University Libraries - Employment

Robert A. and Ruth Bywater Olson Graduate Assistantship

A native of Lansing, Iowa, Robert “Bob” Olson earned an undergraduate business degree from Iowa in 1933, working part-time as a student assistant in the Libraries, and graduated from the College of Law in 1935. He married Iowa City native Ruth Bywater in 1937 and worked in the public utility industry in Chicago until 1947, when he joined the Kansas City Power and Light Company. Over the next 26 years Olson held most of the executive positions in that company, becoming president in 1960 and retiring as chairman of the board in 1973. He was very active in the Kansas City business community, serving on the boards of several local corporations and volunteering his time among civic and cultural organizations. Ruth Bywater Olson died in 1979; Robert Olson in August 2003.

His estate gift to the University, some $5.5 million, benefits nine programs, and includes the Robert A. and Ruth Bywater Olson Special Collections Fund.  Income from that fund underwrites the Olson Graduate Research Assistantship program. The Olson Graduate Assistantships are designed to support graduate students in the course of their academic work; provide on-the-job training at the immediate pre-professional level for students who are or may become interested in Special Collections librarianship, museum curatorship, archives administration, or similar career paths; and offer opportunities to accumulate and document significant academic and work experience and accomplishment.

Position Description:

The University of Iowa Libraries’ Special Collections department invites current or incoming graduate students interested in special collections librarianship, museum curatorship, or archives administration to apply for an Olson Graduate Research Assistantship for 2023-2024, with possibility for a one-year renewal for 2024-2025.

Students awarded this position will become familiar with many aspects of Special Collections work during their first year by assisting with day-to-day operations. This includes providing reference services, assisting with instruction, contributing to social media and event planning, as well as processing and describing archival or manuscript collections.

Pending satisfactory completion of all duties related to the appointment and satisfactory progress toward degree, this appointment may be renewed for a second year. In the second year, Olson Graduate Research Assistants will build on the experiences they have had in the first year, take on more explicit management roles, and identify project work aligned with their career goals and talents. A returning student’s first assignment, for example, will be to onboard and train the incoming first-year Olson Graduate Research Assistant. Some examples of project work in the past have included: processing a more extensive archival or manuscript collection, selecting and acquiring materials using a set budget, or expanding catalog records for early printed books.  A capstone project curating an exhibition is also available in the second year.

Qualifications:

The Olson Graduate Research Assistantship is open to incoming students who have been accepted into a graduate degree program for the upcoming Fall semester, as well as students who are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program. Students in the School of Library and Information Science, in the University of Iowa Center for the Book, or the English, History, American Studies, and Art & Art History programs may have particular interest, but applications from students in any graduate program will be carefully considered. Please note that students currently enrolled in the U2G students (undergraduate-to-graduate) program are not eligible for the Olson Graduate Research Assistant position due to funding structure requirements.

Successful candidates must also possess the following requirements:

• Expected graduation date of May 2025 or later
• Demonstrated interest in special collections, archives, or a related field
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated skill at making progress towards goals in an environment with many competing priorities and projects
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team-based setting where consultation, flexibility, and collaboration are essential
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity in an academic environment, in a workplace setting, and/or in the community

Application Details

Students interested in this opportunity should send the following information, addressed to Lindsay Moen at lindsay-moen@uiowa.edu. Select applicants will be contacted via email for either an in-person interview, or a remote, Zoom interview.

• Current resume
• Statement outlining the skills or talents the candidate would bring to the department, as well as outlining their academic and career aspirations in a special collections or related field, and describing how appointment as an Olson Graduate Research Assistant would specifically forward those aspirations. The statement should not exceed three (3) typed pages (about 1000 words).
• Contact information for one or two professional references who can speak to the candidate’s work experience should also be submitted.

The application process for the 2023 Olson Graduate Research Assistant is now open. Students wishing to apply should submit all required materials to Lindsay Moen at lindsay-moen@uiowa.edu.  **Deadline extended to midnight on Sunday, March 5th.**

Additional information about the Olson Fellowship: https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/about/olson-fellowship/