Archival Associate, Collections - Temporary, Part-time presso The Museum of Flight

The Museum of Flight is seeking an individual to join the archives team in its Collections department to help prepare archival collections to move off-site. This part-time position is perfect for a new archivist looking for experience with archival collections, including photographic and oversize materials. Organization, attention to detail, good communication skills, willingness to perform physical work, and ability to work independently are essential. The right person for this position will have interest and training in archival theory and practice, knowledge or experience working with a variety of archival materials, and be passionate about preserving historical materials related to the extensive history of aviation and space exploration. This part-time (26 hours/week), temporary position is planned for 1 year with the possibility of extension.

Summary

The Collections Archival Associate supports the mission of The Museum of Flight through the moving and rehousing of Museum archives collection items as the Museum creates new storage facilities and archival processing areas. This position works closely with the Supervisory Archivist and team to inventory, process, rehouse, and label materials and stabilize them for long term storage. The Archival Associate must handle a variety of archival materials and update accession records in the ArchivesSpace database including  updating storage locations. This position may assist with other archival and collections staff projects.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Following is a summary of the essential functions for this job. Other duties may be performed both major and minor, which are not mentioned below. Specific activities may change from time to time. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

1. Prepare a broad variety of assigned archival items for move and long-term storage including documents, photographs, negatives, film, audiovisual materials, blueprints, technical drawings, scrapbooks, etc.
2. Verify or create inventories of materials,  label and barcode boxes,  and update accession records in the database, ArchivesSpace, according to accepted archival standards and best practices.
3. Assist with assessment of archival materials in their current housing to determine stability for an offsite move. Rehouse collections when necessary following industry best practices.
4. Assist with other archival processing and preservation tasks as needed.
5. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Degree program in Archival studies, Library Science, Museum Studies, History, or related field with an emphasis on archival practice.
• One (1) year minimum of experience in archival repositories or with museum collections.
• Experience using archival collections management systems, such as ArchivesSpace, is highly preferred.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of basic preservation of archival and museum collections including ability to demonstrate proper handling, housing, and storage techniques.
• Familiarity with archival arrangement and description, theory, and practice.  
• Familiarity with cataloging and inventorying including professional archival and library descriptions standards (EAD, DACS, MARC, LCSH, RDA and others).

Skills

• Good written and verbal communications skills with strong attention to detail.
• Proven strong organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills.
• Strong problem solving and analysis skills.
• Computer proficiency in a Microsoft Windows environment.
• Familiarity with or capacity to learn to use professional archival collections management databases such as ArchivesSpace.

Abilities

• Ability to demonstrate proper object handling and processing techniques.
• Ability to work in a team-based environment as well as independently with self-initiative and minimal supervision.

License & Certification

• None

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Able and willing to occasionally work a flexible and/or extended work week which may include some evening and/or weekend work.
• Onsite attendance is essential to perform the duties of this position.
• Some local travel may be expected for this position.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds with or without assistance.
• Will perform work in archival and collections storage areas with warehouse-like conditions as well as in an office environment.
• Able to use a ladder and work in elevated spaces for short periods of time to place and retrieve boxes from high shelves.
• Normal office conditions apply, including repetitive wrist and arm movement and long periods of sitting, or standing.
• The ability to focus, bend carry, reach to the side, front and overhead, push, pull, walk, stand, twist and squat are occasional requirements in a normal office setting.