We are hiring!

September 6, 2023 News | Nouvelles

We are hiring! 

UM Franco American Programs is looking for a graduate student and several undergraduate students to help us digitize cultural heritage collections. You will be an integral part of a multi-institutional digitization project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Contact Susan Pinette (spinette@maine.edu) or Lisa Michaud (Lisam@maine.edu) for more information and/or to submit your cover letter and C.V.

Undergraduate Students

Hi there! Come and join our team! The Franco American Centre on campus is a welcoming, student-centered space. No French language necessary.

We are looking for someone to help us with our archive and this grant-funded project. We have lots of different papers and holdings that need to be organized.  We’d train you in what we need help on. The job hours are flexible.  We usually hire 4-5 students who help us with different projects who also work at the Franco Centre with us. We also have lots of community people who drop by at various times and come for programs and events. Comfort with French language and sensitivity to issues around bilingualism not required but helpful. We strive to make the Franco American Centre a welcoming space for all.

This job requires you to have a workstudy award.  Email Susan (spinette@maine.edu) or Lisa (Lisam@maine.edu) if you have questions or want to apply.

Graduate Assistantship

UM Franco American Programs is looking for a highly motivated graduate student to help us digitize cultural heritage collections on a grant-funded position. This Graduate Student Assistant will be a key player in the completion of a multi-institutional digitization project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Under the supervision of a Project Manager and Director of Franco American Programs, and with the guidance of a 9-member project advisory board, they will be responsible for digitizing objects and creating metadata for the discovery of these objects online. Contact Susan Pinette (spinette@maine.edu) for more information and/or to submit your cover letter and C.V.

Date: Fall 2023, ideally October 1, 2023

Salary: $1,900-$2,000/month + half of graduate insurance + 6-9 tuition credits.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Work with Project Manager/Archivist to scan and digitize materials following professional standards, best practices, and grant-funded project requirements;
  • Prepare print and photographic materials for scanning, which may include creating or updating an inventory, unpackaging, disbinding, or flattening fragile materials; repackaging materials;
  • Perform quality control of master images, edit images as needed, and create access derivatives, multiple object PDFs, and thumbnails;
  • Run OCR software and perform quality control on OCR text files;
  • Create metadata under the supervision of the Project Manager/Archivist;
  • Prepare metadata and ingest materials into UMaine Digital Commons and FADA/PFA (https://francoamericandigitalarchives.org/);.
  • Coordinate and manage social media presence of FADA/PFA
  • Request or acquire equipment or supplies necessary for the project
  • Manage and respond to project related email
  • Prepare, maintain, and update website materials
  • Assist in the supervision of undergraduate students working on the research project (maintaining records on assignment completion, acting as liaison/mediator between the undergraduate students and the faculty researcher)
  • Attend project meetings
  • Attend trainings, conferences, and other meetings as necessary
  • Summarize project results
  • Prepare progress reports as needed
  • Prepare other articles, newsletter write-ups, reports, and presentations
  • Other relevant duties as assigned

Knowledge and Skills Qualifications:

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent years of service and/or library/archives coursework
  • Experience with standard office software including Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, the Microsoft Office suite, and Adobe Photoshop
  • Demonstrated sensitivity in handling fragile archival materials
  • Effective analytical, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and as a member of a team

Preferred

  • French language reading competency
  • One year of experience working in library or archival setting
  • Demonstrated knowledge of 19th- and 20th-century Franco American history
  • Experience in digitizing archival materials, including running OCR software
  • Experience with digital content management systems and web resources

Stipend and Benefits: This position pays $$19,00-$2,000/month. In addition, graduate assistants receive a tuition waiver of up to 9 credits per semester and half of the graduate student health insurance premium.

Supervision: This position reports to the  Director of Franco American Programs and the Program Manager of the project; they will collaborate closely with other members of the research team. Position responsibilities may include task supervision for undergraduate students.

Work Schedule: Normal University of Maine business hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm. Work outside of normal business hours may be necessary in order to maintain project workflow and meet project deadlines.This position is a full 12-month appointment. A virtual work assignment can be arranged in consultation with the position supervisor.

Work Environment: Work will be performed in office. Workload priorities may need to be shifted and schedules changed in order to maintain project workflow and meet project deadlines. Position may require some travel between collaborating institutions and project sites.

Position Type: This is a temporary, part-time, grant-funded appointment.