Collections Assistant - Cataloguing (Fixed term until 31 March 2027)

What’s In It For You

Dorset History Centre (DHC) is seeking to recruit a capable and motivated individual to the key role of Collections Assistant - Cataloguing. This is a role that will give you the opportunity to help open up access to a major heritage resource - the historic archive of Wessex Water and its predecessor companies (dating back to the early 19th century).

DHC engages closely with a wide range of external partners including museums, libraries, Higher Education, community groups, and our support charity Dorset Archives Trust. The service also works with a large team of volunteers across a range of activities.

Recently re-Accredited by The National Archives, as a service we are keen to innovate and build on our successes ensuring that we put public access at the heart of everything we do. We provide services to both rural Dorset and the large conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. We are keen to improve our digital outputs to provide wider access to our fantastic collections which date back to AD965 and include the archive of Thomas Hardy.

The service provides archive services to the whole of Dorset, along with local studies, the Historic Environment Record, museum development, and records management. We also host the Finds Liaison Officer for Dorset.

Located in the thriving county town of Dorchester, you will be working close to the beautiful Jurassic Coast and the Dorset National Landscape.

What You Can Expect To Be Doing

The successful candidate will support the sorting, cataloguing, and packaging of the historic archive of Wessex Water. You will report to the Wessex Water Project Archivist and key duties will include:

• Working under supervision to sort and catalogue parts of the Wessex Water archive using Excel and DHC’s cataloguing software Epexio;
• Cleaning and packaging archives for long-term preservation;
• Assisting in the management of volunteers working on the project;
• Helping the Project Archivist in the identification of suitable material for either conservation or digitisation;
• Assisting in the promotion of the Wessex Water archives via writing content for blogs and/or potentially giving a short talk to the general public on the project;
• Undertaking any other appropriate work as directed by the Project Archivist and/or Principal Archivist, e.g., strongroom work or dealing with public enquiries;

You will be a key part of helping to deliver this two-year project but will have the opportunity to interact with all other parts of the service and to learn about the wider functions of Dorset History Centre.

About You

You will have a keen interest in heritage and Dorset’s history. You will enjoy a challenge and be able to focus on sometimes complex material while helping to open up an important archival resource to the wider world.

You will be a team player with good communication skills. You will have a good eye for detail and an ability at times to perform repetitive tasks.

You Should Be Able To Demonstrate

• willingness and ability to acquire relevant technical skills;
• good problem-solving skills;
• the ability to work methodically, maintaining a high level of accuracy during repetitive tasks;
• the ability to undertake manual handling (training provided) - lifting and moving sometimes heavy archive boxes to and from the strongrooms.