Seeking Library Technicians & Archivists fluent in Tamil/English/French for Manuscript Digitization & Preservation Project

(As of this evening -Thursday 9 October 2008- final selection of candidates for the following vacancies has not yet been made; applicants are still invited to forward résumés to
Sannyasin Arumugaswami).

« The Project:
The San Marga Trust of India is undertaking the digitization of a large archive of palm-leaf manuscripts located in Pondicherry (Pondichéry). The goal is to preserve the collection of Hindu scriptures and prepare the images for eventual publication on the Web. There are two jobs available: Senior Digital Imaging Technician and Junior Digital Imaging Technician.

Responsibilities:
The digital imaging technicians are responsible to operate a digital camera tethered to a Macintosh computer, photograph the palm leaves, crop and correct in Photoshop, create a PDF file for each bundle and archive to DVDs. Each will work with a Sanskrit expert who will handle the actual leaves. See below for an explanation of the project methods. The actual procedures are detailed in a project manual. The senior digital technician is responsible for the management of the digitization team, the meeting of daily and weekly goals, and the care of cameras and computers. The project takes place during the institution's normal work hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 12:30 and 2 to 5:30; observes its normal holidays (both Indian and French national); and paid vacation time during the month of May when the institute is closed. The project commences on Monday, December 8, 2008, in Pondicherry and the applicant must be present on that date and ready to work.

Essential Skills and Requirements:
Graduate a plus
Fluent in Tamil and English; knowledge of French a plus
Patient, organized, efficient, meticulous and able to handle detailed work
Prepared to work quietly and unobtrusively in an academic environment
Respectful and careful with the irreplaceable manuscript collection
Confident to manage the project with minimal supervision
Strong computer skills required, knowledge of Macintosh computer a special plus
Skill in Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Acrobat Professional a plusKnowledge of photography and digital cameras useful but not required
Experience with archiving projects a plus
Must live in or be able to relocate to Pondicherry for duration of the project, which is expected to take two years.

Compensation:
Rs. 12, 000 per month for the senior digital imaging technician and Rs. 11,000 for the junior technician.

To Apply:
Please send an updated résumé and a cover letter (in English) explaining why you feel you are suited to the role. These may be e-mailed to ar@hindu.org. No Agencies, please. »