Research Assistant - CIDIHCA - FOCAS

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CIDIHCA-FOCAS Community Archives Research Assistant

DESCRIPTION OF HOST ORGANIZATION:

The Centre international de documentation et d’information haïtienne, caribéenne, et afro-canadienne (International Centre For Documentation And Haitian, Caribbean And Afro-Canadian Information) (CIDIHCA) is a research and information centre which collects, organizes, classifies, and makes accessible a wide range of resources on Haiti, the Caribbean, and Afro-Canadian communities. Its archives and library include over 20,000 holdings–microfilms, books, journals, newspapers, photographs, VHS, DVDs, vinyls, CDs–all related to Haiti, the Caribbean, the Americas, and their diasporas.

The Centre addresses historical and contemporary challenges faced by Black communities in Quebec, Canada, and internationally. CIDIHCA periodically organizes exhibitions that highlight the most current and vibrant aspects of Black history and holds regular conferences to promote and raise awareness of Caribbean and Black cultures.

ABOUT FOCAS:

Faculty Organizing for Community Archives Support (FOCAS) is a collaborative of faculty from 9 universities in the U.S. and Canada funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge program that formed to support paid internships at community archives. Through internship activities this program aims to preserve, make accessible, and steward the histories and stories of underrepresented communities throughout North America.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The selected candidate will help research, process, catalog, and digitize a variety of fonds and materials held at the CIDIHCA.

1. Specifically, the Research Assistant will continue the work initiated by the McGill/FOCAS Research Assistant (2025-2026) and digitize the records pertaining to the Centre d'Art/Musée d'Art Haitien held at the CIDIHCA.

Since the 1940s, the Centre d’Art and the Musée d’Art haïtien have played a central role in promoting and training several generations of artists. While the Musée is currently non-operational due to the situation in Port‑au‑Prince, the Centre d’Art continues to prepare for the moment when it can fully resume its responsibilities. The Centre d’Art archival fonds has now been recognized as part of the region’s documentary heritage as the archives document both the institutional and artistic history of the Centre d’Art and its key role in the development and dissemination of Haitian art locally and internationally (see further information here).
 

CIDIHCA received fourteen binders of correspondence about the Centre d’Art/Musée d’Art Haitien that had previously been stored in New York. Because current safety conditions in Haiti prevent their shipment, CIDIHCA negotiated to temporarily hold this fonds until it can be safely transferred to Haiti. Because of the fonds’ importance, CIDIHCA determined that it was essential to undertake professional indexing of the fourteen binders.

The indexing and an initial draft of the database have now been completed. The 2026–2027 Research Assistant will be responsible for finalizing the database’s construction. Digitization will follow so that both the database and the digital files can be sent to the Centre d’Art, while awaiting the moment when the physical archives can be safely shipped to Port‑au‑Prince.

2.  Secondly, the Research Assistant will index and organize photographic records held at the CIDIHCA, such as the fonds relating to the Haitian community, workers, women, the opposition to Duvalier before 1986, and the artistic and political life of the Haitian diaspora in Montréal. The CIDIHCA and the Research Assistant will jointly decide on which fonds based on preferences and needs.

The student will be expected to carry out technical and practical tasks, which must culminate at the end of the internship in a report explaining their approach and providing recommendations for future actions at CIDIHCA.

Note: For this internship, students will primarily be working independently and should have strong problem-solving and decision-making skills and a marked interest in independent work (see more below).

Main tasks will include:

• Researching the organization’s collections;

• Researching the organization’s filing and management system(s);

• Sorting, indexing, and/or classifying documents;

• Cataloging collections in a relevant database;

• Digitization training and digitization;

Learning opportunities:

The student will gain valuable professional experience by carrying out a variety of archival functions such as research, arrangement and description, and digitization. Students will also gain and/or hone other valuable professional skills, such as the ability to work autonomously, time management, problem-solving, decision-making, flexibility, creativity, and resourcefulness.
 

Working independently but in continuous dialogue with the supervisor, the Research Assistant will encounter challenges—given the non‑traditional environment of the CIDIHCA—which they will learn to address and resolve, and which will be of use in the future if/when working within more conventional and standardized structures.
 

This internship will also provide the student with various cultural competency skills: navigating the unique archival practices of marginalized communities, in this case Haitian, Caribbean, and Black-Canadian communities, and working respectfully with these communities; working within the constraints of an under-resourced organization; working with volunteers who are not formally trained as archivists.

 STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work 8 hours/week for both Fall and Winter semesters

• Attend orientation between August 31, 2026, and September 4, 2026

• Attend Community Archives Reading Group/Workshop Series (5 hours/semester) where students will learn more about community archives processes and literature, gain more hands-on experience with processes, and have the opportunity to reflect on and ask questions that are emerging throughout the duration of their internship

• Write 1 brief research paper (500-1,000 words) on their experiences with CIDIHCA to be published on the FOCAS website

LOCATION:

Centre international de documentation et d’information haïtienne, caribéenne, et afro-canadienne, 430 Sainte Hélène St, bureau 401, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2K7.

https://www.cidihca.com/

In-person: Student is expected to work at the host organization’s office location.
 

Accessibility: The CIDIHCA library is accessible via an elevator. The archives, however, are located in the basement and are accessible by stairs only.
 

DATES:
Between 08/31/26 and 04/30/27. Schedule to be determined between the student and the CIDIHCA. By accepting the position, the selected candidate commits to being in Montréal for an orientation day at the site the week of August 31st.
 

HOURS:
Approximately 8 hours per week for both Fall and Winter semesters (99 hours per semester, 198 hours total) will be spent in the archives.

In addition, as part of their paid hours, the student will spend 10 hours (5 hours per semester) attending a reading and workshop series that aims to prepare and support them in the position.

REMUNERATION:

$30/hour

ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be a Full-time, 2nd year Master of Information (MISt) at McGill University

• Must be authorized to legally work in Canada on and off campus.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience or interest in community archival work;

• Experience or interest in digitization;

• Experience or interest in building archival databases & cataloguing;

• Interest in Haitian, Caribbean, and Black Canadian history;

• Good understanding of French language (reading, writing, speaking). Note: Most of the documents held at the CIDIHCA are in French. The archivist can also work with the student in English;

• Strong problem solving skills;

• Strong decision-making skills;

• Ability to work independently;

• Curiosity and resourcefulness;

• Familiarity with the Haitian, Caribbean, and/or Black Canadian community is considered an asset.

HOW TO APPLY:

To successfully submit your application, the following documents are required:

-A cover letter (1 page maximum):

• An explanation of why the student is interested in an internship at the CIDIHCA and what the student hopes to gain from such an internship

• A description of the skills that the student would bring to such an internship, including specific archival skills (description, cataloging, digital preservation, etc.), language skills, and cultural competencies

-Curriculum vitae

Please Note:

If you have any questions about this posting and/or if you require accommodations during the application process, please email Gracen Brilmyer, Assistant Professor, SIS: [email protected] and Axelle Demus, Postdoctoral Fellow Community Archives & Accessibility, SIS: [email protected]. After you submit your application, we will transmit the selected applications to the CIDIHCA, which will ultimately be responsible for the selection of the candidate. We will get back to you if you are selected for an interview. Students who do not receive offers will be notified on a rolling basis as decisions are made.

Before applying, please note that to work at McGill University, you must be both authorized to work in Canada and willing to work in the province of Quebec at the campus where the position is based / located.

McGill University is an English-language university where most teaching and research activities are conducted in the English language, thereby requiring English communication both verbally and in writing.

Hourly Salary:

$30.00

Hours per Week:

8 (Part time)

Location:

Various

Supervisor:

Assistant Professor

Position Start Date:

2026-08-31

Position End Date:

2027-04-30

Deadline to Apply:

2026-05-15

This position is covered by the Association of McGill University Research Employees (AMURE) collective agreement.

McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected].