Project Archivist at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)

Job Title: Project Archivist 

Job Status: Contract

Location: Boston, MA

Salary: $37.00 per hour

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Founded in 1936, the ICA/Boston is the oldest contemporary art museum in the country, and its long history is recorded in many years of accumulated ephemera and documents. The ICA is undertaking a long-term effort to preserve and share this history with the public. To begin this effort, the ICA seeks a contract Project Archivist who will review, process, and rehouse the ICA’s approximately 400 linear feet of archival material and create a catalogue that will be used to assess future projects necessary to develop the ICA’s archives as a publicly accessible resource. This is a one-year grant funded temporary contract position partnering with the ICA’s Curatorial department.

Scope of Work:

• Develop and complete an inventory, needs assessment, and processing plan for the archives project
• Develop and maintain project workflows, timelines, and statistics
• Conduct historical research on the organization or people to gather background information on the records’ creators, including one oral history with the museum’s director
• Survey archival collections to determine arrangement and description procedures, preservation requirements, and potential restrictions
• Arrange and describe materials according to processing plans
• Perform basic preservation work
• Identify, access, describe, and make duplication plans for at-risk material, including audio visual
• Identify records that are candidates for digitization, teaching, social media, and outreach
• Write box level inventory for each collection, describing the creator of the records as well as the subject content of the materials, and including detailed folder inventories
• Present and share updates about work with curatorial staff, donors, and wider museum staff

Qualified Candidates Must Possess:

• Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or allied field from an accredited institution, or equivalent experience
• Ability to work independently and utilize knowledge gained from previous experiences to inform decisions and tasks regarding the Archives and its materials
• Hands on experience at an organization preserving, arranging, and describing archival collections
• Ability to synthesize and summarize information in clear and concise language for use in collection description
• Demonstrated knowledge and proficiency in the use and application of current national data standards related to the archival control of collection materials such as DACS, EAD, LCSH, and MODS
• Knowledge of best practices in handling and preservation of archival material
• Ability to collaborate,  communicate, and present in a group environment
• Interest in or knowledge of contemporary art and museums
• Commitment to maintaining knowledge of best practices in regards to current discussions around archives, cultural heritage, and public history

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to routinely lift 40 lbs. boxes, pushing and pulling, keyboarding and gripping
• Possess mobility to move about throughout the museum spaces, and travel offsite to different locations
• Very frequent sitting, standing and walking for extended periods

Performance Period and Availability

The Project Archivist (Contractor) should plan to be available October 2024 – December 2025 for up to 30 hours per week.

Rate of Pay: $37.00 per hour

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send a resume and letter of interest no later than September 6 to jobs@icaboston.org. When applying, please include “Contract Project Archivist” in the subject line.