The Spurlock Museum
Volunteer Position Description

Title/Position:  Documentary Multimedia Collection Cataloguer

Position Goal:  
To assist in documenting and preserving the Museum’s Documentary Multimedia Collection (DMC) that consists of images in various formats including prints, slides, video recordings, and other media that are valuable and irreplaceable records of the Museums’ collections, activity and history.  The primary task of this volunteer position is to catalogue images. 

Sample activities:
1. Training on the proper handling of historic photographs
2. Writing visual descriptions of images
3. Entering information into a Filemaker Pro Database
4. Using a Xerox copy of original ledger from the Crocker Land Expedition to the Arctic (1913-1917).

Timeframe:

• Ongoing
• Length of commitment: 1 year
• Estimated total hours: 2-6 hours per week

Length of commitment:
1 year

Estimated total hours: 
2-6 hours per week

Scheduling: 
Volunteers will be able to set the time and days they would like to come in.  However, it is necessary to schedule volunteer hours in advance to ensure that there are enough computers available for all staff and volunteers.

Start date: 
Summer 2008                 

Location of worksite and equipment that will be required: 
Volunteer will be working with images from the Documentary Multimedia Collection and computers in the Museum’s workroom, room 011.

Qualifications sought: 
We are seeking people who can type, are comfortable entering data on computers, are detail oriented, and have an interest in working with photographic collections.

Benefits: 
Volunteers in this position will learn to handle historic photographs and other media, will become familiar with Filemaker Pro Database, will have the rare opportunity to work first hand with the Museum’s collections, and will be contributing to the documentation and preservation of an important resource for use by present and future generations of students, staff, professors, scholars, and museum visitors.

Supervisor:  Cheri Vitez, Assistant Registrar for Collections is the primary supervisor.  Amy Heggemeyer, Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions and Jennifer White, Registrar, are secondary supervisors. 
  
For questions or to apply, contact Beth Watkins, Education/Volunteer Coordinator, at ewatkins@uiuc.edu or 265-5485.

To apply please e-mail a completed application to Beth Watkins, Education/Volunteer Coordinator, at ewatkins@uiuc.edu.