Historic Connecticut Conference Project Archivist, Congregational Library & Archives, (Boston, MA)

Posted April 22, 2025

Job Summary:

The Historic Connecticut Conference Project Archivist will assess, organize, and, as time permits, start to process more than 150 linear feet of records from the Historic Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ and the Missionary Society of Connecticut. This significant collection documents three hundred years of religious, cultural, and social history from across Connecticut, the country, and the world, but has been privately held, disorganized, and largely inaccessible to researchers until recently. This position will develop a processing plan that details the future intellectual organization of the collection, list the supplies necessary to physically process and preserve the collection, and compile observations about the collection which may either affect future processing.This project will be an excellent opportunity for an early- to mid-career Archivist to work with a large, complex collection that represents a unique piece of American history.

Responsibilities:

Identification of significant content areas within the collection.
Organize materials by content areas and provenance.
Undertake and document basic preservation actions, including proper storage when appropriate.
Assess and make note of peculiarities, unique features, and interesting histories within the collection.
Identify unknowns in the collection and, if possible, conduct research on them.
Create a proposal for the intellectual arrangement for the collection.
Identify areas of the collection, if any, which may be worked on independently from the bulk of the collection, due to provenance, content area, or physical medium.
Create a timeline for the processing of the collection.
Create a preservation action plan.

Qualifications:

A master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program in Library and/or Information Studies.
2-4 years of assessing, organizing, and processing archival collections.
Familiarity with DACS, EAD, MARC, and other relevant metadata models.
Familiarity with the Microsoft suite of programs, especially Word and Excel.
Familiarity with the ArchivesSpace program.
Ability to follow detailed step by step workflows.
Ability to treat valuable collections with care.
Ability to both work independently and collaboratively on a project.
Ability to lift boxes up to 35 pounds from shelves at a variety of heights, including overhead, and carry them short distances.

Hours and Compensation:

This is a 6-month, full-time term-limited project position with the possibility of extension if grant funding comes through.
The pay is $25/hour.
No additional benefits are offered.

How to Apply:

To learn more about the position and to apply, please visit the official job posting, linked here.

Please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for two references to: Billy McCarthy, Archivist, Congregational Library & Archives by email at [email protected]

Application deadline is Friday May 9th, with an anticipated start date of June 2nd.