Preservation Fellow

OVERVIEW

BAVC Media’s Preservation Department seeks a full-time (35 hours per week) Preservation Fellow for a period of nine months. The Fellowship provides high-level training, hands-on experience, and career mentorship to a candidate entering the cultural heritage sector who has an interest in audiovisual archiving and community-based collections. The Fellowship is expected to take place between April 2024 and December 2024 onsite at BAVC’s preservation facility in Oakland, California. The Fellow receives a stipend of $45,000 plus health benefits. Out of town candidates are eligible to receive a stipend for moving expenses.

This Fellowship is part of the program, Community-Based Preservation Education and Training. This program trains cultural workers in magnetic media preservation by distributing preservation kits, equipment, and by providing asynchronous online training to host organizations and community members across the United States. The program is generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

DESCRIPTION

The Preservation Fellow is provided with the training necessary to perform av collection assessment and digitization services for under-resourced community organizations with av collections in need of preservation. The Fellow will gain experience dealing with a wide range of formats, tape conditions, and digital deliverables. They will receive hands-on training in digitization of magnetic media and identification and trouble-shooting of playback errors. The Fellow will work with a variety of collection partners, and be part of a national audiovisual preservation and media making community. The Preservation Fellow reports to BAVC Media’s Co-Director of Preservation and has regular meetings with the Project Advisor. They work closely with a small team of preservation specialists onsite.

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates should be a postgraduate participant with a degree in MLIS or related studies. Equivalent post graduate certificate program may be considered. They should have some interest in and experience with audiovisual materials which they wish to expand. Individuals historically underrepresented in preservation work are encouraged to apply, including Black and Indigenous people, People of Color, and LGBTQ+, female, gender-expansive, disabled, and low-income people.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

The deadline to apply was March 28, 2024.

We will be announcing the Preservation Fellows in April 2024.

ABOUT BAVC MEDIA

BAVC was founded when a group of media makers and activists met in January of 1976 to devise practical ways to encourage independent video-making in the Bay Area. In 1994, in partnership with the Getty Research Center, BAVC’s Preservation Department was created. BAVC Preservation works with museums, artists, and cultural institutions around the world to reformat, archive and make accessible seminal creative and cultural significant works on video and audiotape, as well as community-based works that are broadly used in academia, research, and other media projects. Today, BAVC’s Preservation work represents one of the nation’s longest-standing nonprofit audiovisual preservation programs. With current and past funding from various government and philanthropic foundations including NEA, NEH, Mellon, Rockefeller, and Knight, BAVC Preservation has implemented practices and services that helped define the field of video preservation. BAVC Preservation continues that work today by pursuing a range of field-building initiatives and services.

SPECIAL ADA REQUIREMENTS

BAVC Media is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations when necessary.

For the purposes of ADA, the “Responsibilities” and “Qualifications” are essential job functions.
Significant work is performed in a typical interior office work environment or community meeting space with typical noise and other disruptions.
Both standing and sitting are required for long periods of time. High use of computers and related equipment is required.
Various types of equipment/supplies are used to accomplish the job requirements and include, but are not limited to, computers, printers and copy machines, office supplies and materials, telephones, and other common communication devices.

WORKING CONDITIONS

May have exposure to noise > 80dB TWA and confined spaces
Work on-site in BAVC facilities located in Oakland and San Francisco, California. Remote work is possible but would be uncommon for this position.
There may be lifting of objects up to 50 pounds

BAVC Media will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

As a public-serving, and government-funded community media organization, BAVC Media follows all public health and safety protocols prescribed by relevant agencies. BAVC Media employees are required to comply with these protocols as they relate to Covid-19 and any other illnesses and/or safety issues.