Collections Technician

Collections Technician

Department: Collections & Archives

The Chicago Academy of Sciences seeks to fill a part-time Collections Technician position with its Collections & Archives Department. Reporting to the Senior Director of Collections, the Technician will work closely with the Collections Manager and Senior Director to assist with a range of projects to achieve departmental initiatives of preservation, access, and development of the collections. This position will be stationed primarily at the Academy’s off-site collections facility in the Ravenswood neighborhood and may occasionally conduct work at the Nature Museum in Lincoln Park.

Principle duties and responsibilities:

• Assist with processing items, including cataloguing, databasing, labeling, establishing appropriate housing, and integrating into storage. This may be with all manner of types of objects, from vertebrate, invertebrate, botanical, fossil, cultural, archival, library, etc.

• Digitally image objects using a flatbed scanner or digital SLR camera and imaging software. Embed descriptive, technical, and administrative metadata into image files.

• Assist with projects to expand access to the Academy’s collections, including cleaning data for migration into data portals, creating visual representations of data through maps, charts, and other diagrams, georeferencing, collection tours, and other activities.

• Carefully handle irreplaceable natural history objects and associated data to maintain specimen and data integrity.

• Assist with facility management activities, including integrated pest management, environmental monitoring, and storage maintenance to ensure collection preservation.

• Assist with sharing department activities with public audiences including through blogs and social media, as well as participating in museum events.

Qualifications:

• Must have strong organizational skills and attention to detail; be reliable; able to follow directions precisely; and have effective time management skills.

• Possess good communication skills, both written and oral.

• Must have good interpersonal skills and work well with other staff, volunteers, and visitors.

• Able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

• Able to carry out research through hard copy references or online resources. Able to solve problems creatively.

• Good physical coordination and ability to handle fragile objects. Ability to work within 32-inch aisles, climb ladders, and lift 25 pounds.

• Comfortable working with computers and learning new software and equipment. Technicians will use CAS/PNNM’s online collections management system, Arctos (http://arctos.database.museum/); Adobe Photoshop, Bridge, and other imaging software; GeoLocate and online mapping resources; as well as other software and online resources.

• High school diploma, some university experience. Preference for those interested in working with museum collections and natural history.

Who We Are: The Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (CAS/PNNM) has a history of connecting people with nature and science for over 160 years. Originally founded as an institution of scientific discourse and learning among scientists and nature enthusiasts, we continue to build on our legacy of natural history exploration and education at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum through immersive exhibits, critical conservation and research initiatives, public engagement, and education programming. Our mission is to create a positive relationship between people and nature through collaborations, education, research and collections, exhibitions and public forums to grow our region’s urban connection to the world of nature and science.

The natural history collections are interdisciplinary and consist of approximately 300,000 specimens and artifacts from zoological and earth science disciplines to cultural heritage items that date from the 1830s to the present. The archives include institutional records, manuscript collections, and an audiovisual collection. The library is focused on the natural sciences and includes monographs and serials. Find out more at http://www.naturemuseum.org/.

Compensation: This is a part-time position (20-24 hours per week). Compensation is $18.00 per hour. Regular schedule would fall within the collections facility hours of Tuesday – Saturday, 9am-5pm, and set with supervisor. Occasional weekend days required to participate in programs and events.

How to apply: Please send your resume and a cover letter in PDF format to hr-colltech @naturemuseum . org. Application deadline is July 31, 2024. No phone calls please. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

The Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the organization. We strongly encourage applications from people of color and members of underrepresented groups.