Food and Wine Archivist

Library of the University of California, Davis

Overview of Position

The University of California, Davis seeks a dynamic and collaborative person for the position of Food and Wine Archivist. This new role will lead the library’s high profile and strategic initiatives around distinctive collections in food, wine, and other beverages. In particular, the Food and Wine Archivist will build and shape collections, increase our philanthropic support, incorporate new and evolving technologies, and expand our ability to support research, instruction, and public engagement around both the science of food and wine and their role in culture.

The successful candidate will have a singular opportunity to design and develop a cohesive program that will have a worldwide impact, while leveraging what renowned wine writer Hugh Johnson called “the greatest wine library in the world.” The Food and Wine Archivist provides vision, leadership, advocacy, interpretation, and passion for distinctive collections and serves as catalyst and coordinator for a dynamic group of activities and individuals dedicated to surfacing collections to faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and an international community of scholars, experts, and enthusiasts.

Stronger candidates will possess deep knowledge of food and/or wine (e.g., agricultural science, the role of food/wine in culture, or industry experience); the ability to master over time the broad range of formats, subjects, and time periods represented in the collections; enthusiasm for working with faculty, students, donors, and industry partners; demonstrated aptitude for fundraising; proclivity for adopting new technologies and methods that will improve access to and use of collections; an ability to reimagine a program as it grows over time; and a collaborative and collegial outlook and spirit.

The successful candidate will imbed themselves in our larger community, working closely with external partners especially in Northern California, including a broad array of industries (restaurateurs, sommeliers, winemakers, farmers, food and wine writers, influencers) as well as relevant cultural organizations and governmental bodies, to build a strong network of donors, champions, and users.

The Food and Wine Archivist will take an active role in collection development and management, research services, outreach to various user communities (including via web content and exhibits both physical and digital), fundraising and grant writing, and donor stewardship. The Food and Wine Archivist will also provide supervision of project and student staff, and may supervise additional personnel as the library builds on our existing philanthropic support. In collaboration with others, the Food and Wine Archivist will serve as the primary contact for visiting classes, tours, and researchers and will also contribute to outreach to the campus community.

Collection areas in this role’s portfolio include both distinctive collections in Archives and Special Collections as well as research-level collections elsewhere in the library. Topics include post-harvest agriculture, viticulture, enology, the Warren Winiarski Wine Writer collection, the Northern California Food Movement, and others relevant to UC Davis research (e.g. brewing, distilling, sensory science, microbiome-terroir).

This position is in the Librarian Series and, as such, is an academic appointee. Librarians at the University of California are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities.

https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF04417?fbclid=IwAR0trOc4efz5LMcttb462-NqOdCDRmMiljCMfZBzgKs2w0lHjSJpyEjyVV8