{"21345685":{"jobPath":"/jobs/21345685/private-part-time-archivist-special-focus-civil-rights-movement","source":"naylor","job":"21345685","jobTitle":"Private Part-Time Archivist (Special Focus: Civil Rights Movement)"}}
Loading... Please wait.
ExpandShow Other Jobs
Job SavedSave Job
Private Part-Time Archivist (Special Focus: Civil Rights Movement)
Currier Family Archive
Application
Details
Posted: 20-May-25
Location: The Plains, Virginia
Type: Part Time
Salary: $25-$45
Categories:
Special Collections
Pay Frequency:
Hourly
Job Title: Private Part-Time Archivist (Special Focus: Civil Rights Movement) Location: The Plains, Virginia Job Type: Part-Time | Contract | Flexible Hours
About the Position: A private family is seeking a knowledgeable and meticulous part-time archivist to catalog, preserve, and research a personal collection of materials related to the Civil Rights Movement (1950s– late 1960s). The role will involve hands-on archival work, research, and support of digitization and family history initiatives, with the potential to make the archive accessible to select outside researchers and institutions.
Key Responsibilities:
Organization & Cataloging:
Inventory, label, and properly store historical documents, photographs, letters, newspapers, audio recordings, and memorabilia.
Develop and maintain a digital and/or physical catalog system to ensure items are easily accessible and well documented.
Maintenance of Ownership, Governance, Mission, and Institutional Protocols.
Preservation:
Assess and recommend proper preservation methods for fragile or deteriorating items.
Implement archival-quality storage solutions.
Research & Contextualization:
Conduct historical and contextual research on key figures, events, or documents within the collection.
Draft clear and concise item descriptions, historical summaries, and content tags to enrich the archive’s interpretive value.
Digitization Projects:
Lead or assist in the planning and execution of digitization efforts for photographs, documents, audio, and video.
Establish metadata standards and naming conventions to ensure searchability and integrity.
Manage digital file storage and recommend best practices for long-term digital preservation.
Facilitating Outside Research:
Support controlled access to the collection for vetted researchers, scholars, or students.
Prepare finding aids or research guides to help outside users navigate the archive.
Respond to occasional research inquiries and assist in curating materials for external review or exhibition.
Collection is not currently open to public research and visitors.
Family Engagement & Legacy Building:
Work with family members to incorporate oral histories, personal narratives, and family context into the archive.
Develop user-friendly access tools or annotated timelines to make the collection more engaging for future generations.
Help design family-focused presentations or memory-sharing initiatives centered on the materials.
Qualifications:
Degree in Archival Studies, History, Library Science, Museum Studies, or a related field (Master’s preferred but not required).
Strong knowledge or demonstrated interest in Civil Rights.
Hands-on experience with archival organization, metadata creation, and preservation techniques.
Familiarity with digitization processes and digital asset management tools.
Excellent research and writing skills.
Strong interpersonal communication and discretion, particularly when working with private family materials.
Ability to work independently and self-direct projects.
Preferred Experience:
Experience working with private or family archives.
Background in oral history or public history projects.
Familiarity with platforms like PastPerfect, ArchiveSpace, or Omeka.
Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Competitive hourly rate. $25-$45/hr
To Apply: Please send a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in civil rights history, a résumé or CV, three references, and one sample of archival work or research (if available) to archivist@currierfamilyarchive.org.