Employment Opportunities
Project Archivist
Location: Dallas Historical Society, Dallas, TX
Position Type: Full-Time, Temporary (1-year contract)
Salary: Competitive salary commensurate with experience
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package available
Job Summary
The Dallas Historical Society (DHS) seeks a dedicated and detail-oriented Project Archivist to process the records of the Dallas Bar Association (DBA). This position offers a unique opportunity to work with one of the most significant legal history collections in Dallas, documenting more than 150 years of the DBA’s history. This role requires on-site work, primarily at the DHS’s off-site collection storage facility. The archivist will play a pivotal role in organizing, describing, and preserving the collection while ensuring its accessibility for future generations of researchers, historians, and legal professionals. This is a full-time, one-year contract position.
- Archival Processing: Appraise, organize, and describe the DBA collection, including documents, photographs, correspondence, publications, and multimedia materials
- Finding Aids: Develop comprehensive finding aids and inventories to ensure the collection is searchable and accessible for researchers and stakeholders
- Preservation Work: Assess and address preservation issues using basic techniques to stabilize and protect materials. Ensure proper handling and storage of the materials
- Collaboration: Work closely with DHS staff, volunteers, and the DBA to highlight the historical and professional significance of the collection. Provide guidance and support to interns or volunteers assisting with the project
- Cataloging: Maintain meticulous records of processed materials, ensuring metadata and descriptive information adhere to professional archival standards
Required:
- Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) or a related field with a focus on archival management
- 2-3 years of professional experience processing archival collections, preferably in a historical society, museum, library, or cultural heritage institution
- Familiarity with archival standards, including DACS and EAD, and principles of arrangement and description
- Experience with preservation techniques for various materials, including documents, photographs, and audiovisual formats
- Strong organizational and time management skills, and the ability to work independently
- Excellent oral and written communication skills for collaboration with diverse stakeholders
- Attention to accuracy, detail, and thorough documentation
- Physical ability to lift and move boxes weighing up to 30 pounds
Preferred:
- Experience with legal or law-related archival materials
- Familiarity with digitization and electronic records management practices
- Certification by the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA)
Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit the following:
- Resume
- Cover letter detailing your experience with archival projects
- 1-3 examples of finding aids you have created
Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position will remain open until filled. Please submit materials to Kaitlyn Price, Curator, employment@dallashistory.org.
The Dallas Historical Society is an equal-opportunity employer and strongly encourages individuals from all backgrounds to apply.
Internship Opportunities
Dallas Historical Society Internships
Each semester the Dallas Historical Society offers internships for individuals interested in a career in an archive or museum. These internships are unpaid and consist of 120 hours of on-site work experience. It is the aim that each individual will gain practical knowledge and a deeper understanding of the inner workings of a repository by applying academic training to the process and preservation of various collections.
Summer 2025 Museum Internship
Start Date: May 20, 2025
Application Deadline: April 15, 2025
The Dallas Historical Society is offering a ten-week unpaid internship for candidates seeking to gain the skills necessary in the pursuit of a career in a museum setting. Much like in a classroom, this program is designed to build upon knowledge gained each week.
Responsibilities
Tasks performed during this internship will include recording, rehousing, and photographing artifacts, creating condition reports, updating PastPerfect records, and digitizing contextual paperwork.
Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills Required
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or be currently enrolled in an ALA accredited library/information science, American history, museum studies, or public history program.
All candidates must have:
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- A sensitivity for handling fragile materials
- Experience working with databases and scanning software
- The ability to work independently
Terms
The internship will consist of ten weeks; 10:00am – 2:00pm, Tuesday through Thursday each week.
Location
The Dallas Historical Society’s off-site warehouse, Dallas, TX 75208
Application Instructions
To apply, please send your resume, with references, and cover letter by April 15, 2025, to: collections@dallashhistory.org , Attn: Jennifer Sigrist
Volunteer with the Dallas Historical Society
Texas would not be what it is today without volunteers!
So not surprisingly, the Dallas Historical Society welcomes volunteers to assist with our various programs and events. There are a variety of opportunities available.
For information about volunteering with the Dallas Historical Society please email volunteer@dallashistory.org
State Fair Volunteers
Every year the Dallas Historical Society needs volunteers to help us during the State Fair of Texas! Join our crew of volunteers who help us answer questions regarding the current exhibits, assist visitors with directions and various other duties as assigned. A special State Fair volunteer orientation is held each year during the month of September.