Archivist I/II, Johnson Publishing Company Archive, Getty Research Institute, Chicago, IL

Posted April 11, 2023

Job Summary

The Getty Research Institute (GRI) seeks a motivated, collaborative and knowledgeable team of five archivists to process and catalog the Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) Archive. Reporting to the JPC Archive Manager, the archivists will apply professional standards and best practices to arrange, re-house, and describe mixed-format photographic materials of individuals and subjects featured in JPC’s many publications including Ebony and Jet with the goal of promoting collection discovery, access, preservation, and use.

The archivists will work closely with colleagues throughout the GRI and participate in activities related to the GRI’s African American Art History Initiative, a program focused on the history, practices, and cultural legacies of artists of African American and African diasporic heritage, and may contribute to other scholarly, outreach, and collection management activities related to special collections.

Dating from 1942, when John H. and Eunice W. Johnson founded JPC, to the 21^st century, the Archive contains more than four million photographic images, including black & white and color prints, contact sheets, negatives and slides; more than nine thousand video and audio recordings; approximately 2.25 TB of digital content; as well as textual records, annotated mock-ups, press releases, company memoranda, ephemera, and print materials. The JPC Archive was acquired by a nonprofit consortium including the Ford Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in July 2019, to safeguard the unparalleled treasure of African American history and culture for the public benefit. The GRI, in partnership with NMAAHC, provides expertise and resources for archival processing, cataloging, digitizing, and eventual access of the Archive.

This is a three-year contract position with the GRI, with the possibility of extension. The primary workspace is located within a storage facility in Chicago, IL.

The position may be filled at the Archivist I, Archivist II, or Archivist III level, based on qualifications. The targeted hiring salary range for Archivist I is $63,735.01 – $68,284.87; for Archivist II it is $74,314.36 – $80,510.30.

Applications received by April 14, 2023, will receive priority consideration.

Responsibilities

Provide routine collections care duties including rehousing and arranging photographic materials
Identify conservation concerns and perform basic preservation practices
Create and enhance finding aids and bibliographic records based on current standards, best practices, research, and evaluation
Maintain knowledge in standards, systems and specialized subjects
Assist in ongoing development, refinement and documentation of processes and procedures
Maintain processing metrics and project documentation
May train and supervise others and revise the work of others
May write, present, and publish about the archive and work activities

Qualifications

Graduate degree from an accredited institution in library/information science, archival science, or a related field and/or Academy of Certified Archivists certification
Related professional experience: no minimum for level I; minimum 2 years for level II

Requirement

All employees must be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as a condition of employment. Exemptions from this requirement as a reasonable accommodation due to medical contraindication, disability or sincerely held religious belief or practice will be considered.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Demonstrated subject knowledge in African American history and culture
Strong writing and communication skills
Ability to work effectively and collaboratively in both independent and team-based environments
Knowledge of standards such as DACS, EAD, MARC, and RDA preferred
Experience with ArchivesSpace or other collection management systems preferred
Familiarity with Wikidata, Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF), and Union List of Artist Names (ULAN) resources
Ability to climb ladders and lift boxes up to 40 pounds in weight
Ability to do repetitive hand motions, and to stand, walk, reach, bend

Apply

To view the full job description and apply, please visit: https://careergroupcompanies.com/job-posting/157345/