical handling, storage, and long-term preservation of fragile documents, maps, photographs, videos and oral histories;
- Digitisation and technical support:
- Digital archiving: Overseeing the scanning and high-quality reproduction of physical assets;
- Database management: Maintaining both digital and physical archival systems in accordance with archival standards;
- Metadata standards: Applying standardised schemas (such as Dublin Core or ISAD(G)) to digital records to ensure interoperability and searchability;
- Interviews and oral histories:
- Coordinating, documenting, and preserving interviews of key urban stakeholders, urban practitioners, local and global changemakers;
- Maintaining transcriptions and preserving audio and video records;
- Access and outreach:
- Research assistance: Acting as a reference guide for faculty and scholars, helping them navigate collections;
- Curatorial support: Collaborating on publications, exhibitions, and digital storytelling projects that showcase IIHS’ collections;
- Policy compliance: Ensuring that all archival activities comply with copyright laws, data privacy regulations, and institutional access policies;
- Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others;
- Participating in all activities of Institution-Building at IIHS; carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS; and traveling on IIHS work within or outside the country as and when needed.
Structure and Reporting
The archivist will be an External Consultant coordinating with the Lead – Library and will need to collaborate effectively with IIHS Faculty and Staff, students a diverse group of internal teams and external Individuals/ organisations.
Person Specification
The ideal candidate should have:
- Master’s degree in Archival Science, Library and Information Science (MLIS), History, Urban Studies, or a related field;
- Minimum 4 years of professional experience in an archival or library setting; experience with urban planning records or cartographic materials is desirable;
- Familiarity with archival software (e.g., AtoM, Omeka, ArchivesSpace, DSpace), and knowledge of digital preservation standards and file formats;
- Experience in collection development and management of print, digital and archival resources;
- Expertise in digital library systems, e-resource management, and knowledge management;
- Ability to function as a library generalist and undertake standard library operations, including cataloguing, circulation, reference support, user services, and resource management;
- Experience in library operations and familiarity with library management systems, metadata standards, and access to physical and digital learning resources;
- Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail;
- Strong written and verbal communication skills;
- Experience in the preservation and digitisation of rare books, would be an advantage
This is a contractual engagement for an initial term of 11 months, renewable on mutual consent. This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.
The search will remain open until the position is filled.
Location
This position is based in Bengaluru and may entail travel to other locations in India.
Review and Assessment
The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.
Diversity Policy
IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.
