*****Expired*****
Archivist – Liam O’Leary Archive
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time fixed term position
as an archivist employed by the Irish Film Archive (IFA), but based in part in the National
Library of Ireland (NLI), to undertake an assessment of the collection and to catalogue it to
archival standards with a view to making this archive one of the primary sources for the
history of film-making and cinema in Ireland available to researchers.
Position Title: Archivist –Liam O’Leary Archive
Purpose of job: To catalogue the Liam O’Leary Archive at the National Library of Ireland
Liam O’Leary (1910-1992) – film maker, writer and archivist.
Liam O’Leary was born in County Cork, in September 1910. He joined the Civil Service in
Dublin and in 1934 founded the first theatre workshop in Dublin. Two years later, in 1936 he
co-founded the Irish Film Society.
In addition to his work as a director, producer and actor he held the position of Acquisitions
Officer for the National Film Archives (BFI) and Film Acceptance Viewer for RTÉ. His concern
at the lack of a dedicated film archive in Ireland led him to establish the Liam O’Leary
Archive in 1977 comprising film, stills, posters, scripts and other printed material. The film
element of his collection is held at the Irish Film Archive (IFI) with the rest of the collection
housed in the National Library.
The Liam O’Leary Archive held at the National Library of Ireland is an extensive personal
archive of one of the key figures in Irish moving image archiving. The film collection of Liam
O’Leary is held in the IFI Irish Film Archive and the NLI and IFI have come together to
facilitate the cataloguing of this extensive resource so that it may be made available to
researchers. The appointed archivist will work closely with the Head of the Irish Film Archive
and the Keeper Special Collections in the National Library to appraise and catalogue the Liam
O’Leary Archive, and will be predominantly based in the NLI. The work may also require the
collections Archivist to spend time interrogating the IFI database for corresponding
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Full cataloguing / processing of the Liam O’Leary collection to archival standards;
Contributing to the development and implementation of policies and procedures
which will ensure long term preservation and access to the collection;
Identification of material that requires conservation work and making
recommendations for future archival storage and preservation of non document
Assisting in the promotion of the collection eg. through publication, online and
Other duties appropriate to the post as may be assigned from time to time.
The successful applicant is required to have a relevant qualification (preferably, a
postgraduate degree in archives, librarianship or museum studies or in a related area)
and/or equivalent experience in cultural archives and/or libraries. A proven knowledge of
Irish history, culture, and society, and of indigenous film production are essential.
The successful candidate will have an understanding of collections management and
information systems. He/she will be flexible and able to work both independently and in a
team, will have good keyboard skills, experience using databases, and the ability to work
with precision and accuracy. Previous cataloguing experience is desirable. The position will
involve some manual handling and lifting.
A recognised post-graduate qualification in Archival Studies, Library and Information
studies or equivalent;
Two years post-qualification experience;
Knowledge of Irish film/ film industry;
Experience working with cultural collections;
Familiarity with descriptive standards such as (ISAD(G) and EAD) as well as general
database skills vocabularies;
Familiarity with cataloguing standards eg MARC21, Library of Congress Name
Authorities and Library of Congress Subject Headings;
Ability to manage a complex workload, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines;
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills;
Ability to work on own and as part of a team;
A proven ability to work on collaborative projects and to deliver results on time.
Start date: the position is available from August 2015 for 18 months.
To Apply: Applications to be sent by email include a covering letter, CV, and the contact
details of two referees should be sent to:
Ms Kasandra O’Connell , Head of IFI Irish Film Archive, koconnell@irishfilm.ie
Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday July 17th 2015 at 5pm
