Assistant, Collections Inventory

Overview

The Kentucky Museum opened in 1939 as a place for "Kentuckians to know Kentucky." Today, the Kentucky Museum continues this charge while increasing interdisciplinary knowledge of, appreciation, and respect for a collection representative of South Central Kentucky. As a teaching museum part of Western Kentucky University (WKU), we conduct research and preserve and interpret artifacts in a variety of fields, with special emphasis on fine, decorative, and folk arts;

clothing and textiles; toys; political memorabilia; and other culturally significant items from our community.

Western Kentucky University is a student-centered, applied-research institution committed to providing its students with a transformative academic and social experience and to elevating its surrounding communities. Founded in 1906, WKU is the third largest public four-year institution in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with approximately 16,293 students and nearly 2,612 faculty and staff employees. Located 65 miles north of Nashville, TN, and just over 100 miles south of Louisville, KY, WKU s main campus is in Bowling Green, KY - a city with approximately 70,000 residents.

Our population is ethnically diverse, with more than 85 languages spoken in and around Bowling Green, and people from 35 nationalities call our community home. Western Kentucky University seeks to attract talented faculty and staff who are inspired individually to contribute to WKU s strategic plans and ongoing success. We offer comprehensive wellness and health benefits to employees and their families, including domestic partners and other qualified dependents and take pride in providing a workplace culture that supports balancing the responsibilities of work and family life.

Paid-time off for holidays, vacation and sick leave, and a tuition discount program for employees and dependents are also provided. Learn more about WKU and Bowling Green /about.

As part of ongoing efforts to enable "Kentuckians to know Kentucky," the Kentucky Museum is embarking on an inventory project to document the collections stored at the Museum s offsite storage facility, which houses the bulk of the Museum s collections. This project is made possible through an IMLS Museums for America grant, "Inventorying 85 Years of Kentucky." The project will begin in March 2026 and run through August 2028.

Project continuation is dependent upon ongoing receipt of IMLS funding.

The offsite storage facility houses the bulk of the Museum s collections and is comprised of domestic and industrial furniture, textiles, toys, home goods, transportation equipment, art, personal items, tools, and more. The Collections Inventory Assistant is a 29-month position responsible for following an approved plan to inventory and document these collections.

This position reports directly to the Kentucky Museum Collections Manager. Duties include the following:

• Follow the Kentucky Museum s work plan for inventorying the collection at offsite storage.
• Follow Kentucky Museum guidelines for artifact handling, basic cataloging and photography, and inventorying artifacts using the Museum s Past Perfect Web Edition collections management database.
• Assist the Collections Manager with training and supervising student workers/interns (two during Fall and Spring semesters and three during Summers) working on the inventory project.
• Identify discrepancies in records and emergent condition issues with artifacts and bring them to the attention of the Collections Manager.
• Preliminary cataloging for the purpose of this inventory will include inputting (or verifying) the following data in the Museum s Past Perfect database:
  • Accurate home locations
  • Brief condition report
  • Brief physical description
  • Measurements
  • Locate and input accession information, as needed
  • Basic object photography for reference

• Follow the Kentucky Museum s work plan for inventorying the collection at offsite storage.
• Follow Kentucky Museum guidelines for artifact handling, basic cataloging and photography, and inventorying artifacts using the Museum s Past Perfect Web Edition collections management database.
• Assist the Collections Manager with training and supervising student workers/interns (two during Fall and Spring semesters and three during Summers) working on the inventory project.
• Identify discrepancies in records and emergent condition issues with artifacts and bring them to the attention of the Collections Manager.
• Preliminary cataloging for the purpose of this inventory will include inputting (or verifying) the following data in the Museum s Past Perfect database:
  • Accurate home locations
  • Brief condition report
  • Brief physical description
  • Measurements
  • Locate and input accession information, as needed
  • Basic object photography for reference

• Master s degree in Public History, Museum Studies, History, Folk Studies, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in museum collections, with a minimum one year of experience cataloging…