Collections Assistant
- Program stream:
- Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations
- Job title:
- Collections Assistant
- Organization name:
- Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
- Job location:
- Burnaby, British Columbia
- Length of assignment:
- 2018-05-15 to 2018-08-11 (12 weeks)
- Hourly wage:
- $15.00
Nikkei National Museum
6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby BC
604 777-7000
Period of employment: April 24 – 29 (for Spring Institute) and May 15 – August 25, 2018 (16 weeks total)
Hours: 9:30 am – 5pm Tuesday to Saturday
Salary: $15.00 per hour
The mandate of the Nikkei National Museum (NNM) is to honour, preserve, and share Japanese culture and Japanese Canadian history and heritage for a better Canada. Currently the collections include more than 25,000 photographs, 450 oral history recordings, over 30metres of archival and textual materials, and over 2000 artefacts.
Job description:
The Collections Assistants, under direction from the museum staff, will participate in Landscapes of Injustice (LOI), a major collections-related project looking at the dispossession of property from Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. The Nikkei National Museum is a community partner on this significant project and in 2018, is in year five of seven. The Landscapes of Injustice Project focuses on archival material including personal papers, letters, photographs, community directories, as well as artefacts, related to the history of Japanese Canadians and the internment years. From 1942-1946, over 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from the west coast and sent to internment camps in the interior of BC, or other work camps across Canada. They lost all of their property, including cars and boats, businesses, and many of their personal belongings. They also lost access to education and job opportunities. This is the first in-depth study to try to track and quantify the actual losses to the community. As part of their training, the Collections Assistants will have a chance to participate in an in-depth Spring Institute offered by the University of Victoria.
Project years one to four were foundational research years that have unearthed historically valuable archival records and identified key fonds connected to the forced dispersal and dispossession of the Japanese Canadian community. In year five, the project will begin the transition to the knowledge mobilization phase. The Collections Assistants will identify archival records of significance to the project, and assist with archival arrangement, description, and digitization in order to make them accessible for project scholars. The goal is to add over 1000 descriptions to our online database by the end of 2018. Collections Assistants will also embark on a new task of transferring the NNM database descriptions relevant to the LOI project to the new AToM database to further public access and will assist in finalizing the procedures manual.
The work will take place within the Nikkei National Museum so there will be a ready exchange of information and experience with other museum staff and the opportunity to immerse in the workings of a small, community-based, culturally significant heritage institution. The Collections Assistants will gain experience in the daily operations of the museum including but not limited to care and handling, acquisition and donor relations, archival arrangement, description following national standards, digitization following international best practices, condition reporting, database management, environment and storage management, museum standards and policy, research procedures, and writing. Opportunities to submit articles to community publications are available, including the Nikkei National Museum’s eNews, our periodical print and electronic publication Nikkei Images, the Nikkei Voice newspaper, the Bulletin-Geppo journal, and the Landscapes of Injustice newsletter. Collections Assistants may also participate in supporting NNM staff with museum/education programs, gift shop sales, and exhibition installation. The Collections Assistants will engage in public outreach at special eventswhere information on the LOI project will be shared. The NNM participates in the Salmon Days Festival in Steveston, the Powell Street Festival in Vancouver, and the Nikkei Matsuri Festival in Burnaby (optional).
The Collections Assistants must be organized and detail oriented and will perform other related duties as required. They will acquire and enhance a range of skills in communication, information management, problem solving, strategic planning, leadership skills, personal management, and collaborative environments under direction of museum staff. The setting will provide experience in cultural diversity, working as a team, working collaboratively with other programs and exhibitions, and the importance of preserving history for future generations.
Skills required
Student in the field of history, anthropology, museum studies, curatorial studies, or library and archival studies.
Must be a current full-time student between the ages of 16 and 30 and intend to return to your studies in the fall.
Good level of computer literacy including spreadsheets, database software, email.
Familiar with the Rules of Archival Description.
Familiar with preservation and conservation.
Fluent in English with excellent writing skills. Advanced Japanese language would be an asset.
Knowledge of Canadian History/Japanese Canadian History an asset.
Candidates will be chosen on the basis of their skill level and ability, therefore we welcome all applicants regardless of race, gender or disability.
Applications
Please forward applications with resume by email to:
Sherri Kajiwara - skajiwara@nikkeiplace.org
Applications will be accepted until April 10th.
POSITION IS DEPENDENT ON GRANT FUNDING
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Location
The Nikkei National Museum is located in the heart of Metro Vancouver, a 10 minute walk from the Edmonds Skytrain station, with easy access by public transit and car. There is free parking underground. Nearby attractions include the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, the Burnaby Village Museum, the Burnaby Art Gallery, and the Edmonds Community Centre. Metrotown Mall is 3km away and downtown Vancouver is 20km away. www.nikkeiplace.orgwww.burnaby.ca/Things-To-Do/Visitor-Resources/Attractions.html
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