Job Opening Title: Contract Archivist
Institution/Organization Name: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Job Location (City, State, Province, Country): Washington D.C.
Application Deadline: December 3, 2018
Link to job posting:
Years of experience required:
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Please include instructions for how to apply.: The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Department of Paleobiology is seeking a contractor to assist with discovery, organization, and inventory for archival material related to Paleozoic Paleobotanical specimens received from several recent large acquisitions. The archival materials document the history and understanding of approximately 200 cases of Paleobotanical specimens collected and studied by the contributing institutions and collectors over a period of almost 200 years. This project is being led by Smithsonian staff from the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Department of Paleobiology. Project leaders are seeking contractors to perform the following tasks:
• Unpack and organize annotated and unannotated maps, field notes, documents, and library;
• Review all documentation sources related to the collections including publications, electronic files, field books, notes accompanying specimens, and maps;
• In consultation with the Paleobiology Informatics Manager, design an appropriate model for archival metadata records;
• Organize and assimilate information and images from varying sources into manageable records;
• Index maps and arrange to have them scanned by the museum map conservation program;
• Index field books, providing finding aids relating to various types of data contained within them;
• Advise archive users and stakeholders on how to best access, use, and interpret archival materials through finding aids and through the collections information system;
• Identify additional needs of the analog and digital collections to be communicated with Department Collections Manager and Informatics Manager;
• Contribute to, and advise team members regarding, ongoing organization and storage of materials.
Desirable skills:
• An ALA-accredited MLS/MLIS or a Masters in Information Science, Archival Science, or related field
• Demonstrated experience with archival processing and cataloging standards for documents in a variety of formats within a museum context
• Experience with digital information management and information access and retrieval
• Knowledge of metadata principles and standards for implementation
• Knowledge of archival data standards and tools (e.g. EAD, MARC)
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and software platforms
• Demonstrated knowledge of key issues related to information access and management
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Strong verbal, written communication, and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Self-management skills
Position details:
• Work will be performed primarily at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Regular work must be performed between 8:00 – 6:00, Monday – Friday.
• The award will be for up to one basic year.
• Applicants must set a price for their contract when applying to the position. The total price of the contract must be capped at a total of $71,700 for full performance of the proposal.
• There are no benefits, tax or social security withholding associated with this contract.
To Apply:
• If you are interested in receiving the Request for Quote (RFQ), statement of work, and other documents, please contact Kathy Hollis via email at hollisk@si.edu. The RFQ will provide instructions for applying for the position.
• Price quotes may be submitted by email only. Quotes are due by 5 pm, on Monday December 3, 2018, at:
Attn: Kathy Hollis
Email to: hollisk@si.edu
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