Description:
The Collections Manager, Ethnography partners interdepartmentally and across disciplines to manage collections and support research, curation, the development of collections access policies, repatriation, and the implementation of shared-stewardship and culturally conscious conservation models in the ethnographic collections. This position will work closely with operations, the learning and community engagement team and with students.
This position will bring a passion and dedication for collections care, ensuring descendant community requests are honored, respected and integrated collection management procedures for the associated items.
Department-Specific Responsibilities
- Manages all ethnographic storage areas (on and offsite) at a high professional standard of safety, cleanliness, artifact storage, and organization.
- Documents and catalogs ethnographic artifacts using digital cataloging systems, including detailed descriptions, locations, dimensions, provenance, and photographs.
- Maintains detailed and accessible records on the Museum's past and current outreach, notification, consultation, and repatriation processes with Indigenous communities (Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act ((NAGPRA)) /non-NAGPRA/international).
- Implements policies and procedures for repatriations, acquisition, deaccessions, cataloging, handling, storage, and maintenance of ethnographic collections.
- Ensures compliance with ethical and legal standards for the repatriation, acquisition, and management of cultural materials.
- Collaborates with curators, conservation specialists, descendant communities to assess and address the conservation and stewardship needs of artifacts.
- Develops and implements strategies to mitigate environmental risks, prevent deterioration, and align with the stewardship protocols and guidelines indicated by the descendant community - if applicable.
- Supports the interpretive planning team, curators, exhibit designers, and educators to develop innovative, engaging, and dynamic exhibitions and displays as needed.
- Provides access to collections for descendant communities, tribal consultants, IU NAGPRA, researchers, scholars, and students in alignment with the goals of the Museum and the collection access policies.
- Partners with the Museum Registrar to manage the loan of ethnographic artifacts to internal IU units and externally to other institutions, ensuring proper documentation, handling, and transportation.
- Collaborates with other museums, cultural organizations, and indigenous communities to enhance collections management policies and procedures.
- Collaborates with the learning and community engagement team to support scholarly and public engagement by sharing insights on collections as needed.
- Trains and supervises collections assistants, interns, and volunteers in all routine collections and curation activities.
General Responsibilities
- Creates and manages the database for collection records which includes processing, photographing, cataloging, and locating all incoming exhibits in the museum system.
- Generates reports depending on the need and information entered. These reports are needed to list object locations for inventory purposes, to provide the object's information for gift documentation, to provide collection and statistical data, and financial information as requested by the budgetary team.
- Oversees arrangements and documentation for new acquisitions and registration aspects of incoming and outgoing artwork, artifacts, and collections loans, including working with donors and lenders and preparing outgoing and incoming loan documentation and receipts. Provides rights and reproductions documentation when requested and coordinates with photographers for high-resolution images. Manages paper and digital files and creates forms as needed to ensure efficient workflow.
- Assists with budget and strategic planning.
- Coordinates with IT to ensure collections database and multimedia servers are maintained and ensures staff technology requirements are satisfied. Oversees collections storage security by monitoring humidity and temperature fluctuations and ensuring a secure environment for collections and staff, pest management, HVAC and cleaning personnel.
- Inventories collections, manages student workers, maintains statistical data, updates conservation records with conservation treatment reports provided by independent conservators, attend training, and trains users. Coordinates with moving and setups and other collections handlers to ensure the safe transportation of artwork, artifacts, and collections.
- May provide guidance and delegate administrative tasks to other museum services staff.
- May make process recommendations for improved operational efficiency.