George Beccaloni (me!) and Judith Magee (Curator of the Natural History Museum (London) Library's Rare Books Room collection) have been awarded a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund phase 1 of the Wallace Correspondence Project (WCP) - see http://wallaceletters.info/ . The total cost of this part of the project is £200,730 over a three year period, with funding awarded on a yearly basis. Phase 1 aims to locate and digitize all surviving correspondence to and from Wallace held in institutions and private collections worldwide. First to be digitised will be the c. 1200 letters in the NHM 's Wallace Family Archive, a collection which George has played a key role in developing over the last nine years. Scans of the letters will be made publicly available on the Internet via an innovative Web database system that will enable online transcription of the documents as an experimental 'citizen science' project. The Mellon grant will pay the salary of an Archivist to work on the project full time for three years and it will also enable George to spend one day per week working on the project as its director.
Today the Archivist position was advertised - see https://gs12.globalsuccessor.com/fe/tpl_nhm01.asp?newms=jj&id=52728). A summary of the advertisment follows:-
We are seeking to recruit a team member to the Wallace Correspondence Project to locate all letters sent to or written by Alfred Russel Wallace held in worldwide institutions and private collections. The successful candidate will be responsible for negotiating with these institutions for the purpose of including information and scans of these documents in the online project database. Excellent communication skills together with experience of cataloguing archival documents are essential.
The successful candidate will have a degree (or equivalent) in Biology or History and a demonstrable interest in the history of science.
Hours per week: 41
Contract: 12 month fixed term appointment (with potential to be extended on an annual basis)
Salary: £27,339 per annum plus benefits
Closing date: 30 August 2010
Interview date: 7 September 2010
Role summary:
To locate all letters sent to or written by Alfred Russel Wallace held in the archives of institutions and in private collections worldwide, arrange for them to be scanned or photocopied, catalogue them using the project’s database system, write summaries of each, and make the scans and associated data available via the project’s website.
Requirements (person specification):
Applicants must demonstrate evidence of the detailed criteria outlined below to be considered for the post.
Academic and professional qualifications
1. Degree in biology or history
2. Postgraduate qualification in Librarianship/Records and Archives Management or similar profession or experience
Knowledge and experience:
3. Proven experience of cataloguing collections of documents
4. Proven experience of using databases for cataloguing
5. Proven experience of using a variety of archives and library information systems
6. Knowledge of document digitisation
7. Knowledge of British and international copyright laws is desirable
8. Experience of working on a similar correspondence project is desirable
Skills and competences:
9. Organisational: Excellent planning skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks
10. Technical: Very good knowledge of Microsoft Office: Proven data entry skills and attention to detail
11. Ability to transcribe handwritten text and write summaries of complex text
12. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
13. Excellent negotiating skills
14. Ability to work both alone and as part of a team
Tasks and responsibilities (job description):
1. Locate all letters sent to or written by Alfred Russel Wallace held in the archives of institutions and in private collections worldwide and negotiate to obtain copies of these documents
2. Arrange for all correspondence to be digitised, either by the document owners or in –house
3. Catalogue each item using the project’s database system and enter scans of the documents into this system
4. Prepare a summary of each letter in agreed format
5. Carry out due diligence with regard to copyright
For information about how to apply see https://gs12.globalsuccessor.com/fe/tpl_nhm01.asp?newms=jj&id=52728
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