Processing Archivist, South Side Home Movie Project

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The South Side Home Movie Project (SSHMP) seeks a part-time Processing Archivist for its CLIR-funded Digitizing Hidden Collections project, “Filming Mid-Twentieth Century Black Life in Chicago: The Ramon Williams Collection.” The role supports SSHMP’s work collecting, preserving, digitizing, describing, and providing access to home movies made by residents of Chicago’s South Side. The appointment runs from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028, and is approximately 20 hours per week. Working under the supervision of SSHMP leadership, including the Project Director and Project Manager, the Processing Archivist will process, digitize, and describe audiovisual materials, with a focus on digitization and digital preservation. The role ensures that collection materials are preserved, described, and made publicly accessible in accordance with professional archival standards and SSHMP’s community-centered stewardship model. The position also performs routine library-unit assignments involving the acquisition and processing of materials, resolves processing problems with units, and identifies and documents preservation needs. With moderate to high guidance from others, the archivist helps preserve library materials in physical, electronic, and digital forms. The position requires a college or university degree in a related field and knowledge and skills developed through less than two years of work experience in a related discipline. The listed pay rate is $25.00 per hour. Benefits eligibility is indicated; the University provides eligible employees with benefits programs and resources, including health, retirement, and paid time off.

Requirements

College or university degree in a related field.
Knowledge and skills developed through less than two years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Responsibilities

Inspect, clean, repair, and digitize most of the remaining Ramon Williams films, and create access files, with assistance from the Project Manager and archival staff.
Conduct inventories and condition assessments, prepare film materials for digitization workflows, and coordinate specialized preservation processes when needed.
Create, edit, and manage audiovisual metadata records using established cataloging standards and SSHMP’s adapted controlled vocabulary.
Research people, places, events, and cultural references depicted in films to support accurate, inclusive, and context-rich descriptions.
Ingest digitized files into SSHMP’s digital archive and help ensure access through its online platform.
Improve discoverability through subject tagging, keywording, and descriptive annotations informed by scholarly frameworks and community knowledge.
Perform quality control on digitized files and metadata records for accuracy, consistency, and completeness.
Document processing workflows, metadata decisions, and digitization outputs in accordance with grant reporting and sustainability standards.
Contribute to collection-level and thematic resources, including finding aids, digital exhibits, and interpretive essays.
Work with SSHMP staff on community-informed archival practices, review user-generated metadata, and prepare materials for public programming, exhibitions, and digital storytelling initiatives.
Participate in project meetings to assess progress, refine workflows, and align work with grant deliverables.
Assist with documentation and reporting required by the CLIR grant.
Support SSHMP’s broader public programming and 20th anniversary initiatives as needed.
Perform routine library-unit assignments involving acquisition and processing of library materials and resources.
Resolve processing problems with units.
Identify and document preservation needs and, with moderate or high guidance, help preserve library materials in physical, electronic, and digital forms.
Perform other related work as needed.