Catalog Specialist

Description:

Bertz Associates LTD, a non-profit arts and heritage organisation, is seeking a Catalog Specialist to lead the cataloguing of the Lisel Haas Collection at the Library of Birmingham. This project, supported by a National Archives ‘Archives Revealed’ grant, aims to organise, preserve, digitise, and promote public awareness of the archive of Lisel Haas, a pioneering German-born Jewish photographer who resettled in Birmingham in 1938.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create detailed collection-level entries including administrative and custodial histories.

• Catalogue every negative and print at the item level and reorganise series meaningfully.

• List and transcribe correspondence, office records, books, and miscellaneous materials.

• Curate and digitise selected images for remote access via Universal Access Preservica.

• Enhance online visibility of the collection through content creation for the council’s Archives & Collections web pages.

Person Specification:

• Passion for making archives accessible and relevant to local communities.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to implement plans to agreed timescales.

• Experience in handling, cataloguing, and digitising archival collections.

• Ability to collaborate effectively and share expertise.

• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

• Desired: Proficiency in reading German; knowledge of early 20th-century German history; knowledge of photographic history and processes.

Other Information:

• Work involves specialist storage areas, including hypoxic (low oxygen) and temperature-controlled environments.

• Appropriate training and health & safety procedures will be provided.

About Bertz Associates:
Bertz Associates works with emerging artists and creatives to tell the untold stories of Birmingham’s heritage, with a strong focus on diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. The organisation operates flexibly, supports marginalised communities, and is expanding its work both locally and across Europe.