Job Summary

This is a grant-funded, temporary, full-time, four-year position without the possibility of renewal. The Art Cataloger will report to the Manager for Visual Materials Cataloging and identify, document, describe, and rehouse materials from the Center’s Art Collection that have been identified as cataloging priorities by the Curator of Art. Although primarily consisting of works on paper, such as prints and drawings, materials may also include a limited number of paintings and textiles.

The Art Cataloger will create and update consistent and accurate item-level catalog records in the Center’s collection management system in accordance with internal procedures and current standards of archival and museum theory and practice.

The Art Cataloger will provide routine housing for Art Collection materials as needed, working with guidance from the Center’s Preservation & Conservation staff, to ensure the long-term preservation and security of the materials.

The Art Cataloger will engage in related Metadata & Discovery functions as assigned.

Job Duties

• Through object examination and research, identifies, documents, and describes Art Collection materials, and creates consistent and accurate item-level catalog records in the Center’s collection management system according to national and local standards.
• Updates legacy item-level records to bring the level of cataloging up to current standards. Assists with creating metadata for digitized images.
• Consults with: Curator of Art regarding historical and provenance-related information relevant to the artworks; Conservation staff to ensure accurate identification of processes and materials; and Preservation staff on proper housing of materials. Performs minor or routine preservation housing tasks.
• May supervise student workers, paraprofessional staff, or volunteers, including providing instruction for and evaluation of activities.
• Engages in related Metadata & Discovery functions as assigned that may include serving on internal committees, and engaging in campus, regional, and national scholarly and professional organizations and activities.

Required Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Art History, Museum Studies with two years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program with two years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated ability to identify artistic media and art processes.
• Experience describing artworks at the object- and group-level, and knowledge of descriptive standards and controlled vocabularies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of preservation standards for and handling of art materials.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and meticulously, balance multiple responsibilities, and adjust accordingly to changing priorities, needs, and deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication to effectively work with curators, conservators, preservation technicians, digitization technicians, and other librarians and archivists.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two or more years of experience describing and cataloging artworks in a museum or research library setting.
• Substantial coursework in art history and demonstrated research experience.
• Knowledge of standard reference tools and research methods in art history.
• Coursework in cataloging.
• Knowledge of name authority records and their functions in a collection management system.
• Experience in use of metadata management and editing tools, such as Open Refine, and mass metadata remediation.

Working Conditions

• Standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard and standard office equipment at a workstation.

Work Shift

• Full-time 40hrs/week, M-F 8am-5pm

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Letter of interest
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Salary: $55,000 non-negotiable

For more information and to apply, please visit this link.