IMLS-funded Fellowship available for MLIS student archivist

Posted in: News

The KOPN Community Radio 89.5 FM (Columbia, MO) collection will be growing this year, thanks to a new fellowship at the School of Information Science and Learning Technology (SISLT).

University Archivist Anselm Huelsbergen, Host Mentor Jackie Casteel, Local Mentor Jim Hone, and Spring Fellow Rebecca Benson MLIS '18 at our Digitization Station.
University Archivist Anselm Huelsbergen, Host Mentor Jackie Casteel, Local Mentor Jim Hone, and Spring Fellow Rebecca Benson MLIS ’18 at our Digitization Station.

LIS faculty are currently soliciting student applications for one fellowship position for a currently enrolled SISLT student. Thanks to a recent IMLS grant, Missouri’s iSchool has partnered with GBH (formerly WGBH) to provide a graduate student the opportunity to gain expertise in audiovisual preservation. The incumbent Fellow will work with our Host, local public radio station KOPN 89.5 FM, on the Reel-to-Reel Reformatting Project, over the fall and spring 2022-23 to digitize media, generate metadata, and prepare files for ingest and preservation in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB). The Fellow will attend an Immersion Week at GBH in Boston, MA (early August, subject to change) with their cohort.

The successful applicant must be able to:

  • Work onsite with KOPN and SISLT in Columbia, MO during September 2022-April 2023. Please see dates and work schedule below.
  • Meet monthly with Faculty Advisor, Dr. Sarah Buchanan, to develop documentation/curricula based on the onsite work, and with Local Advisor, Jim Hone, Digital Archivist at WUStL, for audiovisual expertise.
  • Communicate with the seven other Fellows at partner schools using collaboration tools; attend webinars; and contribute to project updates through writing and presentation.
  • Attend Immersion Week at GBH and attend the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA 2022) Conference in November (see below).
  • Dates: The fellow will attend Immersion Week in early August 2022 and then begin their Fellowship at KOPN and SISLT’s [ Lawrence ’76 and Nancy Johnson-Epple ’76, MBA ’83 ] Archiving Station, working 16 hours a week for 14 + 14 weeks. The Fellow will also collaboratively plan a workshop to be held in the late spring to share and build knowledge with their student cohorts.

Successful applicants will meet the following criteria:

  • Maintenance of 3.0 GPA. Continuous enrollment through May 2023.
  • An approved Program of Study with timeline for degree completion.
  • Completion of ISLT 7313 Managing Collections, with plans to complete ISLT 9409 Digital Libraries, one Archival Studies course (9490/1/2: three offered), or ISLT 9429 Metadata.
  • Demonstrated interest in technical areas of the information profession as shown by classes taken or work experience.
  • Commitment through the duration of the Fellowship to meeting shared goals and contributing to graduate curricula and future training.

Fellow will receive compensation for their work at a rate of $23/hour in the form of a regular stipend, distributed biweekly for a total of $10,304. There is no tuition waiver. The fellow will be fully funded to attend Immersion Week and AMIA 2022 where they will share their work with the broader archival community.

Applicants should submit:

  • A cover letter. Include (1) a statement addressing the classes taken or planned, and/or work experience that shows their interest in technical areas of the information profession; (2) a statement of their interest in the Fellowship especially pertaining to future career goals and/or experience with audiovisual/archival materials or the Missouri community; and (3) a statement of any other commitments during the time.
  • A copy of their Program of Study listing expected completion of required courses and related electives (including but not limited to Archival Studies courses, Digital Libraries, Community Leadership, Digital Humanities, and others).
  • A two-page CV or résumé.
Faculty Advisor Sarah Buchanan, Summer Fellow Eric Saxon MLIS '18, and WGBH Project Director Rebecca Fraimow at 2018 SAA Research Forum.
Faculty Advisor Sarah Buchanan, Summer Fellow Eric Saxon MLIS ’18, and WGBH Project Director Rebecca Fraimow at 2018 SAA Research Forum.

For best consideration apply by Tuesday February 1st 2022. Please apply with the above materials in a single PDF to buchanans@missouri.edu, with the subject line “PBPF at KOPN”. The Fellow will be selected and notified by March 2022.

For more information about the Fellowship, please visit: https://pbpf.americanarchive.org/.