Collections Management Fellow – Heritage Documentation Programs

Collections Management Fellow – Heritage Documentation Programs

Summary:

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), is seeking (1) Member to contribute to Heritage Documentation Programs alongside NPS Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date: 06/03/2024

Estimated End Date: 05/31/2025

*a 52-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: The Heritage Documentation Programs Office in Washington, DC.

The office is located in the Stuart Lee Udall Department of Interior Building, near the National Mall and White House, with convenient access to public transportation and other amenities.

For more information about the Heritage Documentation Programs, please visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/heritagedocumentation/index.htm

Position Overview:

The Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) prepare and process documentation of historic buildings, structures, and landscapes for inclusion in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collections at the Library of Congress (LOC). These collections constitute the nation’s largest archive of historic architectural, engineering, and landscape documentation.

The Collections Management Fellow will work closely with the HDP Collections Manager to review, process, and transmit completed documentation to the LOC.

Key duties will include:

• Reviewing and editing submitted materials for conformance with HABS/HAER/HALS formatting and content requirements.
• Preparing complete HABS/HAER/HALS documentation for transmittal to the LOC.
• Maintaining and updating the HDP collections database to enter data for new documentation, edit records, and improve existing data.
• Digitizing historic drawings, photographs, and other materials, as needed (less common).

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule: The member is expected to work 40 hours per week on a regular schedule, Monday through Friday. Core office hours will be determined in consultation with the member’s manager.

Position Benefits

• Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $1,000/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general information online: https://www.usaconservation.org/epic/#eligibility-requirements.
• Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or the NPS. A reimbursement not to exceed $600/month will be provided to help offset the cost of housing.
• Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position-specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Qualifications

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A current and valid form of ID (will be required to provide copies of ID’s upon hiring)
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required two-part criminal history check.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website https://www.usaconservation.org/epic/#eligibility-requirements.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position will hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree and/or have relevant experience in library sciences, archival studies, or other related field.
• Experience using databases to create, access, and update collection records.
• Applied knowledge in arranging and managing photographic prints and negatives, drawings, and digital files within a library collection.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 10 lbs., ability to move up to 35 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position does not require unique travel.