Dance Archivist 

(August 3, 2023)

Position Title - Dance Archivist

Supervisor Title (All entry and mid-level position supervisors should be qualified, professional archivists.)- Dr. Mark DeGarmo, Founder, Executive, and Artistic Director, and Lead Archivist

Position Type - Part-time, term

Benefits - No

Hourly wage range - $41 - $45

Mark DeGarmo Dance, an NYC-based nonprofit providing high quality,

interdisciplinary arts programming for NYC public elementary school students who live in

economically challenged and disenfranchised communities, has a history spanning more than thirty years. The purpose of this phase of the Archive Project is to safeguard the legacy of MDD by assessing and beginning to implement the systems for organizing and describing the collection. The primary components of the project are: 1) a comprehensive archives

assessment; 2) research and relationship building with potential institutional repositories; and 3) development of the systems for inventorying and organizing the materials (i.e., developing a metadata schema, controlled vocabulary, processing plan, etc.).

Responsibilities: The Dance Archivist will coordinate all aspects of the project and be

responsible for meeting deadlines and tracking deliverables to ensure timely and thorough

completion of project activities. In close collaboration with the organization, the Archivist will:

● Conduct a thorough assessment of analog and digital archival materials, identifying

preservation concerns, organizational needs, scope of materials, etc.;

● Develop schema for inventory and description of AV and non-AV collections, working

with content specialists to ensure accurate, complete, and high-quality metadata will be

captured in accordance with established project standards;

● Support the creation of manuals, workflows, and protocol that document MDD’s

archiving systems and practices;

● Research and communicate with institutional repositories identified as possible fits for

acquiring the collection. The Archivist will assist the organization in selecting a repository

partner and in ensuring that any systems put in place will align with institutional needs;

● Manage budget and track expenses.

Other responsibilities may include:

● Assist with the selection and curation of materials for digitization;

● Supervise project assistants and interns performing inventory, scanning, filing,

cataloging, and other tasks;

● Liaise with vendors to manage the batching, tracking, transfer, and return of tapes and

other materials for digitization.

Required qualifications:

● ALA-accredited Master’s in Library Science;

● Demonstrated success in completing large-scale multi-format archival processing

projects;

● Project management experience: ability to track progress toward multiple goals, meet

milestones, supervise assistants and work as part of a team;

● Strong grasp of metadata and content standards; familiarity with archival database

design, platforms, cataloging, and data migration;

● Familiarity with analog video formats and digital file formats, strong grasp of audiovisual

and digital preservation standards and best practices in digital asset management;

● Excellent communication skills and attention to detail;

● Knowledge of and interest in dance and issues in documentation and preservation of

dance or performing arts preferred.

Note on the project’s 3 phases: This position entails multiple phases. There is the potential to stay on in the future phases, if desired: Phase 1: MDD Dance Archivist works for 1 year Sep. 1, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2024. Phase 2: Sep. 1 2024 – Aug. 31, 2025. Phase 3: Dates to be determined, currently projected to start Sep. 1, 2025 for 2-3 years through Aug. 31, 2027 or 2028. Phase 1 is the preparatory work to support Phase 2. Phase 2 outcomes include a descriptive inventory and a digitization and processing plan with a process manual so that new staff can update the descriptive inventory as the collection expands. Phase 3 outcomes include implementing Phase 2’s outcomes, including the collection’s accessioning by an institutional repository.

Application Instructions: Qualified candidates should email cover letter, résumé, and 3

professional references of previous supervisors noting candidate’s relationship to each to:

search@markdegarmodance.org

MARK DEGARMO DANCE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants

will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.

All inquiries are kept confidential. No calls.

https://markdegarmodance.org