(Temp) Digital Archivist at the New Bedford Whaling Museum

Job Title: Digital Archivist 

Job Status: Full-time, temporary 24-month grant-funded position

Location: New Bedford, MA

Salary: $21/hr

The Digital Archivist will work full-time on site and be tasked with the daily digitization of the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s Whaling Logbook and Journal Collection, the largest collection of its kind in the world. The Digital Archivist will prep catalog record data for logbook and journal digitization, handle individual logbooks/journals, including packing/unpacking and re/shelving, create digital surrogates, and upload them to internal and external platforms. They will identify handling and rehousing needs of particularly fragile materials, add handling specifications to existing catalogue records, and, when applicable, construct new housing for objects with condition issues. This position reports to the Associate Curator of Exhibitions & Collections, joining five collections management professionals within a team of 12 people across curatorial, collections & museum learning at the museum. The museum is a fast-paced, stimulating, and respectful non-profit environment.

 CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:   

  •  Fully digitize 8-10 logbooks per week on site 
  •  Handle, unpack/pack, and shelve logbooks and journals as needed throughout project duration
  •  Assess handling and rehousing needs and address them, when applicable
  •  Review existing catalog records for each logbook and update records when necessary
  •  Review existing object files for each logbook and update records when necessary 
  •  Create new catalog records for uncatalogued logbooks and journals 
  •  Create digital surrogates of collection objects safely and following all best practices
  •  Upload digital surrogates to internal and external platforms
  •  Follow archival standards for digital assets in the creation of digital surrogates
  •  Collaborate with Assistant Registrar to facilitate monthly transfer of logbooks to off-site digitization partner
  •  Maintain project work schedule (calendar of target due dates for project)
  •  Communicate internally and externally with stakeholders about key dates and deadlines
  •  Maintain master spreadsheet of logbooks and journals and track digitized items and locations 
  •  Attend weekly department meetings and weekly collections team meetings 
  •  Other duties that may be requested and required

Requirements

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES:  

  •  Must be organized, punctual, dependable, and professional;
  •  Pays close attention to details and schedules; 
  •  Has strong organizational and time-management skills;
  •  Responds to situations with flexibility and adaptability, with ability to problem-solve and adjust schedules as needed; 
  •  Proficiency with MARC records, authority tables, and assigning meta-data to digital assets;
  •  Ability to establish and execute project workflows;
  •  Ability to assess collection items and identify condition problems and concerns;
  •  Embraces and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; 
  •  Familiarity with spreadsheets and other computer-based software; 
  •  Able to work independently and as a team;
  •  Knowledge of archival and/or collections best practices; 
  •  Awareness of meta-data justice work in cataloguing and archival practices;  
  •  Awareness of Digital Asset Management protocols and standards for the creation and storage of digital surrogates; 
  •  Trained in Preservation Guidelines for Digitizing Library Materials from the Library of Congress;
  •  Familiar with best practices in digitization of collections as outlined by the American Alliance of Museums (our accrediting body);
  •  Familiar with the policies of the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative, as practiced by the Smithsonian Institution Archives;
  •  Able to adhere to style guides and minimum standards, as outlined by internal guiding documents;
  •  Ability to handle objects up to 25 pounds, see the normal range of color vision, and/or stand and/or walk an average of four (4) hours per day and climb a typical step ladder.

 EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

  • BA in art history, public history, museum studies, or a related field required
  • Previous work experience in a museum or library and object handling experience required
  • MLS or MA in American Studies, Fine Art, history, or closely related field preferred
  • Previous professional employment in an archive, library, or museum with digitization work, imaging, or photography preferred 

Apply via AAM