DCHS Seeks to Hire Grant Funded Collections Assistant

UPDATE: This position has been filled. Thank you to all our applicants!

NOW HIRING: Grant Funded Collections Assistant

 

The Douglas County Historical Society of Alexandria, Minnesota, is seeking to hire a qualified contractor to accession, catalog, photograph, and prepare objects in the DCHS donations backlog for long-term storage. The project has been funded by a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant.

 

Compensation: $25 per hour

Time: 1 year, 800 hours, approximately 15 hours per week. Starts January 2026, ends January 2027.

Location: Douglas County Historical Society, Alexandria, MN

 

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in collections care and cataloging 
• Basic computer skills
• Basic photography skills

Job duties will involve regularly lifting up to 30 lbs, working at a desk, and regularly handling delicate materials.

 

Project Description: 

The historic collection at the Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) consists of documents, photographs, books, and other 3-D objects. These objects relate to and represent the history of Douglas County, Minnesota, strengthening the DCHS mission to “to discover, preserve, and share the history of Douglas County and its people”. 

There is currently a backlog of objects at DCHS that needs to be processed. DCHS seeks to hire a qualified contractor to properly access, catalog, photograph, and prepare the objects in the backlog for long-term storage. This is an on-site project that will take place at the historical society during regular business hours. The collection assistant will collaborate with DCHS Associate Director to prepare grant milestone reports.

The processing of the backlog will be done according to American Alliance of Museums Collections Stewardship Standards and the DCHS Collections Management Policy. The collections assistant will be responsible for the following:

 

Accessioning:

The collections assistant will assign an accession number to the donation, based on the year it was donated and the number of donations within that year. This will be recorded on the donation Gift Agreement, and all information about the accession (including donor details) will be input into the DCHS CollectiveAccess database.

 

Cataloging:

After assigning an accession number to the donation, the collections assistant will assign collection numbers to the objects as appropriate and input the following information about the object into the DCHS CollectiveAccess database:

• Object Number
• Nomenclature
• Donor Information
• Description and Provenance
• Measurements
• Condition
• Location (Temporary or Permanent)

The information entered into the database will be as detailed as possible, to ensure the object can be used for research and display at DCHS in the future.

 

Photographing:

Using equipment provided by DCHS, the collections assistant will photograph the object from multiple angles, showing the object as a whole. Any appropriate details such as ornamentation or damage sustained to the object before the accession process will be photographed.

The digital images of the object will then be added to the DCHS CollectiveAccess database, and copies of the images labeled with the object number saved into a designated folder on the DCHS private computer server.

Materials provided by DCHS for photography will include a camera, lighting equipment, and a white or neutral color backdrop.

 

Preparation for Storage:

The collections assistant will select the proper storage materials for the object(s) based on material and condition, and prepare the object for long-term storage.

 

For Questions and To Apply, Contact:

 

Jenna Collins, DCHS Associate Director

jenna.collins@dchsmn.org

320-762-0382

Please include your resume and a short cover letter. The project will begin as early as January 2026 and must be concluded by January 2027.