Archives Assistant - London, United Kingdom - Society of Genealogists

Description

Archives Assistant
Society of Genealogists
Unit 2, 40 Wharf Road, London N1 7GS


Position

• Four days (28 hours) per week, including some rostered Saturdays and evenings
• Salary £23,933 FTE

• Commencing April 202

• Member of the Collections Team and reporting to the Library Coordinator

Core Responsibilities
- process new archives collections
- catalogue the Society's archive collection
- support processing of archive collections
- support access to archive collections


Duties
- liaise with donors and their representatives in the processing of new archival research collections within the collection policy and according to donation guidelines
- receive, and document receipt of, archival collection materials
- carry out current and retrospective cataloguing of the archive collection according to procedures based on industry standards for archive description
- liaise with, guide and support the volunteer Archives Team in their processing of archival collections
- improve procedures for archives processing and cataloguing
- support volunteers in their provision of service to visiting researchers
- provide front line archives assistance for researchers

The above list of duties is not exhaustive.

The post holder will be required to undertake such duties that may reasonably be expected within the scope and grade of the role.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience
- experience of cataloguing and working in an archive
- high IT literacy and ability to manage computer-based catalogues and databases
- experience of research relevant to archival collections
- familiarity with resources applicable to family history research, and archive collections held by the society such as family and estate papers, deeds, diaries and research notes.
- excellent organisational skills
- ability to plan effectively and deliver to deadlines
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills to relate to and encourage a range of donors and collection users
- ability to work in a small team and as a team player, working with staff and volunteers


About the Society of Genealogists

Founded in 1911, the Society of Genealogists is a charity dedicated to helping people discover their heritage and place in history.

We preserve the records of everyday lives and make them available to anyone wanting to understand where they've come from - grassroots sources, rich data of unlikely origin, exceptional assets that capture the history of us all.

We are UK based but international in outlook with members across four continents. We provide a well-regarded programme of education and training for a wide range of researchers from novice to expert.

The Society's library and archive support the research activities of individuals who visit the library and order collection materials to consult.

These individuals are most often amateur family history researchers but also professional genealogists undertaking research for clients and students and academics undertaking research in a variety of different disciplines.

Our collections have been acquired largely through donation and are comprised of published works, as well as archival collections, mostly of individuals who have undertaken research into their own families, or who have engaged in wider genealogical work such as one-name studies.

Over the past several years the Society has been in a transitionary period and technical upgrade across the entire organisation.

We are now in a modern library that enables users to peruse a small proportion of our published works on the open shelves, book visits and order collection items from storage, and reserve computers to access our subscriptions of digital resources.

Volunteers with genealogical experience and knowledge contribute to the library in the provision of front-line counter service and in other useful ways, supported and supervised by collections staff.

Application process
Applications including resumes may be sent by 26 March to:


Job Types:
Part-time, Permanent

Expected hours: 28 per week


Schedule:

• Weekend availability

Work Location:
In person

Application deadline: 26/03/2024


Reference ID:
ARCASST-CW

Expected start date: 15/04/2024