Crownsville Hospital Archives Project

Description:

Work may include but not be limited to:

Achieving the performance objectives set forth by NHPRC. (Project ED-104987-24), as well as maintaining activity records and quality control of all grant-related deliverables;
Assist the Project Manager/Lead Archivist in establishing the policies and mechanisms for accepting archival and historical material, and related ephemera, specifically oral history interviews and all associated documents and digital files, set standard operating procedures (SOPs) for accessioning, cataloging, curating, and displaying materials and ensure the work meets accepted professional standards set forth by the Oral History Association.
Assist the Project Manager/Lead Archivist in creating a robust, searchable web-based "Crownsville Hospital Digital Archive" to be housed on the County website, with special attention to the platform's ability to share and disseminate Oral Histories collected over the course of the project in an organized and accessible way.
Establish (in collaboration with the Oral History team consultants,) a standardized methodology, procedures, checklist and minimum requirements for acceptance of Oral History into the permanent Crownsville Hospital Archives Collection. Identify and implement innovative yet sensitive ways to promote, distribute, and encourage use of the oral history collections for research purposes, for students, and with the general public.
Serve as the County liaison with Oral History team consultants, and facilitate the acquisition, processing and curation of interviews into the appropriate repositories;
Engage with the the Oral History team consultants and the community to assist in scheduling and capturing interviews;
Assist in post-processing of interviews, transcription and editing of video and audio files of interviews for archiving and digital publication, and identify keywords and themes for indexing purposes;
Assist the Oral History team with authenticating and interpreting statements made by interviewees, researching and ensuring quality control on background information to accompany transcripts and audio files;
Process and curate submitted oral histories in a form to make them a publicly accessible resource, and ensure quality controls are met on all deliverables.
Plan, schedule, advertise and implement a series of Oral History Workshops for citizens and students, to build capacity within the community to help professional oral historians collect additional oral histories using best practices.
Workshops will train citizen volunteers and students to gather additional stories within and beyond the scope of this three-year project according to accepted standards by sharing protocols, best practices, methods and techniques.
The Research Associate will acquire, set up and maintain "Oral History Starter Kits" with supporting guidelines for use, to make available "on-loan" to students and community members who participate in the workshops.
The position will report directly to the Project Manager and Lead Archivist on the Crownsville Hospital Archives Project, who will work under the direction of the Program Administrator for the Cultural Resources section in the Office of Planning and Zoning.

The position is hybrid, with the primary work location at the Crownsville Archives and Collections warehouse and office in Annapolis, MD. Duties will require remote and off site work at the hospital campus in Crownsville, the Maryland State Archives, out in the community and in the homes and churches of oral history subjects.

Required Experience/Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in oral history, digital editing, folk studies, library information science, collections or archives management, museum studies, or public history. Preference will be given to candidates with graduate level coursework, or certifications/ continuing education related to Oral History work through accepted professional organizations such as the Oral History Association or the Society for American Archivists. Considerable years (five-plus years) of demonstrated experience in lieu of education will be considered.

Two or more years of experience conducting, processing, transcribing and indexing oral history interviews according to best practices of the field including understanding privacy, confidentiality, and ethical considerations.

Experience curating oral histories as archival collections, creating metadata descriptions, and organizing audio and video materials.

Experience working with and collecting oral histories documenting the stories of historically marginalized communities, and with the digital and online presentation of complex and sensitive historical topics.

Knowledge of recent trends in oral history practice, including familiarity with the latest advances in the use of AI and automated transcription tools.

General knowledge of best practices in public history, community archives, historic interpretation and interpretive planning, and museum practices.

A successful applicant shall also have:

Strong project management, organizational, and communication skills;
Ability to work both remotely and onsite at any Anne Arundel County location;
Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team, and
A sound understanding of regional African American history, segregation and /or mental health in the US during the Jim Crow era.