Part-Time Processing Archivist, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA
Posted November 4, 2016
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau seeks a part-time Processing Archivist to assist in the development of a multimedia interactive exhibit at the Harvard Law School’s Bicentennial celebration in September 2017. The ideal candidate should have experience appraising, arranging and describing archival collections (including born digital content); navigating client privacy and confidentiality issues, institutional records policies and copyright; and curating exhibits.
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB) is a two-year civil law clinic at Harvard Law School (HLS). It was founded in 1913 to provide free legal services for low-income people in the Greater Boston community. As the nation’s oldest student-run legal services organization, the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau aspires to be an engine for progressive change and social justice.
Keeping within the guidelines of the Harvard University Archives, the Archivist will be tasked with appraising, arranging, and describing the collection, creating a finding aid and inventory, re-housing materials and preparing them for offsite storage. The Archivist will recommend a system for cataloging and storing born digital files and select key material for digitization. They will also be tasked with creating an exhibit that illustrates the development of the current trends in clinical education through the history of the 100-year- old organization, the role of students in founding it and in its evolution to date. The Archivist will connect with Harvard Law School Library’s Historical and Special Collections Department to navigate archival systems and processes currently in place and facilitate digitization of physical materials to be used in the culminating exhibit. They will also collaborate with the HLS Communications Department to provide curatorial advice for the development of a short video for the HLS Bicentennial website. To complete this project, the Archivist will have the assistance of one to two Harvard College undergraduate interns, whom they will train and supervise. We estimate our textual material to be the equivalent of approximately 600 boxes, which include closed client cases and historical administrative material (annual reports, student board minutes, governance papers, student papers/projects, photos, videos, etc.), both on and off-site. The digital material includes some 15 years-worth of records from the student board and staff as well as our client database.
This position is slated to start in November 2016 and will last 10 months. The work schedule will be between 17 and 15 hours per week, M-F within 9am-5pm with some flexibility. Pay rate: $19/hr
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge, experience, skill, and/or ability
Required
- Working knowledge of archival theory and practice
- Working knowledge of standards for processing and describing electronic and paper records
- Ability to read, synthesize, and describe textual and visual information
- Demonstrated project management experience
- Ability to gather information, discern patterns, and organize materials
- Ability to work independently, prioritize time, exercise initiative and think through complex problems
- Professional communication skills and the ability to present information, define critical issues and articulate questions
- Detail-oriented, focused, and reliable
- Completed or working on MLIS degree
Preferred
- Experience with law or legal history collections
- Knowledge or interest in computers, technology, history, and/or collection exhibits
- Experience managing student workers or volunteers
Required computer skills
- MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
- Familiarity with Windows file system and preferably command line interface
Special remarks regarding work environment, if applicable
- Shared office space
- Some objects may be dusty and dirty
Interested applicants should send cover letter and CV/resume to: Susana Arteta, Administrative Director ([email protected])