Dream Job?

A month-or-so ago, I attended the Regina Fringe Festival where I saw an amazing one-man show. It was called "Paradise: A Canadian Soldier in Vietnam" and was Rod McDonald's story of his time spent in Vietnam as a soldier in the U.S. Army. (Update - after doing some more research, I realized that Rod McDonald was not actually in Vietnam, just playing a character. The acting was so powerful; I really did believe it was his own story!) The play was excellent and his story was so moving and raw in its emotion. For some reason I've always been fascinated and horrified by the war in Vietnam.

When I saw this job come up on one of the list-servs I was immediately taken by it. Aside from the fact that I already have a job I love, and that I really have no desire to move to Texas, this seems like a really wonderful opportunity. My MA thesis was very dependent upon oral history research, so I'm particularly aware of how important it is to the study and understanding of history.

Job Title: Lead Oral Historian
Organization: The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University
Location: Lubbock, Texas


POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Vietnam Archive seeks an oral historian and project coordinator to head its Oral History Project. Reporting to the Associate Director of the Vietnam Archive, the Oral Historian will recruit and coordinate interviews with veterans and other participants. The Oral Historian will also manage the day to day operation and overall direction of the project, and conduct outreach activities such as attending veterans’ reunions, professional conferences, educational programs, and other events. The head of the Oral History Project will supervise one other full time oral historian and up to four part-time transcriptionists. The head of the Oral History Project will work closely with the Associate Director and other Archive staff and faculty in fulfilling their mission to collect and preserve primary documentation related to all aspects of the Vietnam War Era, to include military, diplomatic, cultural, and social history.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: MLS from ALA accredited library school, MA in United States History, or archival certification; previous employment in an Oral History program; broad knowledge of the Vietnam War Era; knowledge of military terminology; knowledge of oral history methodology and theory; experience providing digital access to library/archival materials; experience developing grant projects and proposals; experience supervising full-time and/or part-time staff; strong organizational skills; strong oral and written communication skills; ability to conduct historical research in both primary and secondary sources; patience and tact in dealing with sensitive matters; strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to build successful working relationships with a wide variety of individuals.