Finding Aid Creators

Save to Favorites

Disclaimer: This volunteer position requires an application that will be provided by the Dallas Jewish Historical Society once we receive notification of your interest in volunteering. Please read the full description carefully.

This position will report to the DJHS Archivist, but will occasionally also assist the Executive Director and Administrative Assistant with various clerical tasks. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Dallas Jewish community, while earning experience in a nonprofit setting!

Finding Aid volunteers will play an integral role within the organization -to improve our documentation and make the collection more accessible to the public. Finding aids help researchers locate the materials they need by letting them see what kinds of information different collections have. This is a hands-on position that will require a combination of sitting and standing, as well as some lifting and moving of boxes weighing up to 50 pounds. Training will be provided for all tasks and assignments, so no previous archives experience is required. However, we do recommend the following:

• strong organizational skills
• strong attention to detail
• proficiency with Microsoft Office
• an interest in history, historical preservation and/or collections management

Duties will include:

• Removing boxes/collections from storage
• Generating a document, in a predetermined format, that lists a summary of the collection as a whole, the boxes the collection is in, and details of the boxes’ contents
• Background research into the collection, as needed
• Saving digital and hard files of each finding aid in the proper locations
• Creation of accession or item numbers, as needed and in collaboration with the Archivist
• verifying and updating storage locations, as needed

Requirements:

We require a commitment for a minimum 3 months, with no less than 4 hours per week. Volunteer hours must be served in increments of no less than 2 hours. Each volunteer opportunity is unique and specific projects will be based on the experience, education, and interests of each applicant. Please contact our Volunteer Director and Archivist, Jessica Schneider, to find out more about the application, interview and scheduling process.

Background of the organization:

The Dallas Jewish Historical Society works to collect and preserve the papers, photographs, and artifacts that illustrate the history of the Jewish community in Dallas. We strive to keep the past alive through innovative programming, community outreach, and by making our collections accessible to our patrons and researchers. Our archive includes textual documents, maps, photographs, slides, artwork, objects, textiles, and an extensive oral history collection in various formats from vinyl to digital. Programs include the Lecture Series, the Oral History Program, Historic Bus Tours, and Photo Socials.

Our community engagement efforts and daily tasks result in a surplus of projects that include everything from filing to data entry, to research, to occasional editing and revision of outgoing communications.