JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
        Virginia Museum of Natural History
        Assistant Registrar

Introduction: The Virginia Museum of Natural History is the natural history
repository for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Major research departments
include archaeology, bryozoans, mammals, recent invertebrates, invertebrate
paleontology, vertebrate paleontology, and earth science.  For additional
information about VMNH see www.vmnh.org.  You must submit a state
application to apply for this job.  You may also send a resume or c.v. in
addition to (NOT in place of) the state application.  You may download the
state application form by going through www.state.va.us or by calling the
VMNH phone number listed below.

Objective:  To assist the Collections Curator in implementing and
monitoring assorted documentation systems for all collections within VMNH.
This includes conducting general research, preparing manuscripts and
reports for both planning purposes and publication, making recommendations
to improve existing systems as needed.  Assistant Registrar will also
perform cataloging of a variety of specimens and will supervise temporary
and volunteers technicians in a variety of collections activities.

Tasks and Duties:
1.  Implement and maintain accession and deaccession documentation system.
50%
2.  Implement and maintain documentation and shipping of loan specimens and
specimens for traveling exhibits.  Make recommendations to exhibit
preparation staff on appropriate materials, design, and
constructionspecifications for specimens within traveling exhibits. 15%
3.  Implement and maintain monitoring program for temperature and humidity.
10%
4. Catalog specimens. 10%
5.  Prepare condition reports and photographic documentation of specimens
              5 %
6.  Participate in Safety Committee.  Working both with this committee and
independently, make recommendations and assisting with development of
appropriate plans as needed.  5%
7.  Other duties as assigned (typically includes conducting workshops for
general public, participating in fieldwork, collections training for VMNH
staff, assisting with production of research newsletter)    5%

General Job Description:
The Assistant Registrar is responsible for implementing assorted
documentation systems for all collections within VMNH.  These include
accessions, deaccessions, loans (incoming and outgoing), condition reports
for collections in traveling exhibits, condition reports of specimens from
all collections as needed, assisting with photographic documentation of
collections, and temperature and humidity monitoring.  The implementation
of these various systems includes gathering appropriate data, preparing
documentation where needed, generating reports as needed, and making
recommendations for improvements/refinements to these systems as
appropriate.  The accessioning and cataloging stages of processing requires
that the Assistant Registrar handle all specimens in the museum’s
collections including bugs and insects, fossils, artifacts, mammals,
bryozoans, birds, reptiles and amphibians, animal mounts, etc.  This person
also participates in the Safety Committee and is responsible for
representing collections issues, including disaster preparedness, in that
forum.

Qualifications:  Candidate must have a B.A. (M.A. preferred) in Museum
Studies or related discipline or natural history discipline.  Minimum 2
years experience in Collections Management, Conservation, or related
natural history field with collections-based duties.  Good communication
skills and experience with database management computer programs a
necessity; experience with Paradox an advantage.  Must be able to maintain
and manipulate a variety of databases and generate reports and summaries
from same.  Candidate will supervise part-time and volunteer collections
technicians; 1 year supervisory experience of those staff levels preferred.
 Ability to perform general and topic-related research and prepare results
of that research into a variety of documents - general reports, planning
documents, and publications (both technical and general).

Job Classification: Research Specialist Senior  Salary Range: begins at
$24,000
Closing date: July 10, 1998
Contact: Ms. Susan Sizemore for state application or for additional
information - (540) 666-0328


Dr. Elizabeth A. Moore, Collections Curator
Virginia Museum of Natural History
1001 Douglas Avenue
Martinsville, VA  24112
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