Audiovisual Archivist - Sedai Project (contract), Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre - Heritage Department, Toronto, ON

Location: Toronto, ON
Compensation: $70,000/year pro-rated 

For 60 years, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) has served as the gathering point for the Japanese Canadian community and for those of non-Japanese ancestry who have an interest in things Japanese in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The JCCC, through its Heritage Department, is committed to collecting, documenting, preserving, and sharing the history of the Japanese Canadians. The Heritage Department mandate is to introduce the culture, history, and legacy of Japanese Canadians to all Canadians while creating a tribute to the history of the Nikkei community and their contributions to the building of our nation.

About the Sedai collection and project

The Sedai Project is the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre's oral history collection. It is committed to collecting, documenting, preserving and sharing the history of the Japanese Canadians. The collection holds irreplaceable communal and historic knowledge through the testimonies of Japanese Canadian survivors of the Canadian government's policies of internment, forced dispersal, and exile during World War II. It is a critical resource to the heritage and understanding of Japanese Canadian experiences and fosters inter-generational learning and community healing.

From 2024 - 2026, the JCCC Heritage Department is the recipient of a grant from the JC Legacies Society, which will allow the JCCC to fully digitize, preserve, make accessible, and expand the Sedai collection. Crucial to this process is the inclusion of an experienced audiovisual archivist to ensure the long-term care of, and access to, the Sedai collection and its use for future generations of researchers, educators, and members of the Japanese Canadian community.

Description and Duties   

The audiovisual archivist will take a lead on the preservation of the Sedai oral history collection. Their responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring archival standards are met for new and existing interviews:
• Arranging for offsite digitization of both existing materials and materials collected from the public as part of the project,
• Properly storing and caring for physical/analog media,
• Incorporating digitized and born-digital A/V files into the collection and managing metadata.

Access and relationships:

• Managing restrictions, redactions, and permissions of oral histories; liaising and maintaining respectful relationships with interviewees and family members to do so.
• Managing document tracking for past interviewees and ensuring full completion,
• Overseeing the generation of transcripts, metadata, and summaries of existing interviews; tracking and supervising completion of transcription work by contractors

Policy and change management:

• Creation and documentation of policy and best practices around the acquisition of new interviews and physical media (in consultation with Heritage Manager and other Sedai project staff),
• Creation and documentation of policy around audiovisual collections management,
• Leading the process and providing recommendations on archival management systems and revamping online catalogue (https://jccc.on.ca/sedai-catalogue),
• Making recommendations for increased sever storage space, as needed.

Communications and other tasks:

• Identifying interviews and editing short video clips for public dissemination (e.g. exhibits, newsletters) as necessary,
• Lending support to other Heritage initiatives and all-staff initiatives,
• May occasionally require evening and weekend work.

Qualifications   

We are looking for an audiovisual archivist who brings a wealth of expertise, experience, and leadership to our team to guide the proper preservation of Japanese Canadian oral histories at the Sedai Project for the future.

Required skills and experience:

• Master of Information Studies with an emphasis on audiovisual collection management (or equivalent education and experience),
• Expertise with born-digital and analog moving image materials,
• Familiarity with the storage, metadata, and processing of oral histories, according to archival standards,
• Experience with image, video, and audio editing and processing software,
• Experience in a community archive setting and the nuances of navigating community relationships and permissions related to archival material,
• Must work well in a diverse, small team environment,
• Ideal candidate has a strong interest in preserving community histories and/or Japanese Canadian history,
• Must be eligible to work in Canada.

Additional Information   

• 6 Sakura Way, Toronto, ON M3C 1Z5 1
• Audiovisual Archivist (Contract), JCCC Heritage Department
• Duration: 2.25 years
• Work Schedule: 9:30am - 5:00pm | Monday to Friday, 7 hours per day (may required occasional evening and weekend work)
• Target start and end dates: September 30th 2024 (with flexibility) to December 31st, 2026
• (Note: As this is a grant-funded role, all work must be completed by December 31st, 2026 due to grant stipulations)
• Salary: $70,000/year (pro-rated)
• Language of Work: English
• Work model: Primarily on-site at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Sakura Way, Toronto, ON)

How to Apply   

Cover letters and accompanying resumes are requested via email with a subject line of "Sedai Project - Audiovisual Archivist", to heritage@jccc.on.ca.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on September 22nd, 2024.

Please refer to Job Posting#: 400231. While we appreciate your interest, please note that only qualified candidates will be contacted. Applications that are not emailed to the above address will not be considered.
Application Webpage (URL)    https://jccc.on.ca/sites/default/files/2024-09/Audiovisual%20Archivist%20-%20Sedai%20Project.pdf
Application Deadline    September 22nd, 11:59 PM EST
Job Poster