[BCMA] Maritime Museum of BC - collections assistant (summer)

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Position:                 Collections Assistant

Term:                     16 weeks, beginning May 6, 2025

Schedule:               35 hours a week (Tuesday through Saturday)

Salary:                    $19.50/hour (Funding dependent)

Join the Maritime Museum of BC for a salty summer as we celebrate our 70th birthday!

The heartbeat of the museum is a remarkable collection of objects, archives, photographs, library books, and event boats, each with maritime stories to tell.
Included in the collection are approximately 35,000 artifacts, 8,500 reference books, 15,000 photographs and 554 linear feet of archives.
The collections are stored off-site away from our public downtown location. We are looking for a collections assistant to work on location under the guidance of our experienced Collections and Exhibits Manager.
THE OPPORTUNITY
For the summer of 2025 we have decided to focus on the approximately 400 navigation collection objects in the MMBC collection.  We will be cataloguing and re-storing these items in professional storage supplies for long-term preservation.

The collections assistant’s role will be to catalogue the navigation objects in the collection, ensure they are re-housed using museum appropriate supplies, and make the records accessible to the public. This includes the following steps:

Catalogue the navigation objects in the MMBC collections. This involves:
·       Looking up the object in the Past Perfect database to see what information might already exist in there for that object;
·       Searching the physical accessioning files to find all information available on that object;
·       Producing a condition report and flagging any items that require cleaning and repair work to the Collections and Exhibits Manager;
·       Entering all information available in the catalogue record, ensuring that key fields (such as location and condition) are completed;
·       Photographing the object; and
·       Uploading the photo(s) into the database record.

Re-storing the navigation objects in the MMBC collections in professional museum-quality storage supplies


THE TEAM

Our team at the MMBC is tight-knit, flexible and excited about the work we do. We work closely with an amazing and supportive group of committee volunteers. All of us come from different backgrounds which we believe is part of our strength.  We are looking for someone who know how to manage their time effectively and can easily prioritize the tasks in front of them.

This is an opportunity for someone looking to enter the museum or archives profession.  Hands-on experiential work under the mentorship of a professional collections manager will equip the candidate with skills that can be applied in a range of cultural fields.

SKILL SET
·       Able to undertake detailed tasks and follow direction
·       Problem solver
·       Digital skills
·       Ability to work closely as a team member
·       Ability to work independently when required
·       Ability to supervise and direct program participants of all ages
·       Appreciation for history, maritime heritage
·       Good communicator, sense of humour and active curiosity

MENTORSHIP

The collections assistant will work closely with the Manager of Collections and Archives to outline the goals and objectives of the project.
The student will be introduced to networking opportunities in the museum field, including professional organizations they can join, future conferences they can attend, and local events they can attend during their work term.


HOW TO APPLY

Please apply with a cover letter, resume, and three references in a single PDF to the HR Committee by email at hfeeney at mmbc.bc.ca

Applications are due at midnight on April 1, 2025 We would like to thank all applications for their interest in this position. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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