Digital AV Preservation Specialist for Archival Media

International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives; Calgary; On-site; CAD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Calgary is seeking an Audiovisual Preservation Technician to join a Mellon Foundation-funded media reformatting project. The role focuses on selecting, transferring, and preserving digitized media while ensuring accessibility of archival audiovisual collections.

Responsibilities include managing reformatting workflows, evaluating equipment, and maintaining metadata quality. The position is a full-time fixed term for approximately 12 months with potential extension.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary training in audio or audio-visual engineering, production, preservation or archival studies with a specialization in media preservation.
• Knowledge of obsolete sound and video carriers, playback equipment, transfer technologies and digital formats.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Hands-on experience in an audio studio or archive preserving audiovisual collections.
• Knowledge of preservation reformatting standards.
• Experience applying standards in a deadline-driven environment.
• Familiarity with archival collections or repositories.
• Ability to research playback equipment and software for purchase.
• Knowledge of metadata standards.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Advanced playback equipment troubleshooting with legacy formats and equipment.

Responsibilities

• Provide proficient technical support and highly skilled work of considerable complexity.
• Participate in workflow design, development and quality control.
• Provide preservation and reformatting services for sound and video recordings.
• Transfer analogue to digital, including reel-to-reel, U-matic, Betamax, VHS, and cassette formats.
• Research reformatting options for various audio/video formats.
• Select and purchase equipment and software for the project in collaboration with staff.
• Develop workflows for a new reformatting initiative.
• Prioritize reformatting with archivists and project staff.
• Assess and prepare materials for reformatting.
• Ensure quality of digital transfers and create technical metadata for digital files.
• Direct day-to-day operations of reformatting workflows.
• Collaborate to develop workflows, access methods, and tools for digitized materials.

Job description

The University of Calgary is seeking an Audiovisual Preservation Technician to join a Mellon Foundation-funded media reformatting project. The role focuses on selecting, transferring, and preserving digitized media while ensuring accessibility of archival audiovisual collections.

Responsibilities include managing reformatting workflows, evaluating equipment, and maintaining metadata quality. The position is a full-time fixed term for approximately 12 months with potential extension.