Author Archives: Houston Archivist

Job posting: Curator, Historical Manuscripts and Archives at the University of Southern Mississippi

Curator, Historical Manuscripts and Archives
University Libraries
The University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries seeks applications from experienced, innovative, and energetic individuals for the position of Curator of Historical Manuscripts and Archives.

Job Summary:

The curator leads and coordinates the historical manuscripts and university archives program and reports to the Dean of University Libraries.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Curator of Historical Manuscripts and Archives is expected to lead and manage all aspects of the historical manuscripts and university archives program including communicating with potential donors to acquire new materials, arranging and describing collections, assisting researchers, managing preservation, establishing policies and plans for the unit, supervising the Assistant Curator of Archives and Manuscripts, collaborating on digital projects, coordinating exhibits and events, overseeing the retention of university records, and managing and directing a current NHPRC grant-funded project.

Qualifications Required:

• Master’s degree in archival or library science from an ALA-accredited program or masters/doctoral degree in a closely related field
• At least a minimum of three years as a professional archivist in an academic or research library
• Demonstrated Supervisory experience
• Demonstrated experience working with donors
• Demonstrated knowledge of archival principles and descriptive standards
• Knowledge of preservation and conservation treatments for archival materials
• Knowledge of copyright and intellectual property principles
Preferred
• Additional advanced degree in history, English, museum studies, or related field
• Demonstrated experience with a records management program
• Archival certificate from the Academy of Certified Archivists
• Demonstrated experience with DACS, EAD, and MARC

Appointment Rank and Salary:

Rank: This is a tenure track faculty position to be hired at the assistant or associate level depending on qualifications and experience. Professional activity and service are expected.
Salary: Preferred hiring range is $40,000 to $60,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

Application Deadline:

Review of applications will begin October 1, 2012, and will continue until the position is filled.

Application Procedure:

To apply for this position, go to https://jobs.usm.edu. Attach a letter of interest addressing your qualifications for meeting the position responsibilities, a current curriculum vitae and complete contact information for at least three references.
For further information, contact Jorge Brown, the search committee chair, at Jorge.Brown@usm.edu or by phone at 228.214.3455.

Historical Manuscripts and Archives holds more than 10,000 cubic feet of historical manuscripts and records, specializing in the Civil Rights movement, the timber and railroad industries in Mississippi, the Civil War, university records, and other original materials associated with Mississippi history and culture. The University Libraries other special collections include the internationally recognized de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, the Mississippiana and Rare Books Collections.

Founded in 1910, the University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities. The University of Southern Mississippi, which enrolls approximately 17,000 students each year, is the only dual-campus university in Mississippi with campuses in Hattiesburg and Long Beach. Six additional research sites are located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Meridian. Learn more at www.usm.edu.

LAMA Annual Meeting

The Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association will hold its annual meeting on November 2, 2012 at the McNeese State University Alumni Center (corner of McNeese and Common streets) in Lake Charles.

The registration fee is $25 and is due by October 5th. Please see the document below for the schedule of events, hotel and parking information, and membership information.

For questions or more information please contact Pati Threatt at 337.475.5731 or pthreatt@mcneese.edu.

File: LAMA invite 2012

AHA meeting at the University of Houston, July 12

Join us at 6 pm on Thursday at the University of Houston Library, Special Collections.
Special Collections is located on the 2nd floor at the top of the main circular staircase, through the glass door.
Refreshments will be provided.

The speaker will be Carol A. Skewes, Publisher and Editor of The Vindicator and The Anahuac Progress. She will speak on “How to Get the Word Out: Press in the Digital Age.”

Carol has a BS and MBA from the University of Houston. Since 1989 she has worked for The Baytown Sun, Gibson Printing Company, and Granite Publishing Partners, Inc. She serves as the Publisher of The Vindicator and The Anahuac Progress and has been a graphic designer for over twenty years. She will focus on proper AP style, working with editors, writing within a digital perspective, how to take advantage of free press relations, and how to submit digital photos and electronic copy.

Directions to Special Collections and Archives at the University of Houston’s MD Anderson (Main) Library

If coming from the north/downtown, take I-45 South. Take exit 44-B. Merge toward Spur 5 South. Turn right onto University Drive. Turn left on Calhoun and you will immediately see the Welcome Center & Parking Garage, a yellow brick building with red trim.

If coming from the south, take I-45 North. Take exit 44-A (Elgin/Lockwood/Cullen). Turn left on Cullen. Drive along Cullen, passing the stadium, and turn left on Wheeler. Turn left again on Calhoun. To your left just past the parking lot you will see the Welcome Center & Parking Garage, a yellow brick building with red trim.

Parking rates are hourly. Please remember to take your ticket with you.

Once you’ve parked, walk in towards the center of campus. You will pass the Hilton Hotel on your left and the University Center (student center) on your right. You will find yourself behind the M.D. Anderson Library, a large cream-colored building. You must go around to the front of the building to enter the Library.

Special Collections is located on the 2nd floor at the top of the main circular staircase, through the glass door.

Two University of Houston Job announcements

Two opportunities are available at the University of Houston Libraries:

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES FELLOW

http://info.lib.uh.edu/about/employment/university-archives-fellowship
Responsibilities:  
This archival fellowship is a one-year fellowship, with the possibility of a one-year extension, offering a recent graduate the opportunity to work in a large and forward-looking special collections department in a research library. As a member of the Special Collections Department, the successful candidate will be responsible for arranging and describing collections in the areas of University Archives and Hispanic Collections, including the supervision of students in processing tasks. The fellow will also provide support for reference service and digital projects in these subject areas. This position will report to the University Archivist.

This is a one year term appointment, with the potential for a one year renewal.  Candidates for this position must be available to begin work no later than Monday, August 27, 2012.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program, conferred within the last 24 months
  • Coursework in or experience with archival practice and theory
  • Strong written, analytical and interpersonal skills

Preferred:

  • Practicum or work experience in an archive or special collections department
  • Experience supervising student workers
  • Reference experience or coursework
  • Reading knowledge of Spanish

Salary:  $47,000 annually.  Excellent benefits package, including health coverage; choice of retirement programs including TIAA-CREF; tax-deferred annuity program available; release time to take a class up to 3 hrs/wk; no state or local income tax.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.  MINORITIES, WOMEN, VETERANS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

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HOUSTON AND TEXAS ARCHIVES FELLOW

http://info.lib.uh.edu/about/employment/houston-and-texas-archives-fellowship
Responsibilities:  
This archival fellowship is a one-year fellowship, with the possibility of a one-year extension, offering a recent graduate the opportunity to work in a large and forward-looking special collections department in a research library. As a member of the Special Collections Department, the successful candidate will be responsible for arranging and describing collections in the areas of Houston Hip Hop and Houston and Texas History, including the supervision of students in processing tasks. The fellow will also provide support for reference service and digital projects in these subject areas.  This position will report for the first six months to the archivist who curates Houston Hip Hop collections and for the second six months to the archivist who curates Houston and Texas History collections.

This is a one year term appointment, with the potential for a one year renewal.  Candidates for this position must be available to begin work no later than Monday, August 27, 2012.

Qualifications:
Required:

  • Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program, conferred within the last 24 months
  • Coursework in or experience with archival practice and theory
  • Strong written, analytical and interpersonal skills

Preferred:

  • Practicum or work experience in an archive or special collections department
  • Experience supervising student workers
  • Reference experience or coursework
  • Knowledge of or familiarity with hip hop music

Salary:  $47,000 annually.  Excellent benefits package, including health coverage; choice of retirement programs including TIAA-CREF; tax-deferred annuity program available; release time to take a class up to 3 hrs/wk; no state or local income tax.

Library Information: The UH Libraries are a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, and the Texas Digital Library.  The Libraries hold over 2.1 million volumes.  Total staff includes 48 professionals and approximately 110 support staff.  Additional information available at http://info.lib.uh.edu.

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General Information:  The University of Houston campus comprises 13 colleges and schools offering close to 80 degree programs with an enrollment exceeding 40,000 students, 7,200 of whom are enrolled in graduate studies.  The University of Houston has been recognized as one of the best institutions for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review and is included in its guidebook, The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 edition.  Reflecting the multicultural community of metropolitan Houston, UH is one of the most ethnically diverse research university campuses in the nation.
Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, offers all the cultural and recreational opportunities of a great city and is within easy reach of the Gulf of Mexico.  It enjoys a very reasonable cost of living and was rated eighth among livable North American cities by Places Rated Almanac.

For additional information, including information about Houston’s housing market, flourishing arts scene, and entertainment offering, please see the My Houston site:  http://www.visithoustontexas.com/myhouston/ and the Greater Houston Partnership site at: http://www.houston.org/.

Application Deadline:  Applications will be accepted until July 9, 2012.  Send letter of application, names and contact information for 3 references, resume, and photocopy of transcript showing conferral of ALA-accredited masters degree to Damon Camille, Training, Assessment, and Statistics Coordinator, University of Houston, 114 University Libraries, Houston, Texas 77204-2000.  Applications may also be submitted by email to: dcamille@uh.edu.  Potential applicants seeking further information should contact John Lehner, Associate Dean for Personnel, Planning, and Systems, at 713-743-9801 or jlehner@uh.edu.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.  MINORITIES, WOMEN, VETERANS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

Volunteers needed for AHA table at the Houston History Conference

We’re seeking volunteers to man the AHA! table at the Houston History Conference on Saturday, June 2, 2012 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.  Volunteers can also register for the meeting here and arrange to attend sessions and the provided lunch.

Please contact Terry Brown and Robert Schaadt to volunteer or for more information

More information about the conference:

http://www.myhoustonhistory.com/Conference

AHA meeting – April 24 – Archives Digitization Presentation and Roundtable

Please join us for an AHA event in celebration of Preservation Week
Archives digitization presentation and roundtable
Tuesday, April 24, 6-8pm
Rice University, Fondren Library, Kyle Morrow Room

Representatives from University of Houston, Houston Public Library, and Rice University will each present a 10 minute overview of their digitization programs, and then invite open discussion and questions.
Other AHA members who are also engaged in digitization (or would like to be) are encouraged to attend and share their experiences as well. We hope to see you there!

Topics to covered in the overviews:
– what kinds of materials does the repository digitize?
– are they available online? where?
– if material is online, what platform and software are used?
– what is the workflow for such projects?
– how does preservation of these digital objects take place?
–  documentation / guidelines which can be shared
– digitization challenges and victories

Panelists include Roland Lemonius and Amber Seely from Houston Public Library, Valerie Prilop and Nicci Westbrook from the University of Houston, and Amanda Focke, Dara Flinn, and Monica Rivero from Rice University.

Great sessions at TLA!

Greetings all,
There are a number of programs at TLA’s Annual Conference related to Archives and Digital libraries. TLA is held in Houston this year, April 17th-April 20th. We would love to see you there!

Developing a Large-Scale Digital Archives through a Library Consortium
Tue, April 17, 2:00 pm – 3:50 pm
The West Texas Digital Archives, a customized open source repository, contains historical materials including images, text, and video. This program highlights the elements involved in this fruitful collaborative project including the development of content practices, building an online repository, and marketing and sustaining of the archive.
Digital Libraries Round Table (DLRT) business meeting follows the program.

Digitizing Local History: Partnerships and Possibilities
Thu, April 19, 10:00 am – 11:50 am
All history may be local, as some historians claim, but local history is often overlooked. Join academic and public librarians as they discuss their experiences digitizing local history materials during a multi-year training program. Learn what worked, what didn?t, and where you can go for help.
Archives, Genealogy and Local History Round Table business meeting follows the program.

Digitizing Historic Newspapers: What We’ve Learned
Thu, April 19, 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm
Libraries are the primary access points for local newspapers. Speakers outline the Texas Digital Newspaper Program, a partnership among libraries to digitize historical newspapers, and debunk a few myths about digitizing resources. Attendees will find out about resources to help them start and fund their own project.

Metadata Strategies for Getting Objects Online
Fri, April 20 8:00 am – 9:20 am
Does your digitization process always bottleneck at metadata? Do you have a lot of material scanned but a backlog of materials needing metadata? Learn tips and tricks from other librarians who have developed strategies to minimize and reduce the metadata backlog.

Contemporary Collecting: Is Your Archives Keeping up with the Latest Trends?
Fri, April 20, 10:00 am – 11:20 am
In our constantly changing society, archives and cultural institutions should consider collecting materials reflecting modern technologies, trends, and populations. Learn how to develop a selection policy allowing for the acquisition of contemporary materials and to anticipate issues regarding playback mechanisms, migration, and preservation of less common material types.

More information on TLA 2012 conference @ http://www.txla.org/annual-conference

kind regards,
Monica Rivero, DLRT Chair

Job posting: Houston Public Library, HMRC – Archivist I

Job posting: Archivist I, Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library

The Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC) is one of the premier local history libraries in Texas that is dedicated to locating, preserving, and making available to researchers the documentary evidence of Houston’s history. With spectacular and gorgeous renovations, a new architectural wing added from the 1926 original building plans, and sophisticated climate and humidity controls to aide in preservation, HMRC and the Houston Public Library are seeking a creative, innovative, and highly customer service oriented Archivist to assist in researching, acquiring, cataloging, and preserving archival materials.

The Archivist will provide reference and retrieval services for the general public, provide information on library services, activities, facilities, and policies. Process and arrange collections in accordance with professional standards. Contribute to the management of unit records and collections to improve public access. May assist with implementation of the Houston Public Library’s Digitization Program. Participate in outreach efforts including tours and special programs. The Archivist may also assist with supervision of support staff, interns, and volunteers as well as perform other duties as assigned. Requires some evening and weekend work.

Minimum Educational Requirements:
Requires an ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library Science or a Master’s degree in History or another closely related field.

Minimum Experience Requirements:
No Experience is required.

For the complete job posting please visit http://bit.ly/AaCvJZ

Job posting: Houston Public Library, African American Library at the Gregory School, Archivist II

Job posting: Archivist II, African American Library at the Gregory School, Houston Public Library

The African American Library at the Gregory School is an archival and special collections library that is dedicated to documenting the community traditions and history of African Americans in Houston. The Houston Public Library system seeks a creative, innovative, knowledgeable, and highly customer service oriented Archivist II to assist the African American Library. The Archivist II assists in researching, acquiring, cataloging, and preserving archival materials. Provide reference and retrieval services for the general public. Provide information on library services, activities, facilities, and policies. Process, organize, and arrange collections in accordance with professional standards. Contribute to the management of unit records and collections to improve public access. May assist with implementation of the Houston Public Library’s Digitization Program. Participate in outreach efforts including tours and special programs. The Archivist II may also assist with supervision of support staff, interns, and volunteers as well as perform other duties as assigned. Requires some evening and weekend work.

Minimum Educational Requirements:
Requires an ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library Science or a Master’s degree in History or another closely related field.

Minimum Experience Requirements:
One year of experience in archival processing, collecting or research, historical research, library systems, or a closely related field is required.

For the complete job posting please visit http://bit.ly/GIU7NI

AHA meeting (March 22) postponed

Due to scheduling conflicts the March 22 AHA meeting and digital media roundtable discussion has been postponed (location and date TBA).

We’re still looking for participants to share information about digitization projects such as:

– what kinds of materials do you digitize?
– are they available online? where?
– if material is online, what platform / software do you use?
– what is your workflow for such projects?
– do you have documentation / guidelines you could share?
– what challenges have you had? what victories?

Also, do you have questions you would like to hear discussed?
Would you like to present on your own efforts?

Please contact Amanda Focke  – afocke@rice.edu or 713-348-2124