Archive cataloguer

at  Royal Society

Job Scope:
The position is for a temporary member of archive cataloguing staff who will be based in the Royal Society Library as part of a curatorial team responsible for the Society’s historical collections for a twelve-month contract.
The post is focused on creating new archival catalogue entries for 19th century and 20th century collections of significant scientists who were Fellows of the Royal Society. The post will be expected to produce a minimum of 6,000 catalogue entries within one year, commencing with the papers of the Irish physicist Sir Joseph Larmor (1857-1942). Once this series is complete, there will be the opportunity to work on other scientific and administrative collections, some of which will be subject of digitisation exercises. Cataloguing personal papers will allow the post-holder to gain experience in the professional judgments necessary in applying principals of appraisal and arrangement.
In tandem with cataloguing, the post will also improve existing, but dated, or incomplete, name authority records of past Fellows on the Royal Society’s biographical database of scientists. This is intended to update biographical information in the light of contemporary scholarship, and to support ethical cataloguing.
Additionally, the post-holder will contribute to reading room supervision and the provision of services in the Royal Society’s rare materials reading room; and to outreach activities, such as compiling blogs about aspects of their work.
This postholder will use the Royal Society’s own internal records as well as other reference resources. Cataloguing will be carried out using Axiell-CALM cataloguing software initially (the software will be subject to replacement during 2025/6). The records will be available to researchers on the website version of this resource. Descriptions must be clear, concise, thorough, and coherent and should conform to both international standards of archival description (ISAD-G and ISAAR (CPF)) and internal Royal Society guidelines for catalogue and authority entry construction.

THE POST HOLDER WILL BE SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE (DBS) CHECKS.

Reports to: Head of Library & Information Services
Pay band: B
Salary: £30,953
Contract type: 12 Months FTC
Hours: 35
Location: Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus the option for some hybrid remote working
Closing date for applications: 6 December 2024
Interviews will be held: Monday 6 January 2025

Responsibilities:

• Cataloguing of selected archival collections to monthly and annual targets.
• Responsibility for the security, proper handling, storage and care of historical materials.
• Participating in revisions to existing cataloguing description and authority files.
• Reading room supervision and materials retrieval
• Promoting work undertaken on the archives via blogs and social media.
• Accurate logging of progress and updates made to the catalogue.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required:
Candidates should have a postgraduate qualification in archives and records management, other relevant information management subject, or equivalent workplace experience. We will also consider candidates working towards a postgraduate qualification in a relevant information management subject or seeking pre-course experience.
Experience of working with archives, particularly handling and palaeographic skills, but also understanding and interpreting paper records.
Experience of working with archival or hierarchical databases and management of large data sets.
Good keyboarding skills and working knowledge of Microsoft office applications. Some experience of working with the Axiell-CALM software would be helpful but is not essential.
Knowledge or interest in 19th - 20th century history of science would be helpful, but not essential.
Expertise in digital humanities methodologies also desirable, but not essential.
Competencies:

• Cataloguing of selected archival collections to monthly and annual targets.
• Responsibility for the security, proper handling, storage and care of historical materials.
• Participating in revisions to existing cataloguing description and authority files.
• Reading room supervision and materials retrieval
• Promoting work undertaken on the archives via blogs and social media.
• Accurate logging of progress and updates made to the catalogue