Monthly Archives: October 2014

Save the Date! TCDL 2015: April 27-28 in Austin

Mark your calendars!

The Texas Digital Library conference committee is pleased to announce that the 2015 Texas Conference on Digital Libraries will be held April 27-28, 2015, in Austin, Texas.

TCDL 2015 will be held at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, located on the UT Austin campus.

The Texas Conference on Digital Libraries covers topics relevant to the creation, promotion, and preservation of research, scholarship, and cultural heritage digital materials. The goal of TCDL is to bring together those working on digital projects — including outreach librarians, repository managers, cataloguers, faculty members, technical staff, and others — in order to build a practical, usable and sustainable model for digital libraries.

When: April 27-28, 2015
Where: AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas

More information about registration rates and conference programming will be coming soon! Registration will cover conference sessions, including keynotes, presentations, poster sessions, and some workshops. Light breakfast and snacks, as well as a conference reception, will be included as part of the regular registration package.

For more information, and to view information about past conferences, visit the TCDL 2015 website.

Job posting: Archivist I, African American Library at the Gregory School

The African American Library at the Gregory School is seeking an Archivist I. This is a great opportunity to define and manage the oral history collections in a way that creates optimal value for the library and its customers and assist with the archival development for the African American Library at the Gregory School. This archival library is an Archeological landmark in Texas that is dedicated to documenting the community traditions and history of African Americans in Houston through special collections, archives, exhibits, oral histories, programs and a variety of media. The Library is located in historic Freedman’s Town and housed in the Gregory School building, the first African American public school in Houston..

This position is responsible for the development of the oral history collection and will manage the project to include building partnerships with outside agencies and businesses with historical collections of interest. The focus of the work is to positively impact library visits, program attendance and archival use. The Archivist I reports to the Archivist III (and Manager) and works as a contributing team member of the unit, and may lead the work of volunteers and staff on oral history projects. Performs advanced-level reference work to assist researchers in identifying and using archival collections and other library materials; interprets and enforces library policies for the security and administration of the collections; as appropriate, collaborates with the team to mount exhibitions that highlight archival collections. Provides excellent customer service demonstrating the ability to communicate effectively with people.

Other responsibilities include reference duties answering research questions pertaining to archival materials and programs, retrieval of requested archival collections, and assisting the Archivist team in inventorying, processing, and inputting data into Archivists Toolkit, newly acquired materials. The Archivist I is also expected to conduct tours, help with planning special programs, and assist, as required, with the editing, publishing and distribution of library publications. Requires some evening shift and weekend (Saturday and Sunday) work.

For more information please visit: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/houston/default.cfm?action=viewJob&jobID=985658

Job posting: Archivist/Assistant Librarian – Moran Library, Kinkaid School

The Kinkaid School is seeking an experienced archivist/assistant librarian for the successful execution of archival processing of physical and born-digital records.  This full-time position reports to the Director of Libraries in the Upper School Division and also shares in the responsibilities of managing aspects of the Upper School Library, including educational sessions for students and faculty.

Archivist/Assistant Librarian, Moran Library (Upper School)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Manage the institutional repository of the school and assist in the maintenance of school wide records retention program.
  • Work with staff throughout the school to support the use and promotion of archival materials.
  • Support the needs of the Advancement Office.
  • Follow national standards and best practices for archival description, process and arrange institutional records, recommend and implement appropriate preservation procedures, work with Archon software to generate encoded finding aids.
  • Create and manage procedures specifically for the preservation of born digital and digitized archival records.
  • Assist with reference responsibilities and other aspects of supporting an effective and efficient Upper School library.
  • Train and supervise volunteers assigned to assist with projects.
  • Remain competent and current through self-directed professional reading, and attending professional development courses and trainings.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master of Library Science degree from an accredited institution, specializing in archival enterprise.
  • Demonstrated experience with standard archival principles and practices, preferably within an institutional repository
  • Certification from the Academy of Certified Archivist, or Digital Archives Specialist preferred.
  • Experience with Archon, Archivists’ Toolkit, or ArchivesSpace or other XML database.
  • Interest in the history of The Kinkaid School and preserving its institutional memory.
  • Exemplifies Kinkaid’s four core values (honesty, responsibility, respect, and kindness) in interactions with all members of the Kinkaid community.
  • Collegial, Energetic, and Engaging.
  • Knowledge of current digital preservation trends, tools, and best practices
  • General fitness for lifting archive boxes up to 20 pounds and moving loaded carts.
  • Please submit Cover Letter, Resume, and References to:

Dr. Edward M. Trusty, Jr.
Assistant Headmaster
The Kinkaid School
201 Kinkaid School Dr.
Houston, TX, 77024
ed.trusty@kinkaid.org

SSA Call for Session Proposals for 2015 Annual Meeting

Annual Conference Theme:  Game On: the Challenge of Change

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, November 27, 2014

SSA’s Program Committee invites you to submit a proposal for an educational session at the 2015 annual meeting in Arlington, Texas. The meeting theme relates to sports, games, and change.  Change is all around us, especially in the world of archives. We welcome session proposals on any aspect of change in the archival enterprise. That is a mighty broad topic, and we imagine that lots of folks will have something to say on the subject. Arlington is a sports and games town—home to the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, and Six Flags over Texas, so we also welcome sessions related to sports and games.

Committee members are dedicated to putting together a great program in Arlington and would be happy to work with you to meet that goal. So take a swing at it and see what you can come up with for 2015! Visit http://southwestarchivists.org/annualmeeting for more information about submitting a proposal and proposal forms.

Conversation with the Artist: Patrick Feaster and Dario Robleto, The Menil Collection, October 21

On October 21, 2014 at 6.30 pm Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts at the University of Houston, presents a conversation with artist Dario Robleto and sound media historian Patrick Feaster at the Menil Collection. Prior to Thomas Edison’s groundbreaking invention of sound recording and playback technology in 1877, the ephemerality of sound meant that it only existed in the moment of its creation. To “record” sound before this time meant it appeared as oral or written descriptions or musical scores. In 2008, Patrick Feaster, a researcher and educator specializing in the history and culture of early sound media, and his colleagues revolutionized the field of historical sound recording by suggesting that attempts to record sound waves as visual tracings almost two decades before Edison’s breakthrough could be “played back” today as sound. In this discussion with Dario Robleto, Feaster speaks about his work and their recent collaboration on “playing back” the earliest nineteenth-century attempts to visually record the human pulse and heart. For more information visit: http://www.mitchellcenterforarts.org/conversation-artist-patrick-feaster-dario-robleto/

On display at the Menil Collection: “Dario Robleto: The Boundary of Life is Quietly Crossed” examines the psychological and emotional ramifications of crossing unknown boundaries whether in space, the sea, or through exploring the human body by linking two remarkable undertakings in the 1960s: the space race and development of the artificial heart. Commissioned and developed through a research residency with the Menil Collection and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts at the University of Houston, the exhibition is the culmination of Robleto’s research realized as an installation that includes new sculptures by the artist, rare historical recordings, and objects from the Menil Collection and archives, along with a series of public programs.