Job Details

History Room Coordinator, Pelham Free Public Library (Pelham)

The Pelham Free Public Library, located just outside of Amherst, MA, is looking for a History Room Coordinator to manage the archival collections in the Pelham Library History Room and assist patrons with historical and genealogical inquiries. This is a 2 hour/week position that will prioritize research inquiries: The History Room Coordinator will respond to relevant phone and email queries, addressing questions and arranging research consultations. In addition, the History Room Coordinator will support the History Room collections through archival description and metadata creation that expands discovery in the collections database.  A long-term goal will be digitization of relevant parts of the collection in collaboration with the state.

The Pelham Library History Room archives include collections from the Pelham Historical Society, the Pelham Historical Commission, and the Pelham Free Public Library. The collections support local history and genealogical research, as well as research on more widely known historical events such as Shays’ Rebellion and the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir.

The History Room Coordinator will report to the Library Director and will work with the collections database manager on metadata and discovery work. The History Room Coordinator will also work with members and volunteers of the Pelham Historical Society who can share knowledge of the collections and help with genealogical inquiries. The work will take place at Pelham Library during open hours, ideally with two set hours a week, the candidate should ideally have flexibility to be responsive to patron inquiries.

Qualifications

The preferred candidate will:

·         Have archival expertise through work experience and/or a relevant degree;

·         Be knowledgeable about local history and able to familiarize themselves with Pelham’s archival collections to better serve research needs by the public;

·         Be able to address public queries and arrange research consultations in a friendly and supportive manner;

·         Be able to apply database and archival metadata expertise to improve discovery in the collections database.

·         Be willing and able to collaborate with the library staff, members of the Historical Society, the Town Clerk and the Historical Commission.

Full/Part Time

Part Time

Education

BA/BS

Salary

$20.00  / hour

Salary Notes

2 hours/week. We finally got this position approved. We hope to grow the position a bit, but it will always be very part time

Closing Date

How to Apply

Please send a resume and letter of interest to library.pelham@gmail.com

Posted

2025-06-12 |  Quick link to this job