Postdoctoral Fellow in Community Archives & Accessibility

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The Disability Archives Lab at McGill University’s School of Information Studies invites applications for a three-year appointment as a Postdoctoral Scholar to conduct interdisciplinary research on, and contribute to the development of, community archives / critical archival studies pedagogy through a paid internship program and resource development. The position will contribute to the Mellon-funded Faculty Organizing for Community Archives Support (FOCAS) Internship & Resource Development Project. FOCAS aims to place Master of Library and Information Science graduate student interns into community archives sites while building pedagogical tools and curriculum to share across all FOCAS participants as well as other Information Science institutions working to expand archival studies learning into community contexts. The postdoctoral researcher, working in collaboration with Dr. Gracen Brilmyer and the Disability Archives Lab, will be responsible for 1) developing, supporting, and growing a local community archives internship program in addition to 2) conducting empirical research focused on disability and accessibility across community archives sites in the FOCAS program.

Experience with and knowledge in community archives, community knowledges, information studies, and archival studies are preferred, and knowledge of or lived experience with disability and accessibility is encouraged. Interdisciplinary candidates completing PhDs in fields such as Information Studies, Archival Studies, Disability Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Ethnic Studies, and related fields are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities include:

• Developing the local internship program and successfully placing student workers in community archives contexts. This will involve researching local community archives and establishing relationships, helping with the definition of projects, needs, and goals for  internships;

• Developing a community archives workshop/reading series to provide a community-archives specific curriculum component and provide students with hands-on activities to continue their education in and with community archives;

• Designing and executing a research project on disability & accessibility that uses interview-based methods at different community archives sites across the FOCAS program;

• Contributing to FOCAS collective documentation by collecting and developing community archives courses, syllabi, sample exercises and other pedagogical tools to be shared on the website; regularly participate in FOCAS meetings, workshops, and conferences;

• Overseeing graduate student research assistant in research and internship development and participating in regular (virtual) lab meetings for the Disability Archives Lab.

Some aspects of this position can be completed remotely (such as lab meetings and aspects of the research project, such as the interviews/focus groups), but other aspects (such as meeting with local archives and portions of the workshop/reading series) will require the candidate to be in Montréal.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications

• PhD in Information Studies, Archival Studies, Disability Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Ethnic Studies, and related field completed within the last 5 years

• Experience or interest in project management and planning

• Experience or interest in teaching, running workshops, or leading other types of discussion-based programming 

• Experience or interest in archival practices and community archives

• Experience or interest in conducting qualitative research (such as interviews or focus groups) on disability and accessibility

Preferred qualifications

• Knowledge of community archives

• Experience working in and with community-based projects

• An ability to work in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, including demonstrated success in working with diverse populations

• Experience in student supervision

• Written and verbal communication skills in both French and English

Salary information
$65,000 per year + benefits

Planned start and end date of appointment
August 1, 2024 - July 30, 2027

Application Instructions

• A cover letter describing your research interests and qualifications as well as addressing your interest in working on a community archives project and the Disability Archives Lab
• Curriculum vitae
• Names and contact information of two references
• A paper, dissertation chapter, or equivalent writing sample that demonstrate expertise and fit for the position

Annual Salary:

(AMURE Post-Doctoral Fellow Researcher) $45,000.00

Hours per Week:

35 (Full time)

Location:

Peel 3661

Supervisor:

Assistant Professor

Position Start Date:

2024-06-14

Position End Date:

2027-07-30

Deadline to Apply:

2024-07-07

McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected] .