Job Description
| Job Title | Field Researcher -EAP1450 Caste, land, and labour in Jaffna: a survey and digitization project in Sri Lankan agrarian history |
| Reports to | Program Manager |
| Profile of Institution | Noolaham Foundation, Sri Lanka |
| Base Location | Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
| Type | Full Time / Salaried (Based on Job Grid of NF) |
| Period of Assignment | One year (Probationary period of three months, and possibility of extension based on performance and organizational needs) |
| Date of Duty Assignment | 01.08.2022 |
About Noolaham Foundation
Noolaham Foundation (NF) is a legally registered (GA 2390), non-profit, non-partisan, secular entity, founded to provide enhanced access to information sources and foster knowledge-based development in Sri Lanka. Noolaham Digital Library (noolaham.org) and Noolaham Multimedia Archive (aavanaham.org) maintained by the Noolaham Foundation serve as Learning Centers incorporating local knowledge. The digital library and archive function as a repository for various community institutions and fulfill the information needs of students, researchers, historians, activists and the public.
Project Summary
This 12-month pilot project will survey and digitize privately held records relating to caste, land ownership, and agricultural labour in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna Peninsula, created prior to the island’s independence in 1948. The survey seeks manuscript (paper and palm leaf) and printed material relating to the management and ownership of land, labour contracts, and agricultural records. Digitization will commence with the manuscript collection of William Digby (1849–1904), a late-nineteenth century British author and political organizer who was a vociferous advocate for the reform of British policy in India and intervention in South Asian agrarian poverty.
Job Summary
Noolaham Foundation aims to strengthen scholarly research in the Sri Lankan Tamil speaking communities and seeks to build a conscious archival practice that is informed by research. As a part of our vision to preserve very rare and important works of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking communities, we are recruiting a Field Researcher who will be instrumental in building the archive on caste, land, and labour in Jaffna. The Field Researcher will undertake an initial survey, identify archival collections, digitize them, and create metadata for the collections.
The Field Researcher will work in close collaboration with the Collections & Metadata team and Digital Preservation team. They will be primarily responsible for the following: 1) Identifying archival records 2) Obtaining open access permission for archiving, and 3) Digitizing the materials for preservation, in accordance with Noolaham’s Digital Preservation policy and the standards of Noolaham Foundation.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Plan, coordinate, and implement fieldwork
- Undertake a survey and identify potential archival collections
- Communicate with document guardians
- Obtain permissions (to collected documents) for digitization and sharing under open access protocols; complete digitization of materials for preservation
- Prepare, write, and present project/program reports in accordance with international library/archival standards
- Conduct background research for the creation of metadata for the collection
- Prepare complete metadata for the collections on time and translate them in English
- Ensure the documents are uploaded in the website on time
- Ensure the quality of the documents/works uploaded in the website
- Work day reporting to Manager.
- Arrange weekly meeting and monthly meeting as per the need and conduct the meeting
- Weekly and monthly reporting.
- Participate in the metadata related progress meetings
- Participate in Saturday virtual talk/ needed trainings to develop the skills and knowledge
Essential Qualifications:
- MA in the fields of social sciences or humanities, or BA and equivalent research experience
- 3-5 years experience in independent/ academic/ other institutional-based research
- Demonstrated strong qualitative and quantitative research experience
- Demonstrated leadership in professional outreach and network building
- Proficiency with MS Office products, Google Workspace, and media technologies
- Professional level fluency in both written and spoken English and Tamil languages
Additional Qualifications:
- Research interest and focus on the caste, labour and agrarian communities and in documenting, archiving and digitizing knowledge resources and heritage assets
- Ability to travel across the Northern Province, including to remote regions
- Experience with using photographic/audio equipment is highly desirable, including experience in compiling and editing videos and audio files
- Experience in collection development and multimedia documentation
- Familiarity with fields/subjects such as library, archival, museum, and/or cultural heritage
- Project management knowledge and experience
- Experience with media and social media
How to apply:
The application should be submitted or sent with a CV, details of two non-related referees, and a covering letter by email to noolahamfoundation@gmail.com on or before 25.07.2022, with the subject line Attention CEO – Application for relevant positions.