Job ID: 322620
Job Title: Bell Museum – Temporary Collections Cataloger
Job Code: 8415A2
Location: Twin Cities
Empl Group: Civil Service
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in art history, museum studies, library science or related fields and 2 years of museum experience; or a combination of related education and work experience equal to six years
• Training and experience in the use of digital database systems
• Highly organized and self-motivated with strong attention to details
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
Desired Qualifications
• Experience working with library or museum collections
• Knowledge and experience in handling works of art
• Experience scanning artworks and documents
• Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Library Science or Art History
• Experience in cataloging works of art, historical collections or other museum collections
• Experience using and/or creating databases for museum collections
About the Job
Position Overview:
This is a temporary, full-time position for one year. Funding is from a grant from the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Program, administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. The collections cataloger will create a digital collection management system including digital images of all Jaques works in Minnesota, including holdings at the Bell Museum, Jaques Art Center in Aitkin, MN; the St. Louis County Historical Society in Duluth and the Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm. Statewide, the collection includes approximately 1200 objects as well as many related documents.
Under direction of the Curator of Exhibits, the Collections Cataloger oversees all aspects of the funded archiving and digital collections project. The Collections Cataloger will 1) assist in the implementation of data standards and data entry guidelines, 2) organize, compile and digitize source documents related to the works in the collection, 3) enter compiled data in collections management system, 4) confer with Curator and other staff to ensure accuracy of data and 5) supervise student assistant who will complete most routine data entry. Basic data from the system together with images will be publically accessible through the UMN Libraries Media Archives.
Major Areas of Accountability (with percentages):
Digitization Project Coordination (40%)
• Develops overall work plan with milestones for project completion
• Work with museum staff, staff from partner organizations and contractor “Whirl-i-Gig” to adapt the open-source software “Collective Access” to create a digital collection management system for use in cataloging the Jaques art collection
• Work with partner organizations to incorporate their collections into the system
• Work with UMN Libraries to link database to their UMedia website.
• Work with Curator to prepare information for project reports
• Train museum staff on the use of the collection management system
Metadata Creation (40%)
• Sequence collections for digitization and set priorities
• Supervise student assistant’s data entry and oversee quality control checks on data
• Oversee metadata production and create original metadata as needed
• Scan artworks and other documents as needed
Content Research and Archiving (20%)
• Works with Curator of Exhibits to research the significance of the collection of artworks, artifacts and documents
• Create archival filing system for original materials
About the Department
The Bell Museum is Minnesota’s State Natural History Museum, established by the state legislature in 1872. The Bell Museum possesses significant regional collections of major vertebrate groups, lichens and fungi, vascular plants, and mollusks.
In addition to its core academic mission, a sizeable public educational and exhibits program exists. The public part of the museum has just moved into a new state-of-the-art museum building on the University’s St. Paul campus. A historically valuable Natural History Art collection and a Media collection are maintained and contribute to the Bell Museum mission of understanding nature through art. Exhibits include world-class natural history dioramas with Francis Lee Jaques backgrounds. In addition, temporary and traveling exhibits are developed on topical environmental subjects. Public education programs serve a wide variety of audiences and include formal K12 classroom curricula, museum tours, environmental documentaries, and educational engagement events. The public programs have included many special exhibitions of natural history art that have drawn upon the museum’s art collection. Some of these have traveled to museums across the country.
As a unit of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) at the University of Minnesota, the Museum is a premier destination for public outreach in the areas of environmental science and policy, ideally positioned to encourage collaboration among the University’s diverse environmental research centers and departments.
How To Apply
Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.
Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your “My Activities” page and uploading documents there.
To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail [email protected] or call (612) 624-UOHR (8647).
Diversity
Bell Museum Diversity Statement:
We believe it is essential to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and empowers people from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities. In doing this, we will provide equitable access to the Bell’s resources and embrace opportunities to transform our work.
We are committed to upholding the diversity, equity, and inclusion definitions and values set forth by the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences and the University of Minnesota.
Our work in research, education, and outreach is accomplished when these values inform all activities of the museum, including:
Hiring, recruitment, retention, and advancement of staff and volunteers
Selection, implementation, and evaluation of program and exhibition content
Providing meaningful opportunities for underrepresented communities to participate in planning and leadership
Background Check Information
Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.
Original posting / application information