(Part-time) Project Research Assistant at the New-York Historical Society
Job Title: Research Assistant
Job Status: Part-time/temporary, approx. 7 months
Salary: $20/hr
New-York Historical Society, a preeminent educational and research institution, is home to both New York City’s oldest museum and to one of the nation’s most distinguished independent research libraries. New-York Historical is dedicated to presenting exhibitions and public programs, and fostering research that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, its holdings cover four centuries of American history, and include one of the world’s greatest collections of books, manuscripts, graphic materials, historical artifacts, and American art documenting the history of the United States as seen through the prism of New York.
Job Summary
The New-York Historical Society is hiring a Project Research Assistant to assist with cataloguing and research for more than 350 artifacts in its Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) collection. Donated in 2019, the WSF collection documents the organization’s activities in advocating for women and girls in sports and physical activity; the careers of such athletes as Babe Didrikson, Sheryl Swoopes, Mia Hamm, Gertrude Ederle, and Venus and Serena Williams; professional sports teams and leagues; and positive portrayals of sports and physical activity for girls. The bulk of objects date to 1970–2010 and include sports equipment and apparel, awards, toys, and ephemera. The Project Research Assistant will work closely with the Curator of Material Culture and will consult with the Museum Database Administrator. This is a part-time temporary position for a period of approximately seven months. This is a hybrid position requiring visits to an off-site art storage facility in Jersey City, NJ, as needed.
Essential Job Duties
- Enhance existing individual object records in the museum’s collection database (TMS) for public access by ensuring accurate information. Work will include verifying or ascertaining object name, maker, country of origin, date of manufacture, and identifying marks and recording information according to data entry standards. Verify, edit, or draft object descriptions according to standards;
- Research and document the creation, use, and significance of individual objects; research may entail communicating with external stakeholders to obtain information;
- Draft short interpretive summaries on individual objects for a general audience.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related field; master’s degree or current enrollment in a graduate program in museum studies, art history, history, material culture, or related field is preferred;
- Two years of museum experience (may include internships). Familiarity with sports and/or the history of sports is highly desirable;
- Excellent object-based research and writing skills; experience writing physical descriptions of objects; highly organized, detail- and accuracy-oriented, and able to work independently, productively, and collaboratively; experience with museum collections management systems such as The Museum System (TMS).
Compensation
Salary: $20/hour
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee with or without accommodation, to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Sedentary computer work required. May be required to stand for extended periods and lift objects. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY: To ensure the overall health and safety of the New-York Historical Society community and in accordance with New York City requirements, all newly hired employees of the New-York Historical Society are required to be fully-vaccinated (inclusive of booster shots) against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions for medical, religious, or other reasons in accordance with all applicable laws.
The New-York Historical Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
To Apply: