Global Curatorial Project Archivist, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Posted April 14, 2022
Description:
Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2022
Applications will be reviewed beginning April 25, 2022
The Global Curatorial Project Archivist is a project-based position housed at the John Hay Library in partnership with the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice (CSSJ). The Global Curatorial Project (GCP) was founded in 2014 to be a network of scholars, curators, and educators who are committed to creating innovative forms of public history about the historical social system of racial slavery and the ways in which it continues to shape our world. The GCP is led by CSSJ and the Center for the Study of Global Slavery (CSGS) at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Together, they convened 10 partner institutions located in Africa, Europe, and South America on two interconnected projects: a traveling exhibition, In Slavery’s Wake and a curatorial / archival collection and public engagement project, Unfinished Conversations. In Slavery’s Wake is an international exhibition project curated by the GCP which re-frames the history and legacies of slavery as both a locally and globally central story with deep contemporary relevance to our lives throughout the Atlantic world. The Unfinished Conversations initiative supports the exhibition project by focusing on exploring the question “How Slavery Shaped this Place” both through public programs that will encourage new conversations, and by establishing new collections of oral histories that will explore the lived experiences and historical memories of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
Reporting to the Head of Collection Services and Metadata, the Global Curatorial Project Archivist accessions, arranges, describes, and catalogs the oral histories and related documentation, in all types of digital and analog formats, created and collected by the Global Curatorial Project. The Archivist will contribute the resulting collections and descriptive metadata to existing online databases and a new digital archive site dedicated to the GCP. The work is done in a user-centered and access-driven approach to processing and cataloging archival collections while paying close attention to the ethical needs of diverse cultural materials and their creators. The position will ensure the description and vocabulary meets the needs of the creators and a global audience. The Archivist will also be an integral member of the intellectual and professional communities of the John Hay Library and the CSSJ. They will serve as a close collaborator with faculty and staff at the CSSJ and GCP partner institutions. They will participate in the Center’s internal and external programs and as needed in partner meetings related to the Global Curatorial Project. The Archivist will participate with the CSSJ, GCP partners, and Brown University Library staff on the creation of the new digital archive site to present the oral histories and related documentation to researchers worldwide. To support this work, the Global Curatorial Project Archivist will train and mentor student assistants to perform entry-level tasks. The cataloging work will also be informed by direct user interaction through regular service at service points at the John Hay Library.
How to apply:
For more information and to apply: https://brown.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/staff-careers-brown/job/Global-Curatorial-Project-Archivist_REQ177387