Job Opening Title: Contract Reference Archivist
Institution/Organization Name: Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives
Job Location (City, State, Province, Country): Suitland, MD, USA
Application Deadline: March 4, 2018
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Please include instructions for how to apply.: National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Invitation to Submit Proposal for Reference Archivist Contract
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Anthropological Archives (NAA), part of the National Museum of Natural History’s Department of Anthropology, is offering a one year contract for a reference archivist. This is a fixed price award of $57,000.00 for archival services over 12 months (40 hours per week), to provide reference services for Smithsonian staff and the research public. The basis of award shall be determined by best value, as demonstrated by training, relevant experience, and professional references.
Background on the National Anthropological Archives
The NAA is the largest archives in the United States that exclusively collects and preserves historical and contemporary anthropological materials that document the world’s cultures and the history of anthropology. The NAA’s collections represent the four fields of anthropology – ethnology/sociocultural anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, and physical/biological anthropology – and include field notes, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, maps, sound recordings, and film and video created and collected by Smithsonian and other preeminent anthropologists. The NAA serves hundreds of researchers both onsite and remotely every year, who include anthropologists, indigenous community members, historians, artists, and many others.
Scope of Work
The Contractor is based in the NAA offices and provides reference services for NAA researchers. This work includes maintaining the research room schedule, providing on-site reference services to researchers, providing remote reference assistance through email and by telephone, assisting with tour groups and special visits, maintaining reference statistics, and other duties as assigned.
Specific Tasks
Provide onsite reference services:
• schedule visiting researchers
• interview archives patrons to determine research interests and needs
• assist with searches in catalogs, guides, and finding aids
• retrieve and reshelve collections in storage
• serve materials to patrons and supervising their use in the reading room
Provide remote reference services:
• respond to email, mail, and telephone inquiries
Maintain reference records including:
• visitor agreement forms
• reference correspondence
• reference statistics
Other tasks include coordinating social media and representing the NAA at meetings as needed. The Contractor is required to navigate a variety of legacy descriptive tools and systems and conduct research into complicated provenance and custodial histories. The contractor will also be required to communicate frequently with NAA staff and other members of the anthropology department.
Qualifications and Criteria for Selection
The Contractor should have a graduate degree in archival studies from an accredited history or library master’s program, or equivalent training and experience. Additionally, the Contractor must have:
• Excellent organizational, oral, and written communication skills
• Demonstrated experience conducting research in archives
• Customer service orientation
• Attention to detail
Preference may be given to prospective contractors having prior experience with
• Archival reference services
• Historical research methods
• Native American archival materials and familiarity with the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials
• Coursework in anthropology, archaeology, or other relevant area studies
• Project management
• Coordinating social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs) and outreach events
To Apply
The Smithsonian Institution will accept written bids for this contract. Bids should include the following information:
• Resume and cover letter describing your interest and qualifications for this contract
• Three references
Please combine materials into a single pdf or Word document and include your name in the file name, and submit via email to Gina Rappaport (rappaportg@si.edu). The deadline to submit bids is 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Review of bids will begin on Monday, March 5.
The National Anthropological Archives is located in Suitland, MD at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Support Center (MSC).
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