Consultant - Cataloguing of the IBE audiovisual collection
Organizational Context
The UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) Documentation Centre manages an audiovisual collection of materials from the 1970s to the 1990s, comprising approximately 23 boxes of various media formats. These materials, originating partly from Member States, document educational technologies, practices, and the IBE's work. The collection's existing descriptions are incomplete, necessitating expert assessment for arrangement, cataloguing, and preservation planning.
Job Purpose
The primary purpose of this consultancy is to assess, arrange, describe, catalogue, and rehouse the UNESCO-IBE's audiovisual collection. This involves establishing the collection's composition, provenance, and historical value, and producing a reliable, searchable archival catalogue compatible with existing IBE systems. A key objective is to identify urgent preservation needs and establish priorities for future digitization and access. The consultant will conduct historical research, develop an arrangement and description methodology, and create detailed catalogue entries following archival standards, ensuring metadata is suitable for integration into the IBE TIND database.
Responsibilities
The consultant will undertake several key activities. This includes conducting a thorough survey and historical research to establish the collection's provenance and context, developing and implementing an agreed arrangement and description methodology, and arranging and describing holdings at series and sub-series levels. A structured catalogue will be created in Excel, adhering to ISAD(G) standards and audiovisual material conventions, recording essential metadata such as reference codes, titles, dates, provenance, content, condition, and location. The consultant will also assess the preservation condition of all media formats, identifying deterioration risks, handling restrictions, and urgent preservation needs, recommending preventive conservation measures and digitization priorities. Finally, the consultant will rehouse the collection in appropriate archival enclosures, label materials, and prepare a comprehensive final report summarizing the work, findings, and recommendations.
Work Experience
Demonstrated experience in archival arrangement and cataloguing, including historical research and the creation of structured finding aids, is essential. Relevant experience with audiovisual collections, including their specific descriptive and handling requirements, is also necessary.
Skills
The consultant must possess specialist expertise in film, photographic, and audiovisual conservation and preventive preservation. Proficiency in producing database-ready metadata and working with established archival description standards is crucial. A demonstrated capacity for careful, practical work on historical collections is also required.