Digital Oral History Archiving Apprentice

APPLICATION: Digital Oral History Archivist (DOHA) One Year Apprenticeship

DEADLINE TO APPLY: rolling basis - but we hope to fill the position no later than June 1, 2024.

How do we organize our histories, human knowledge, and information in this digital age? The Digital Oral History Archivist (DOHA) Apprenticeship, made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH.gov), will introduce recent graduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars considering a life-long career in the Library and Information Science fields to contemporary techniques in digital archiving and collections care via hands-on experiences alongside a professional archivist. Program participants will emerge ready to dive into a full-time career. Through this one-year, full-time paid opportunity, the Apprentice will gain a deep understanding of digital archiving through hands-on experience while shadowing the archive manager on a number of collections care, management and administrative tasks and have the opportunity to mentor student interns.

We are expressly looking to hire a recent graduate, graduate student or postdoctoral scholar from the fields of Library Sciences, History, South Asian Studies, Oral History, and Archiving. This one-year full-time paid apprenticeship will be beneficial to those who are poised to begin a career in digital archiving, digital heritage preservation, or library and information sciences fields. Applicants who are motivated in gaining a deeper insight into South Asian histories will find additional benefits in this opportunity.

Specifics:

• The Apprentice will have the opportunity to attend a series of lectures delivered by experts in the field and gain hands-on experience in cloud-based cataloging, handling, and preservation of born-digital oral history collections to be described in Partition Archive's in-house repository and partly in Stanford University Libraries’ Digital Repository for broad dissemination.
• The Apprentice will learn techniques in handling digital oral history artifacts alongside a professional archivist as they arrive at The 1947 Partition Archive.
• The Apprentice will shadow the Archive Manager, and take part in their duties, thereby sharing in select program management-level responsibilities.
• The Apprentice will also learn to identify nuances and evaluate ethical considerations when curating digital oral history artifacts for dissemination on popular social media platforms for the public.
• The Apprentice will provide mentorship to Archivist Interns and gain archive management experience via oral history assignments.
• The Apprentice emerging from the program is expected to be equipped with advanced career-ready within the Library and Information Science fields as well as the Humanities, in general.

This apprenticeship is accomplished in-person, full-time, from The 1947 Partition Archive’s Berkeley, California office. The one-year position begins as early as June 1, 2024.

COMPLETE PROGRAM AND APPLICATION SCHEDULE:

Applications are considered on a rolling basis.

Deadline to apply: Applications will be considered as they arrive, and applications may close before June 1, 2024. Hence, please apply as soon as possible to be considered on a rolling basis.

Application Eligibility:

• Recent graduates - OR - current graduate students able to take a gap year - OR - current postdoctoral scholars seeking a transitional position
• A background in the fields of Library Sciences, Oral History, or Archiving will be preferred, though applicants with a background in South Asian studies, History and related fields will also be considered.
• Willing and able to live and work in Berkeley, California

Skills you will be trained on:

• Archives administrative, time management, and organizational skills
• Digital archiving of oral history interviews, which are core to The 1947 Partition Archive
• Meta-data generation for born-digital cross-border oral history collections
• Digital collections handling, care, and management
• Developing best practices in archives accessibility
• Managing archives permissions, licensing, and use
• Technical archiving process reviews and revisions
• Archiving process development and novel techniques research
• Working in an organizational setting
• Inter-department communications management

Skills you must bring to this position:

• A deep passion for digital knowledge preservation
• Deep interest in oral history as a source of knowledge
• Excellent work ethic
• A knack for attention to detail
• Excellent time and resource management skills
• Teamwork skills
• An interest in South Asian histories
• Strong communication and writing skills
• Experience working with databases and database management systems
• Previous administrative experience encouraged but not required
• Strong passion for preserving history in general and supporting our mission
• Previous library or other archive experience a plus, but not required (academic experience acceptable)
• Excellent English language skills (oral and written)
• Leadership and mentorship skills a plus, but not required
• Previous teaching experience is helpful, but not required

Application Requirements:

• Your two-page cover letter - please describe 1) what you hope to gain from this position, 2) what experience qualifies you for this position, and 3) what your future dreams are - how will this position help you gain them? Upload the cover-letter with this application - use the option to upload additional materials.
• Your two-page resume - upload with application
• Your curriculum vitae (optional) - No page limit. This should be a complete list of your publications, skills, talks, anything else that doesn't fit on your resume - uploaded this with your application. Candidates who pass the initial application screening will receive an upload link.
• Three letters of recommendation including at least two from a research supervisor, a course instructor, or another academic mentor. The letters should attest to your work ethic and commitment to completing long-duration projects, and could also comment on your passion for your studies, your extracurricular work, and interest in historical preservation - candidates who pass the initial application screening will receive an upload link.
• Latest academic transcript - Candidates who pass the initial application screening will receive an upload link.
• Additional materials (optional) - here you can include materials that demonstrate previous community service projects, sports, and other extracurricular achievements, or projects related to archival and preservation work undertaken in a professional or non-professional setting. Candidates who pass the initial application screening will receive an upload link.

Application Process and Steps

• Step 1: Submit your resume and cover letter, uploaded with this application
• Step 2: Candidates who pass the initial application screening will receive an upload link for submitting additional materials.
• Step 3: Candidates who pass the initial application screening will be invited to video interview questions.
• Step 4: Candidates who pass the initial application screening will be invited to take an 'archivist skills quiz'
• Step 5: The final evaluation step involves a round of interviews with a panel of interviewers.

Apprenticeship Expectations

The Apprentice is expected to develop ownership of their projects and encouraged to develop creative solutions and develop independent decision making skills. The Apprentice must have a strong passion for and dedication to our mission and goals. For this position, the Apprentice will learn to communicate with diverse constituencies and learn how an independent and community-based nonprofit archive operates.

The Apprentice will work at The 1947 Partition Archive’s office in Berkeley, California. This in-person position requires that the applicant have a valid US work authorization.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)

Work Location: In person