Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity
Archivist Job Position Description
Who We Are:
Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity based in Redwood City, CA are part of an international order of Franciscan sisters who embraced the charism of St. Francis through the traditional ministries in education and healthcare in the West Coast states of California, Washington, and Oregon and now in additional ministries. They have ministered to the people of numerous communities since 1900. We are looking for a professionally trained archivist to continue to preserve, arrange, and describe these historical and ongoing ministries as well as share with the interested public historical information about the works of this province.
Job Summary:
To preserve the history of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, St. Francis Province as reflected in the textual records, the photographic records and artifacts collected from the administration offices, the residential convents, the traditional and non-traditional ministries and the individual sisters from the 1900 to the present. As part of the St. Francis Province of this Franciscan order, the archivist is to maintain the records of the past and ongoing activities of this province, the sisters and of the Provincial office, and assist with needs for historical information.
Our priority at the present time regards the Franciscan Central Archives. As of 2022, the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Francis Province, have been engaged in a collaborative project to consolidate the archives of the three North American provinces, as well as other Franciscan congregations in the US, into a common Franciscan archive center, most probably in Chicago. The archivist job now entails working with the Project Consultant of the Franciscan Central Archive to evaluate the archive with a needs assessment and participate in strategic planning which includes preparing materials for transfer in the coming years.
Primary Responsibilities:
Archival Processing:
•Facilitate the transfer of archival materials and records from institutions and closed convents to the archives of the St. Francis Province.
•Arrange and describe the collections of previous leadership records, closed convent records, the non-traditional ministry records, and individual sister's manuscript collections.
•Create all box lists, descriptions and finding aids for input into the computer and into an acceptable archives database system.
•Collect and process various electronic files for the last two team administrations.
•Prepare archival collections for transfer to the site of the Franciscan Central Archives.
Reference:
•Answer internal, in-house inquiries and external-outside requests for information on the sisters, formerly sponsored institutions, and their current status.
•Provide items and records for internal and external users in collaboration with the leadership team.
•Provide photographs and biographical information for jubilees and funerals.
•Update location register as collections are consolidated and moved around.
Outreach:
•Prepare presentations on the St. Francis Province for gatherings when requested and for the website.
•Advise sisters about the archives' mission and what materials should come to the archives, both personal and administrative records.
Administrative:
•Prepare annual budget requests, and annual archives reports.
•Have a willingness to engage in professional activities to keep up with the trends in the field.
●Attend meetings and gatherings, as necessary, to facilitate the ongoing work of the archives in the St. Francis Province.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
●MILS with an archives concentration or the equivalent of education or certification as an archivist from ACA and at least three years professional experience
●Some acquaintance with the history of the Catholic Church and of religious sisters in America.
●Electronic Records management courses and experience.
●Technical knowledge and experience in processing materials in a variety of formats.
●Knowledge and familiarity with standards and practices used in digitizing collections for access and presentation.
●Ability to establish and rearrange priorities; flexible, multi-tasking, organized.
●Ability to receive and follow verbal instructions.
●Ability to work while ensuring the safety of others.
●Ability to lift and place overhead 40 pounds.
●Ability to make independent decisions when necessary.
●Must be in generally good health on duty.
Working Conditions:
●Archives is in a converted stand-alone garage that is across from the main office.
●Long periods of time working on a computer and at documents, records and other materials.
●Multi-faceted relations and communication channels within and beyond the Province.
●This is a part-time position with flexible hours; however, extra hours may be required at times.
●Travel may be necessary.
Accountability:
The Province Archivist is accountable to the Provincial Minister or her delegate.
Compensation and Benefits:
●Work hours are flexible at 20-30 hours per week; this may need to be increased because of the processing work for the Franciscan Central Archive.
●Salary at least $35-40 per hour, depending on experience
●Benefits:
Insurance
Pension contribution
Vacation and sick leave
Applications are to be received by June 15th. Please send cover letter and resume to:
Sister Deborah Lockwood
Sisters of St. Francis
P.O. Box 1028
Redwood City, CA 94064
Email: deborahlockwood@franciscanway.org