The Long Island Library Resources Council (LILRC) is pleased to announce the formation of a new pilot program to provide historical societies and museums an opportunity to improve access to archival collections.  LILRC will be hiring a project archivist to assist member institutions in providing archival services such as processing and housing a collection or defined body of materials.  

Member historical societies and museums can apply for the services of the project archivist.  Priority will be given to those institutions that have a well defined project which can generally be completed within a two month period.

The project archivist will process and describe materials according to archival standards.  Depending on the proposed project, materials may be rehoused in archival quality storage containers.  If so, the institution will be required to pay the costs of the materials to rehouse any collection up to $500.  LILRC will cover the first year costs to incorporate finding aids in Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative (Empire ADC) or digitized content to be placed in New York Heritage.  The project archivist will not engage in conservation methods requiring a professional conservator. 

Guidelines

Background

The purpose of the Accessing Archives Pilot Project is to provide an opportunity for cultural institutions on Long island to increase the accessibility of their collections.  Due to the limited resources, the work the project archivist can do will be limited to the scope of materials agreed upon from the application.

Working Location

• The institution must be able to provide a safe and hazard free work place where the project archivist can safely process collections.
• LILRC will provide computer equipment and remote networking if required.
• Member institutions will provide archival containers for rehousing as required up to $500 in expenses.

Scope of Work

The project archivist will only work on materials agreed upon in the application.  For these materials, the project archivist will:

• arrange and describe materials according to current archival standards, 
• rehouse materials in archival containers, 
• enter descriptive data in Empire ADC and/or digitize and load images into New York Heritage.
• provide recommendations on the care and handling of the materials
• provide recommendations for further preservation and conservation work required

The following tasks are considered out of scope for activities of the project archivist:

• Providing reference services to the collections
• Providing tours of historic facilities
• Processing materials outside of the scope of the agreement

• Provide preservation and conservation services beyond basic rehousing and stabilizing how the materials are stored and handled

Evaluation of Applications

• Reviewers will narrow the applicants to a select number and a site visit will be performed by the Digitization and Archives Coordinator before the project will be approved

• Priority will be given to collections documenting underrepresented populations and materials historically significant to Long Island

The institution and LILRC will sign a memorandum of understanding after the project has been approved.