Department
WSU Libraries

Campus Location
Wichita, KS - WSU Main Campus

Hire Type
Part Time

Pay
$10/hr , $2,400/summer semester, $4000/fall semester

Work Schedule
20 hours per week during Fall Semester (up to 35 for Summer). Flexible during regular library working hours.

Export Compliance Requirement
No export control requirement.

Job Story
University Libraries is seeking detail-oriented and reliable graduate student assistants to support digitization and institutional repository projects. These positions will assist with the digitization of textual materials, preparation of digital files, metadata review and cleanup, and post-migration quality control for SOAR: Shocker Open Access Repository, Wichita State University’s institutional repository. The work will support preservation, access, and discovery of university scholarship, archival materials, and other digital collections.

Job Summary
A Graduate Staff Assistant (GSA) assistants university service and academic units in either non-teaching or non-research activities. Specific duties of the GSA vary widely, depending on the administrative or academic unit to which they are assigned, but should be at a level to make use of their education and abilities.

Job Duties
Digitization and File Preparation
• Operate the INDUS Book Scanner and other scanning equipment to digitize books, manuscripts, reports, archival documents, and other textual materials as assigned.
• Handle archival and library materials carefully, following preservation and handling guidelines.
• Review scanned images and PDF files for quality, completeness, page order, readability, and file accuracy.
• Compile, organize, rename, and prepare digital files according to established procedures.
• Report equipment issues, scanning problems, missing pages, or other concerns promptly.
Institutional Repository and Metadata Support
• Assist with preparing digital materials for upload to SOAR: Shocker Open Access Repository.
• Support post-migration cleanup and quality control of repository records and digital files.
• Review and clean metadata in spreadsheets or repository records according to established guidelines.
• Check titles, dates, authors, file names, collection names, and other descriptive information for consistency and accuracy.
• Help identify duplicate records, missing files, incorrect metadata, broken links, formatting problems, or other issues that affect discovery and access.
• Perform basic data entry, spreadsheet editing, and file management tasks.
General Project Support
• Follow written instructions, workflows, naming conventions, and project documentation carefully.
• Maintain confidentiality and data security when working with university records or unpublished materials.
• Collaborate with library faculty and staff as needed.
• Work independently after training and ask questions when clarification is needed.

Required Education
Bachelor's degree

Additional Requirements
• Current enrollment as a WSU graduate student.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good organizational skills and ability to follow established procedures.
• Basic computer skills, including experience with file management and Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet software.
• Ability to handle materials carefully and responsibly.
• Punctual, dependable, and able to work independently with minimal supervision after training.

Required Experience
To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a degree program in either full or conditional standing. Students admitted on probation or placed on academic probation following admission may be eligible for assistantship awards under certain circumstances.

Preferred Qualifications
• Interest or experience in libraries, archives, digitization, digital collections, metadata, institutional repositories, or digital humanities.
• Experience using scanners or working with scanned documents, PDFs, images, or archival materials.
• Experience with spreadsheets, data cleanup, metadata, or bibliographic information.
• Familiarity with Dublin Core metadata or institutional repositories is a plus but not required.

Additional Information
To apply, please submit a brief cover letter describing your interest in the position and any relevant experience, along with your resume.
We are looking for students who are careful, dependable, and interested in supporting long-term access to university scholarship and historical materials through digitization, metadata cleanup, and repository quality-control work.

Physical Requirements
Ability to remain in a stationary position. Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment including but not limited to phone, printers, copiers, and calculators. Ability to communicate with others and accurately exchange information.