Archivist

The Hospitaller Order of St. John of God is an Order of the Catholic Church, drawing its inspiration from the life, example and teaching of its founder – St. John of God, who ministered in a manner of hospitality that characterizes the mission of the Order to the present day.

The term ‘Order’ also includes the persons and activities of thousands of Co-workers, men and women, who, throughout the world, provide a wide range of health care and social welfare programs in centers and services that perpetuate the work for the poor, sick and needy commenced by St. John of God in the first half of the 16th century in Granada and southern Spain. Today, the Order’s mission is present in 52 countries on 5 continents.

The Order in North America comprises various centres in Canada and the United States, overseen by men who belong to the religious family popularly known as the Brothers of St. John of God. Although the number of religious men has been waning over the years, like many other religious institutions, it is very evident that more persons are being assisted by the Order throughout the world today, than ever before in its history.

How you will make an impact:

As the Archivist for the Province of the Good Shepherd, you will enhance the dignity and quality of life of our members through your responsibility for managing the historical records and heritage items of the Province of the Good Shepherd in North America.

Our values of hospitality, quality, respect, responsibility, and spirituality are demonstrated through your respectful care, assessment, and attention to detail of the historical, business and personal records of the Province. This is achieved through professional collaboration with appropriate community and ministry resources and the accurate maintenance of records.

By welcoming and being respectfully present and hospitable to others, the Archivist models the Mission, Vision, and Values within the Administration Department of the Province of the Good Shepherd in North America.

Among other duties, the Archivist will:

• Perform administrative tasks such as setting goals, writing reports, communications related to archival materials and history of the Brothers, participating in budget preparation, and preparing applicable policies and procedures consistent with best practices for archive management and preservation, etc.
• Assume responsibility for the collection, preservation, care and management of records and documents that are intended to preserve the past for the benefit of the future.
• Assume responsibility for cataloguing and managing valuable collections that have deep historical value.
• Assume responsibility for selecting, retrieving, and managing various materials for the sake of preservation.
• Respond to enquiries from persons requesting information, as directed and within the established procedures.
• Respond to and liaise with archivists from other Provinces of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, Diocese of the Catholic Church, and other institutions to assist with historical information gathering and preservation. Build and maintain strong professional relationships with the archival and library science community including participating in collaborative efforts and providing professional advice, when appropriate.
• Preserve and catalogue objects/artifacts, documents and records to professional museum standards and archival records according to the Rules of Archival Description (RAD) and to copy/transfer films/videos, photographs, and audio tapes to reliable and readily retrievable formats as may evolve from time to time.
• Research and record the historically significant, origin and value of archival materials.
• Coordinate and organize events and programs regarding collections such as workshops, lectures, and exhibitions etc.
• Establish protocols and guidelines towards accessing and using archive materials.
• Discover and locate new material and work towards their acquisition and or display.
• Recommend, implement and operate a safe and secure archive database program.
• Review restricted records, and records subject to copyright, and advise on privacy and copyright law including administration of requests for reproduction and publication of archival material.
• Conduct and/or participate in oral history research with Brothers and key lay people involved in the history of the Province.
• Provide records management advice to the Provincial Leadership and implement records retention policies and procedures for both print and electronic records in the archive office.
• Prepare an annual report to the Provincial Leadership, including analysis of user and web site statistics.
• Initiate and administer grant projects, as appropriate; and
• Provide training and direction to temporary archival staff and volunteers.

What you will bring to our team:

• Experience/Education in Post-Graduate studies in Archive management and retention or Library and Information Science degree.
• A minimum of 1 to 3 years of experience working as an Archivist, managing archival collections in textual and non-textual formats; for example, letters, manuscripts, business records, photographs, audio records, video recordings and digital files.
• Familiarity with standards and practices for digitization.
• Strong documentation skills and computer knowledge. Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Word/Excel/Publisher/Power Point) and Archive database programs.
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, communication and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks and set priorities, as well as to maintain teamwork which may include sharing work overload.
• A genuine interest in history is an asset.
• A valid Driver’s license is required.

The Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, is an equal opportunity employer operating within an anti-racist and anti-oppression framework. We strive to establish workplaces that reflect and are enhanced by the rich diversity of the community we serve.

The Order welcomes and encourages applications from all people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.