Special Collections Archivist II at The J. Paul Getty Trust

Job Description:

Latest job information from The J. Paul Getty Trust for the position of Special Collections Archivist II. If the Special Collections Archivist II vacancy in Los Angeles matches your qualifications, please submit your latest application or CV directly through the updated Jobkos job portal.

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The Getty Research Institute (GRI) seeks a motivated and knowledgeable Archivist with Spanish and Portuguese language skills for a three-year limited-term project to process three modern and contemporary Latin American collections: the Videobrasil records, the Gertrudis de Moses photographs, and the Grete Stern photographs of indigenous peoples of the Argentine Gran Chaco.

The Videobrasil records (approximately 6 pallets) document 20 editions of the program’s International Electronic Art Festival (1983-2023), which features digital art, installations, and performances by artists from the Geopolitical South–Africa, Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East. The collection materials are primarily in Portuguese and consist largely of audiovisual and born-digital materials, with a small papers component.  

The de Moses and the Stern photographs, both Spanish-language collections, will be processed following the completion of the Videobrasil records. The de Moses photographs (approximately 27 linear feet) cover the Chilean American photographer’s work from the 1920s to the 1980s, with approximately 10,000 prints and 4,400 negatives, and 30 albums comprising de Moses’s experimental work from 1938 onward, including portraits, nudes, and color images. The Stern photographs (approximately 20 linear feet) consist of the German Argentine photographer’s work documenting the indigenous inhabitants, living conditions, and landscape of the Argentine Gran Chaco from 1959 to 1964. The collection includes 176 vintage gelatin silver prints; 1,500 black-and-white and color negatives; three handmade albums compiled of sheets of annotated contact prints; as well as black-and-white and color slides. 

Reporting to the Special Collections Archivist III who will supervise the project, the Special Collections Archivist II will work independently to physically process and arrange the materials according to archival best practices; creating online finding aids in compliance with local guidelines and national standards; communicating and closely collaborating with curatorial, conservation, and digitization staff; and writing blog posts and participating in outreach activities related to the collections. 

Additional collections will be assigned if time permits. 

Located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Getty Research Institute is dedicated to cultivating advanced knowledge of art and its varied histories. Serving an international community of scholars, the Getty Library is one of the largest art and architecture libraries in the world, with holdings of more than one and a half million books and periodicals, rare books and journals, rare photographs, prints dating from the 15th century to the present, architectural drawings and models, audiovisual recordings, digital content, and extensive archives and manuscript collections.

• Create and refine processing plans for all three project collections in alignment with local procedures and in consultation with the Special Collections Archivist III overseeing the project
• Arrange, process, and re-house the Videobrasil records, the Stern photographs, and the de Moses photographs according to archival best practices, applying professional judgment to process complex collections of fragile and at-risk formats with no apparent arrangement
• Create DACS-compliant finding aids and bibliographic records for the three collections based on current standards, best practices, research, and analysis
• Makes decisions regarding storage and preservation of collection materials in consultation with others
• May train, supervise, and revise the work of others
• May facilitate digitization for select collection materials
• May answer reference questions related to the collections
• May research, write, present, and publish about collections and work activities
• May contribute to outreach activities

• MLIS from an ALA-accredited library school with emphasis on Archives; OR related Master’s degree with substantive coursework in Archives
• Fluency or reading proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese preferred; candidates with fluency or reading proficiency in one language will be considered
• Minimum 2 years of related experience processing archival collections
• Experience working with audiovisual materials, born-digital materials, and photographs preferred

Please note: This position is not eligible for employer-based immigration sponsorship. Applicants must have authorization to work for Getty in the United States without the need for sponsorship, currently or in the future.

• Strong writing and communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Ability to lift and move 40 pounds
• Ability to climb ladders
• Knowledge of contemporary art history preferred
• Knowledge of Latin American art history preferred
• Experience managing large processing projects preferred
• Knowledge of standards such as DACS, EAD, MARC, and RDA 
• Experience with ArchivesSpace or other collection management systems preferred
• Experience handling large format materials and/or artwork preferred
• Must have means of transportation to work sites at both the Getty Center in Brentwood and the Getty’s off-site facility in Valencia, approximately 30 miles to the north

Job Info:

• Company: The J. Paul Getty Trust
• Position: Special Collections Archivist II
• Work Location: Los Angeles
• Country: US

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