A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, in two pages or less, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skill set. Submit both a cover letter and a resume as one PDF file (due to system limitations).
The Bentley Historical Library seeks a dynamic, collaborative, and service-oriented Archivist for Community Collections to expand the Library's engagement with communities and organizations across the state of Michigan. The position will build and strengthen relationships with collections donors, community groups, and partner institutions to ensure that the historical records of diverse communities are preserved and accessible.
As part of the Bentley's Michigan Historical Collections team, Archivist for Community Collections will serve as the Library's primary point of contact for community-based collecting initiatives. This includes outreach to organizations and individuals, onsite fieldwork to identify and appraise historically significant materials, and stewardship of collections.
This position will serve as a cornerstone of the Bentley's commitment to inclusive collecting and reparative archival practices, facilitating partnerships where the Library is sometimes the steward, and at other times an advisor and collaborator in community-based preservation efforts.
Community Engagement and Fieldwork (50%)
- Build relationships with individuals, organizations, and communities across Michigan whose records reflect the state's cultural, social, and political history.
- Travel throughout Michigan to meet with potential donors, assess collections, and guide preservation and transfer.
- Act as liaison with communities traditionally underrepresented in archives, supporting inclusive and equitable collecting practices.
- Collaborate with historical societies, libraries, repositories, and community archives across Michigan to coordinate collecting efforts, develop shared stewardship models, avoid unnecessary duplication, and support holistic preservation.
- Organize and facilitate community-driven events (e.g., History Harvests).
- Collaborate with Curation staff and community partners on reparative description initiatives.
- Raise awareness among source communities of Bentley holdings and research opportunities.
