Archive & Library Officer

Job Title:	Archive & Library Officer
Position:	Fixed term Contract
Hours:	9 months of 21 hrs per weekOr6 months of 28 hrs per week
Salary:	£18,900 before deductions (pro rata of 35 hrs pw £31,500)
Holidays:	Pro rata to a full time equivalent of 33 days including 8public holidays, per annum
Responsible to:	Curator
Responsible for:	Overseeing and training some volunteers
Location based at:	Chelsea Physic Garden, 66 Royal Hospital Road, London,SW3 4HS.

1. Equal Opportunities

Chelsea Physic Garden is a place for everyone. As an equal opportunities’ employer, Chelsea Physic Garden is committed to championing equality, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. If you are a suitably qualified applicant, we encourage your application whatever your age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.

2. About Chelsea Physic Garden

Chelsea Physic Garden (CPG) is an independent charity set up in 1983 to promote and preserve the four-acre garden of the same name. The charity’s mission is to demonstrate the medicinal, economic, cultural and environmental importance of plants to the survival and wellbeing of humankind. We are open to visitors six-days a week, eleven months of the year. There has been a teaching Garden on our site since 1673, and today we hope that all our visitors leave inspired, having learnt something new.

The Garden’s collections include the plant collections of around 4,500 different types of plants (Garden, Glasshouses, Herbaria, Seed Bank) as well as the library, art and archival collections.

The postholder will ensure that the library, art and archives collections are suitably identified and catalogued. The Garden has a largely catalogued historic book collection dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as a reference book collection, botanical paintings and photographic slides. There is also an active and growing collection of paintings generated by the Garden’s Florilegium Society. Other archival ephemera includes records from previous curators and individuals important to the garden and there is a contemporary corporate and horticultural archive, which is partially catalogued.

The Garden is embarking on new 10-year strategy including developing the masterplan for the site. This role is critical in increasing access to and interpretation of one of the most historically significant independent botanic gardens in the world.

Chelsea Physic Garden’s collections speak to the national and international development of botanic gardens and the global movement of plants from the colonial era to the modern day. Today, the Garden has an aspiration to leverage its archival and contemporary collections to bring new stories and histories to life. The first step is the identification of and cataloguing of the collections to international Archival & Library standards.

3. Our Values

We have a set of five inter linked reinforcing values that support each other

4. About the Role

This is a fixed term part time role made possible by funding from one of the Garden’s supporters and will deliver a programme to develop the Garden’s own understanding of its archive, library and art collections.

The Archive & Library Officer will work with our historic and contemporary collections to contribute to the Garden’s understanding, use and interpretation of its collections. They will do so by continuing the cataloguing progress of the archival material, first and foremost using International Archive standards, specifically ISAD(G). The postholder will be responsible for proposing strategies for how the material and data should be organised, catalogued and recorded for now and the future.

Throughout this process of information management, they will create necessary links with the Plant Collections Database by working with the Curator and the Plant Records Manager. For example, linking old seed and plant lists to the contemporary collection. They will contribute to the specification of future collections database systems for the Library, Art and Archives.

The Archive & Library Officer will leverage their expertise to contribute to the development of an initial exhibition plan for the garden’s masterplan and engagement programme. Where appropriate they will provide information that will support

interpretation, onsite and online exhibitions as well as the garden’s strategic priorities of championing horticultural innovation, cultivating curiosity and enriching experiences through the provision of content, collections and expertise.

Through the project team and Curator they will ensure that their outputs contribute to the future management of the collection and Garden’s masterplan. They will work closely with the broader team who manage collections to ensure there is a clear future plan for all the Garden’s archive collections which is relevant to its subject. They will judiciously use technological innovation to streamline analysis and cross-pollination of archival and plant collection records as well as other archives pertinent to our history held by the Natural History Museum and Worshipful Society of Apothecaries amongst others.

Key Deliverables

Review, collate and understand all the available information in connection with the library, archive and contemporary (including digital) collections, on and off site

• Create and implement a plan for the cataloguing of the various collections considering if, and when, volunteer input might be possible

• Cataloguing of the Archive collections on The National Archives’ template, using ISAD(G) enabling initial cataloguing of the collection;

• Contribute expertise to a future database specification and upgrade for the collections;

• Perform original and copy cataloguing for a variety of formats, including books, e-resources, audiovisual materials, and special collections.

• Put forward a proposal for priority items for public access, conservation and digitisation;

• Create, edit, and maintain bibliographic and authority records in the library catalogue in line with international standards;

• Ensure metadata accuracy, consistency, and compliance with national and institutional guidelines.

Work with the Curator and wider project team to make recommendations in line with the Garden’s Acquisitions & Disposals Policy to rationalise the archive and decant plan for the masterplan;

Conduct quality control checks and resolve cataloguing errors.

Develop and deliver integrated pest management for the collections;

• Attend training & development opportunities as required.

Qualifications

A degree or higher-level apprenticeship qualification in Archive Management or Library and Information Studies

Preferred Skills

Familiarity with linked data, BIBFRAME, and digital repository systems.

Experience with Natural History Collections or libraries, including special collections or archival materials.

• Understanding of plant nomenclature and/or basic botany

• Proficiency in additional languages for multilingual cataloguing including Latin;

Person Specification

Knowledge Skills and Experience	Essential/Desirable
A degree in Archive management or Library and Information Studies orequivalent from an CILIP accredited institute	E
Demonstrated knowledge of cataloguing principles, metadata standards, andclassification systems.	E
Experience with integrated library systems (ILS) and cataloguing tools.	E
Experience of ISAD(G) (General international Standard Archival Description),excel & the Archives Hub
Strong attention to detail and organisational skills.	E
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.	E
Foreign language skills able to read and interpret Latin and German	E
Experience of working in a Natural History or Botanic Garden setting ordeveloped interest in garden history.	D
Previous experience of having managed or directly supervised volunteers	D
Ability to balance complex stakeholder interests	D
Previous experience of playing a key role in a major infrastructure projectpreferably in a heritage or visitor attraction	D

7. Competency Framework

We have a set of eight competencies that are common to all employees and within the framework each competency has four levels which relate to the level at which individual roles need to operate. The competency assessment for this role is set out below and more information will be provided to support this assessment.

	Competency	Descriptor	Level forthis role
1	Leadership	Setting the pace and behaving with integrity	1
2	PeopleManagement	Making clear what you expect and what is to beachieved; enabling and supporting your staff (orvolunteers) to deliver	2
3	Analysis anduse of Evidence	Collecting, analysing and using information andevidence, assessing risk and taking decisions	2
4	Communication	Communicating with colleagues, visitors andstakeholders	3
5	CollaborativeWorking	Working together with people within and outside ofCPG to help us achieve our goals	3
6	DeliveringResults	Organising and managing the work to deliver results	2
7	Using andManagingResources	Using resources cost effectively	3
8	Know How	The knowledge, skills and expertise you need to doyour job and help others to do theirs	4

Terms and Conditions

There is flexibility over the achievement of this fixed term contract, the funding secured equates to the equivalent of 9 months based on working three 7 hours days. Given that the role handles archive and library materials it will need to be based at Chelsea Physic Garden on the days worked so flexible working is not possible for this role.

The Garden operates a salary exchange pension scheme currently with Royal London which means that your gross salary is reduced by the amount of pension contribution made by the employer and employee which is then paid directly into your pension. The equivalent contribution rates are 6% employer and 3% employee at the end of the probationary period.

Details of other employee benefits and rights will be provided to successful candidates and include things like a season ticket loan, a cycle purchase scheme as well as an employee assistance programme.