Collections Cataloger

Minnesota Historical Society • Saint Paul, MN

5h • Onsite

About The Position

This position exists to process, inventory, and catalog museum collections in a variety of physical and digital formats (principally 3D objects, photographs, film and audio recordings, fine art), in accordance with Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) procedures and professional standards and best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus four years experience cataloging archival collections OR an ALA-accredited Masters degree in library science or equivalent masters-level education.
• Practical experience handling archival and museum collections and creating controlled metadata.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience working collaboratively and independently with varied groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing team environment.
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technology and a commitment to ongoing learning and growth.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to create and enter accurate metadata in an integrated library or collections management system (CMS).
• Multitasking, working effectively to meet deadlines, prioritizing and adapting to changing priorities.
• Solid computer skills with office productivity software such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Google Applications.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with or familiarity in ArchivesSpace (ASpace).
• Navigation of online database searching, technical processing, bibliographic utilities, and physical processing and preservation.
• The ideal candidate combines bibliographical expertise with historical insight to accurately present and contextualize items for researchers, scholars, and the general public.
• Prior processing and cataloging experience with historic and contemporary photographic, moving image, and sound recording formats; fine art; and material culture (or say: historical artifacts; or 3D objects; or museum objects)
• Experience handling and researching 3D objects, fine art, photography, moving image and sound recordings.
• Understanding of the following cataloging standards: RDA, MARC21 (including LC Guidelines, and Descriptive Cataloging Manual DCM Z1), EAD, AMIM, DACS, Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus (ATT) and Library of Congress Subject Headings Manual.
• Familiarity with LCNAF, LCSH and NACO parameters.
• Familiarity with Indigenous data sovereignty

Responsibilities

• Works across collection formats, including 3D objects, photographs, audio and video recordings, and fine art, to create catalog records and other finding aids in accordance with relevant national standards and MNHS guidelines to ensure collections accessibility for the public at MNHS and throughout regional, national, and international networks
• Assures that access points and subject headings are assigned in a consistent manner so that related materials may be retrieved effectively through the MNHS catalogs and other external databases to which MNHS cataloging records are contributed
• Prepares cataloging records in accordance with MARC standards so that the record may be entered in machine readable form in the MNHS catalogs and bibliographic networks.
• Keeps catalog records and other finding aids current so that they accurately reflect the MHS collections.

Benefits

• Eligible to participate in State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution.
• Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level