Student Research Assistant - CIDIHCA-FOCAS Community Archives Intern & Research Assistant (mcgill)

Job Description

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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 Mellon’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.

Position Summary:

Under the supervision of the CIDIHCA archivist, the selected candidate will help process, catalog, and digitize a variety of fonds and materials held at the CIDIHCA based on their personal and professional interests. Main tasks will include: Researching the organization’s collections;
Researching the organization’s filing and management system(s); Sorting and/or classifying archival boxes; Cataloging collections in a relevant database; Researching and identifying materials that meet the criteria for digitization; Digitization training; Digitizing paper documents and organizing them into a database.

Such materials and fonds comprise:

• The Georges Anglade (UQAM professor) fonds & Max Dorsinville (McGill professor) fonds

• Photographic collections documenting Haitian communities

• Collections pertaining to Montreal’s Haitian communities, women, and the anti-Duvalier protests movement

• Haitian Art Museum archives and collections

Main tasks will include:

• Researching the organization’s collections;

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

• Sorting and/or classifying archival boxes;

• Cataloging collections in a relevant database;

• Researching and identifying materials that meet the criteria for digitization;

• Digitization training;

• Digitizing paper documents and organizing them into a database;

• Participating in team meetings

The student will gain valuable professional experience by carrying out a variety of archival functions such as research, appraisal, arrangement and description, preservation, and digitization. Students will also gain other valuable professional skills, such as the ability to work independently, time management, problem-solving, flexibility, creativity, and resourcefulness.
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 in close collaboration with team members and volunteers.

Student's Responsibilities:

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

• Attend orientation between August 27, 2025 and September 5, 2025

• 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 during the duration of their internship

Qualifications:

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

• Must have taken INFS 645

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• Must have a valid study permit with authorization to work in Canada, on and off campus. The student must check with McGill’s International Student Services and/or IRCC that they are able to work off campus for the number of hours required for the job prior to applying

• Must have a valid SIN number 

• Experience or interest in community archival work;

• Experience or interest in digitization; 

• Experience or interest in using archival databases & cataloging;

• 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 CIDIHCA will create, for and with the student, a list of concepts (French-English) to facilitate the student's tasks if their level of French is limited. The archivist can also work with the student in English.

• Curiosity and resourcefulness; 

• If the student identifies as a member of the Haitian, Caribbean, and/or Black Canadian community, that that is an asset. However, this is not mandatory to apply for this position.​

Primary Location:

Centre international de Documentation et d’information haïtienne, caribéenne et afro-canadienne // International Center For Documentation And Haitian, Caribbean And Afro-Canadian Information 

430 Sainte Hélène St Bureau 401

Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2K7

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

How to apply:

Interested candidates must apply through Workday. To successfully submit your application, the following documents are required:

• A cover letter (1 page maximum): The cover letter should include 1) 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. 2) 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.

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.

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