Museum Assistant
- Program stream:
- Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations
- Job title:
- Museum Assistant
- Organization name:
- Pender Islands Museum Society
- Job location:
- Pender Island, British Columbia
- Length of assignment:
- 2018-06-04 to 2018-08-17 (10.57 weeks)
- Hourly wage:
- $17.00
Position: Museum Assistant
Reports to: Simone Marler, Vice Chair, on behalf of the Pender Islands Museum Society
Why apply to the Pender Islands Museum? Our goal is to be a “great small museum” that serves our vibrant island community of 2,500 and its many visitors by telling local stories that connect past and present. We do this by preserving and interpreting a historic farm-resort building and its collection of local artifacts and archival records. The museum is open every weekend from Easter to Thanksgiving.
Our volunteer-run and donor-funded museum had a great year in 2017 with a 95% increase in visitation over 2016, largely through enhanced programs and communications. The Board laid the groundwork for a Strategic Planning process with a consultant review of the museum's visitor experience, balanced by ongoing efforts on the artifact and archival collection. We believe we can expose a keen student to the diverse elements that will help keep this momentum going, while building valuable skills in the museum or related field.
Your Assignment: As the successful candidate, you will support and gain hands-on experience across two core museum functions:
1. Programs, Visitor Services and Communications (~60% of time)
• Support delivery of special events with community partners; plan and organize new museum-only event(s)
• Promote/deliver education programs and activity-based programs for children's camps/family groups
• Promote and work with volunteers to deliver guided visits outside of regular hours
• Write, design and distribute range of communications materials to promote museum events (e.g. posters, flyers, ads and social media posts) and to build value for museum society members (e.g. Summer newsletter, all-member emails)
2. Collections Support (~40% of time)
• Building on 2014-15 project, continue cataloguing/photographing museum collections, registering them in existing database; opportunity to research/recommend conservation best practices
• For selected artifacts or groups of artifacts of key significance, research and track down provenance, adding information to the database
Qualifications: You are pursuing post-secondary studies in a relevant field such as museum studies, heritage/cultural resource management, teaching, library science, tourism or communications, coupled with the right “fit” for the job:
• Your positive attitude, willingness to learn, take initiative and see things through, and mature approach are keys to a successful work term.
• Your strengths include effective communication (written, verbal); you enjoy research and are adept at gaining master of a new computer program.
• You have the ability to work on several projects at the same time (while knowing when to ask for clarification), and you accomplish this by being creative, well-organized, and paying attention to detail and quality.
• You’ve shown that you can interact and network well with volunteers and visitors of all ages.
• You’re okay working independently on repetitive/administrative tasks, knowing these add value to the “big picture”, and that these will be balanced with times when you’ll be teaming up with others to deliver programs/events.
• Key assets include website/social media savvy; a flare for computer graphics/design; knowledge of and involvement in the local community; and valid driver’s license.
Terms:
• 11 weeks from June 4 - August 17, 2018
• 35hrs / week with occasional weekend work for special events, with time in lieu as compensation
• Pay: $17.00/hour paid bi-weekly
• Orientation to the role and cataloguing/database training provided, as well as ongoing coaching; contact with relevant professionals from other museums will be encouraged
• Work location: Pender Islands Museum
How to apply: Please send a letter outlining your interest in the position plus your resume of qualifications to the attention of Simone Marler, Board Vice Chair pendermuseum@shaw.ca
Application Deadline: May 11, 2018
About Pender Island: Pender Island, BC is one of BC’s Southern Gulf Islands, located in the Salish Sea between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Originally one island, the Penders became two in 1903 when a canal was dredged through a narrow isthmus and spanned by a one-lane bridge in 1955, as it is today. The islands are home to about 2,500 permanent residents, as well as regular weekenders and a large seasonal population with a strong community spirit. The islands’ beauty, tranquility and fragile natural environment have given the area national recognition. (The museum building—a 1908 farm-resort home—is leased from Parks Canada and surrounded by the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.) Pender Island has a vibrant culture of artists and artisans; a weekly Farmers' Market; first-rate winery and cidery; scenic golf course; hiking, cycling and kayaking where wildlife abounds; and a stand-out Disc Golf Course.
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