Archive + Collection Manager

The Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Video Data Bank at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago seeks an Archive + Collection Manager to oversee technical services supporting curation, access, and distribution. You will manage physical and digital collections, ensuring long-term preservation and accessibility across websites and streaming platforms.

As part of the Library + Special Collections, you will recruit and supervise student workers, collaborate with artists, faculty, and external partners, and contribute to policy

Qualifications

• ALA-accredited graduate degree in Library and/or Information Science or related field with media archives experience.
• 4+ years experience with digitization, preservation, and reformatting workflows for media collections.
• Commitment to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion; ability to work with diverse populations.
• Deep knowledge of preservation theory for video formats.
• Knowledge of metadata and cataloging schema for moving image/video collections.
• Experience handling video formats and digital assets inspection.
• Experience with digital video editing and transcoding for exhibition.

Responsibilities

• Manages all aspects of collections management, access, and preservation.
• Maintains intellectual control of the collection through databases and other collection management resources; ensures storage and maintenance of all equipment and infrastructure related to collections and space storage needs.
• Ensures preservation of the collection and migration from obsolete and degrading tape formats; and digitization of analog collections.
• Coordinates distribution and fulfillment of faculty and external client orders in physical and digital formats.
• Works with colleagues campus-wide to develop, maintain, and promote our collections and programs.
• Collaborates with artists to acquire high-quality masters and process files for distribution; handles intake of new work.
• Processes digital files for distribution and archival purposes, ensuring high-quality access.
• Creates still images for publication and promotional needs as part of distribution.
• Coordinates class visits and onsite screening room access for students, researchers, and the public.
• Ensures information about collections, artists, and artworks is accurate on the VDB website; creates pages for artworks.
• Manages storage for physical media, promotional materials, equipment, and general office supplies.
• Oversees facilities needs for VDB office and storage spaces.
• Oversees maintenance and repair schedules and acquisition of new equipment.
• Responsible for recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervision of student workers.
• Manages paper archives related to the video art collection.
• Contributes to project planning and policy development for the VDB.
• Works closely with SAIC faculty and students to support research and teaching needs.
• Represents VDB in external media arts and special collections communities.

Skills

Archival experience

Digital video editing

Metadata knowledge

Video handling

Education

ALA-accredited graduate degree in Library and/or Information Science

Job description

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

Founded at SAIC in 1976, Video Data Bank (VDB) is a nationally recognized leader in preserving, distributing, and studying contemporary video and media art. As one of the country’s most significant collections of artist-produced video, VDB maintains over 6,000 titles by over 600 artists and supports access to groundbreaking works through education, research, preservation, and distribution.

About the Department

Founded at SAIC in 1976, Video Data Bank (VDB) is a nationally recognized leader in preserving, distributing, and studying contemporary video and media art. As one of the country’s most significant collections of artist-produced video, VDB maintains over 6,000 titles by over 600 artists and supports access to groundbreaking works through education, research, preservation, and distribution.

Position Summary

Founded at SAIC in 1976, the Video Data Bank (VDB) is a leading resource in the United States for video by and about contemporary artists. As part of a collaborative and dynamic team at SAIC’s Library + Special Collections, the Archive + Collection Manager of the Video Data Bank (VDB) administers the technical services required to support the curatorial, instructional, access, and distribution functions of VDB. Has oversight for the collection preservation, storage, and management of physical and digital collections, and contributes to collection development and processing. Manages digital assets, and maintains and organizes digital collections to ensure accessibility via the website and streaming platforms. This is an onsite role.

Responsibilities

• Manages all aspects of collections management, access, and preservation.
• Maintains intellectual control of the collection through databases and other collection management resources; ensures the storage and maintenance of all equipment and infrastructure related to collections and space storage needs--for both physical and digital collections.
• Ensures preservation of the collection and migration from obsolete and degrading tape formats; and digitization of analog collections.
• In coordination with the Distribution Manager works to ensure SAIC faculty and external client orders are fulfilled in a timely manner--this includes both physical and digital formats and processes.
• Works with colleagues throughout the campus and the external art, library, and archival communities to develop, maintain, and promote our collections and programs, in furtherance of the School’s goals and interests.
• Collaborates with the VDB team and artists to acquire high-quality masters, and process files for distribution; manages the processing and intake of new work into the collection; works with artists to acquire better copies of old masters.
• Processes digital files for distribution and archival purposes, ensure high-quality access to the VDB's collection.
• Responsible for creating and providing still images for publication and promotional needs as part of the distribution program
• Coordinates class visits as well as onsite screening room access for students, researchers, and general public.
• Ensures information about collections, artists, and artworks are accurate and up-to-date on the VDB website. Creates website pages for artworks.
• Manages and organizes storage for physical media, VDB promotional materials, equipment, and general office supplies.
• Oversees facilities needs regarding the VDB office and storage spaces.
• Oversight of the maintenance and repair schedule and the acquisition and installation of new equipment. Performs basic maintenance and repairs to equipment. Planning acquisition of new equipment.
• Responsible for recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervision of student workers.
• Manages paper archives related to the video art collection
• Contributes to project planning and the development of policies and procedures for the VDB, as needed.
• Works closely and independently with SAIC faculty and students to support their research and teaching needs.
• Represents VDB in the external media arts and special collections communities, maintains strong working relationships with colleagues at other specialized resource centers within and outside of the School of Art Institute.
• Other responsibilities, projects, and tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• ALA-accredited graduate degree in Library and/or Information Science or a related field with substantial relevant experience working with media archives
• Four plus years experience with and knowledge of best practices and (technologies or systems) for digitization, preservation, and reformatting workflows related to media collections.
• Commitment to the educational mission of the School and demonstrated knowledge of the principles of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion; the ability to work well with diverse populations; and demonstrated level of cultural competence
• Deep and demonstrable knowledge of preservation theory and practices for all video formats
• Knowledge of basic metadata and cataloging schema for moving image/video collections
• Demonstrated knowledge in the identifying, handling, and inspecting video in all formats
• Experience with digital video editing, file transcoding, and preparing video files for exhibition and screening environments.