Job Posting: Cataloging Intern for Michael Wallin Collection
Posted December 14th, 2023 in Announcements, News / Events
Canyon Cinema is currently seeking a Cataloging Intern to inventory, describe, and arrange our Michael Wallin paper collection. This is a paid, limited-term, part-time position to begin in January 2024. Work will take place onsite at Canyon Cinema’s office in the Bayview district of San Francisco. The ideal candidate will have working knowledge of library and archives principles, including metadata standards, and experience with handling and preservation of archival materials. Read below for more information.
About Canyon Cinema Foundation
Founded in Bruce Baillie’s backyard in 1961, Canyon Cinema Foundation is dedicated to educating the public about independent, non-commercial, experimental, avant-garde, and artist-made moving images. We manifest this commitment by providing access to our unrivaled collection to universities and cultural organizations worldwide, as well as cultivating scholarship and appreciation of artist-made cinema. We ensure the experience of rare film works in their original medium while also reaching new audiences through our growing digital distribution program.
Canyon Cinema’s unique collection of artist-made films and media traces the vital history of the experimental and avant-garde filmmaking movements over the past century. With a strong emphasis on American West Coast and San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers, we are the access point to over 4,000 ground-breaking works representing approximately 300 artists.
In addition to its film and digital collections, Canyon Cinema also houses paper collections relating to Canyon’s history and artist members. One of Canyon’s most historically significant archival collections includes the papers and photographs of Bay Area filmmaker Michael Wallin (1948-2016). The collection consisting of eight boxes of papers, including material related to the production, exhibition, and reception of Wallin’s films, needs to be inventoried and described so that the objects can be individually assessed, prioritized, and considered for digitization, preservation, and online access.
Among the items included in the collection are film festival catalogs, posters, badges, and programs; repertory cinema calendars; program notes; screening fliers, postcards, brochures, and other promotional ephemera; press clippings, film periodicals, and arts and culture weeklies; correspondence with film programmers, curators, festivals, and other filmmakers; grant applications; film proposals, budgets, and research notation; voice-over scripts and translations; film stills, casting photos, and personal snapshots; awards; one-sheets; resumes; notebooks; photos of friends and collaborators; contact sheets and negatives; teaching materials; and additional assorted ephemera.
Job Description and Duties
We have a part-time position available immediately to assist with describing the Michael Wallin Collection by generating metadata records, arranging, and rehousing materials as needed. This is an onsite, limited-term position, beginning from the date of hire until June 28th, 2024.
Candidates must be able to lift and carry boxes weighing as much as 30 pounds carefully and safely. They will be expected to work efficiently with a keen attention to detail; be able to work independently as well as cooperatively; and be able to handle fragile materials with care.
This position will help complete the following activities:
– Conduct an accurate and comprehensive inventory of the collection.
– Create item-level metadata records for the materials following a spreadsheet template and prescribed guidelines.
– Utilize spreadsheet software for precise data entry.
– Identify the general condition of the materials.
– Rehouse and arrange materials as needed.
Qualifications
The ideal applicant will have the following experience:
– Comfortable with Microsoft Office and Google Workplace applications in Mac and PC environments, particularly Excel and Google Sheets.
– Working knowledge of library and archives principles, including metadata standards.
– Experience with handling and preservation of archival materials.
– Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently, in an environment where consultation, flexibility, and cooperation are essential.
– Training or coursework related to archival arrangement, description, and the creation of finding aids and catalog records is highly preferred.
Compensation and Requirements
This is a paid position at the rate of $25 per hour.
Hours: Approximately 6-10 hours per week or a total of $2,500 in compensation, whichever comes first.
The cataloging intern should be available for one in-person shift per week. Work is to take place at Canyon Cinema’s office in San Francisco, during Canyon’s regular hours, Monday through Friday, 10am – 6pm.
Note: Student workers may arrange internships for credit with their institution in addition to the financial compensation provided by Canyon Cinema.
Supervision
This internship will be co-supervised by Canyon Cinema’s Collection Manager Seth Mitter and Executive Director Brett Kashmere.
How to Apply
Review of applications begins immediately and will continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please email a cover letter and resume to: info@canyoncinema.com
