Abyssinian Baptist Church                                           

                         132 Odell Clark Place
                         (Formerly 138th St.)
                          New York, NY 10030

                                                                                      http://abyssinian.org/

                                                                                      212.862.7474

 

 

ARCHIVIST JOB DESCRIPTION

 

Overview

 

Founded in 1808, Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest African American churches in the country.  It was formed by a group of African Americans (12 women and 4 men) who refused to accept segregated seating in the First Baptist Church of New York City. The church name was inspired by the ancient name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia.  The rich history of the Abyssinian Baptist Church includes strong, visionary pastors and an extraordinary congregation.  The Church’s mission is “to win more souls for Christ through evangelism, pastoral care, Christian education, social service delivery, and community development.”

 

Reporting to Senior Pastor and working collaboratively with the Archives & History Ministry, the Archivist provides staff leadership to the collection and preservation of the historical records and memorabilia of The Abyssinian Baptist Church, and education of the congregation and the community about the significance of the Church.

 

Primary responsibilities

• Collect, preserve, care, and manage sacred records, archival materials and Special Collections which illustrate the growth and development of the Abyssinian Baptist Church and its history of contributions to the spiritual, social, cultural, and political life of the African American community, New York City and American society.

• Arrange and describe these materials according to archival principles and make them accessible to the public on a regular basis unless access is restricted by legal requirements or written agreements with the donor.
• Analyze a wide range of materials such as documents, painting, films, maps, videos, etc. to examine their physical condition, authenticity, and historical context.
• Maintain and design organizational techniques to ensure that all archive materials can be easily traced and identified including developing metadata, preparing indices, digitization, etc.
• Negotiate the accession of new collection from prospective donors
• In collaboration with the Archives & History Ministry promote the collection and make archives and historical collections accessible to a wide variety of people.
• Assist virtual and in-person researchers and members of the congregation needing information about the collection. 
• Collaborate with partnering faith, academic, civic, and other institutions
• Curate materials to be featured in publications and exhibitions internal and external to the Church.
• Work with community partners on programming and increasing awareness of collections and social justice issues related to the collections
• Hire, train, and supervise student assistants and volunteers to assist with reference and outreach work
• Maintain and enhance knowledge of best practices, trends, and issues related to Special Collections & Archives activities and develop the skills required to maintain a high level of professional proficiency.

 

Qualifications

• American Library Association (ALA) accredited master’s degree in Archival Studies, Information and Library Science or relevant advanced degree
• Minimum of three years post-grad professional experience working in an archive preferred. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of archival best practices, principles, and current trends
• Demonstrated experience providing reference, instruction, and/or programming to diverse constituencies
• Demonstrated commitment to excellent customer service
• Fluency in the complete MS Office suite and other digital applications.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Highly organized, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently or collaboratively on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work with a diverse group of users and colleagues.
• Familiarity with African American History and religious history preferred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submit specified application materials to mbutler522@gmail.com.