Archives Intern

Description

Located just outside of the nation’s capital in Potomac, Maryland, Glenstone (www.glenstone.org ) is a museum that seamlessly integrates art, architecture, and landscape into a serene and contemplative environment to form a unique connection between art and the visitor. Glenstone expresses the personal vision of its founders by assembling and presenting post-World War II and contemporary art of the highest quality in a series of refined architectural and outdoor spaces.

The Glenstone Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to comprehensive records and primary-source materials documenting the legacy of Glenstone’s founders, its associates, activities, and events, as well as resources related to Glenstone’s from 1945 through the lifetime of Glenstone’s founders. Additionally, the Glenstone Archives creates and directs Glenstone’s institutional Records Management Program. In this regard, the Glenstone Archives collects administrative, policy, financial, and collections history records dating back to it’s founding.

Position Summary

The position of Archives Intern reports to Assistant Archivist, with oversight from the Chief Archivist

This is a part-time, 2 days (16 hours) per week internship to be completed during the fall semester, not to exceed 192 hours. There is some flexibility in determining the intern’s weekly schedule, but work must be conducted during Glenstone’s regular business hours.

The Archives Intern will process a small personal collection that includes photographic images and ephemera, and produce a finding aid for that collection, as well as assist in the implementation of a file plan for managing digital visual resources.

The processing project will involve fully processing a collection according to the recommendations made in the processing plan. Specific goals for this project include: organizing the collection into a coherent hierarchical scheme, removing photographic images from frames, re-housing and labeling the collection using format-appropriate archival materials, performing basic conservation where necessary, as well as authoring a DACS compliant finding aid, creating index terms and creating a final box list.

The digital asset management project will involve implementing recommendations made in the file plan. Specific goals for this project include: organizing visual resources into a coherent hierarchical schema, re-naming files according to a new file-naming convention, and producing descriptive metadata to be embedded into the digital files, where needed.

This position may include the assignment of other duties, as necessary.

Major Responsibilities

• Fully process a personal collection
• Following the approved processing plan, organize the collection into a coherent hierarchical scheme
• Remove images from frames
• Re-house and label the collection using format-appropriate archival materials
• Perform basic conservation where necessary
• Research biographical and historical information
• Apply DACS standards in authoring a finding aid; create index terms and final box list
• Implement file plan for managing digital visual resources
• Re-organize digital files into coherent hierarchy
• Re-name folders and files according to file-naming convention
• Produce metadata to embed descriptive information within the files, where needed
• Other duties as assigned

Learning Opportunities

• Gain archival processing and digital archives experience
• Gain knowledge of collections management and digital asset management
• Apply DACS standards in authoring a finding aid and other access materials
• Gain experience with using software tools to produce and edit descriptive metadata and embed it into digital files in batches
• Gain an understanding of the organization and inner workings of a newly developed, small library for a contemporary art museum
• Enhance their resume and practical archives experience through the completion of two professional projects

Qualifications

• MLS graduate student in library, archives, and/or information science
• Completion of coursework in archival principles and practices, archives access techniques, information organization, and archival appraisal of records
• Proficiency with PC, Apple computers, and Microsoft Office tools
• Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop and/or other photo editing software tools
• Basic knowledge of common database management systems such as FileMaker Pro and Microsoft Access, as well as library, archive, and museum database systems
• Basic knowledge of professional museum metadata standards such as DACS, Dublin Core, PB Core, VRA Core, METS, MODS, PREMIS, MARC, EAD, RDA, AACR2, and with thesauri such as the Getty vocabularies and Library of Congress authorities
• Ability to lift a minimum of 30 pounds

Additional Selection Criteria

• Paraprofessional experience in archives, special collections libraries, records management, or digital asset management
• Interest in a career in a museum or non-for-profit cultural organization
• Interest in art and art history and/or undergraduate degree in art history or related field
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Effective verbal and written skills
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to take direction and to work independently

Compensation
$15.00/hour stipend, minus any required withholdings, to be paid pursuant to Glenstone’s regular payroll process, which currently is bi-weekly.

To Apply
Send a cover letter, resume, unofficial graduate transcripts, and a list of 3 professional references (including full contact information and email addresses) to Rebecca Bruner, Assistant Archivist, at rebecca.bruner(at)glenstone.org

The application deadline is August 25, 2013.

Applicants must provide their own transportation. Parking is provided.