Archivist II - Oral History

City of Houston • 500 McKinney St., TX

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Houston Public Library (HPL) seeks a collaborative, proactive, and community-focused professional with strong organizational and communication skills, as well as a commitment to excellent customer service, to serve as the Archivist II–Oral History Archivist at the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School (AAHRC). HPL serves a population of 2.2 million citizens through a network of 37 Neighborhood Libraries, three History Research Centers, and a Central Library.

Requirements

• Requires an ALA accredited Master's degree in Library Science or a Master’s degree in History or a related field and one year experience in archival processing, archival collecting, historical research, reference, programming, or a related field.
• OR Requires a Bachelor’s degree plus 18 hours toward an ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library Science or 18 hours toward a Master’s in History or a related field and two years of experience in archival processing, archival collecting, historical research, reference, programming, or a related field.
• A Master’s degree must be completed within two years from being hired into this classification.
• Requires a valid driver license and compliance with the City of Houston's policy on driving (AP 2-2).

Nice To Haves

• Oral history interview skills (podcast, instruction, journalism, family history research)
• Possesses video and audio editing experience
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Photoshop.
• Experience with collection management systems such as CONTENTdm and ArchiveSpace is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with archival standards including Dublin Core, EAD, and MARC-AMC.
• Familiar with copyright/digital copyright issues when creating reproductions in an archive setting.
• Experience with digitization, processing born digital archival materials, and working with audiovisual materials also preferred.
• Knowledge of digital assets management and/or oral history experience highly preferred.
• Training in the archival fields and/or a Certified Archivist (C.A.) is also preferred.
• Customer/Public service experience and ability to plan and organize.
• Experience researching or working within the African American History field, especially within Houston is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary archivist responsible for managing and providing stewardship of the oral history collection and audiovisual materials.
• Develop and coordinate oral history projects documenting various historical topics that align with mission of AAHRC.
• Plan, schedule, and conduct oral history interviews and process recordings, including transcription, metadata, rights documentation, for public access.
• Build and maintains oral history partnerships with community organizations, academic institutions, or city departments.
• Develop procedures and workflows for oral history and audiovisual materials.
• Conduct oral history training with community partners and assist in development of educational initiatives.
• Coordinate and supervises volunteers and interns.
• Contribute to community engagement efforts by conducting tours, leading programs, and representing the library and AAHRC at public events.
• Assist in grant writing for audiovisual and oral history materials and participates in grant-funded projects as needed.
• Provide specialized reference services and research assistance to the public in-person and electronically.
• Work one evening per month and a weekend rotation (Saturday/Sunday).
• Other duties as assigned that supports library operations.

Benefits

• Factors used in determining the salary offered include the candidate's qualifications as well as the pay rates of other employees in this classification.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level