Volunteer Opportunities

MEMBER ENGAGEMENT SUBCOMMITTEE

We are seeking 2+ members to fill a role in this subcommittee.

Volunteers will provide support to new AIC members, to ensure they are acknowledged and made aware of both benefits and various opportunities in the organization, with a focus on enhancing the member experience. Alongside committee and staff members, you will encourage members to take on volunteer leadership roles, provide support to first-time volunteers, recognize the work of volunteers, and promote ongoing member engagement in AIC, including promotion of membership designations.

The Member Engagement Subcommittee will carry out the following responsibilities:

• Create orientation materials to help familiarize new members with AIC and FAIC.
• Collaborate with the Equity & Inclusion Committee and Nominating Committee to promote a diverse AIC membership.
• Develop materials and communication strategies to ensure all members feel welcomed and supported.
• Create a plan to encourage members, particularly new members, to serve in a volunteer capacity for AIC.
• Develop materials and strategies to support volunteer leadership, particularly first-time volunteers.
• Create a plan for volunteer recognition.
• Collaborate with the Nominating Committee to create strategies to encourage participation in volunteer elections.
• Collaborate with the Membership Committee and AIC membership staff to promote membership designations.

The MES is a division of the Membership Committee. The subcommittee members represent, as well as possible at any one time, a variety of specialties, workplaces, and geographic locations, as well as gender and racial diversity.

Members serve staggered two-year terms with an option to serve a second two-year term.

Apply

EMERGENCY COMMITTEE, 2 positions available

Position: Committee Member (2 available)

Term: 3 years with possible 1-year renewal

Areas of responsibility: Serve on a subcommittee (Programming, Annual Meeting, Social Media, AIC News, Wiki) with a fellow committee member. Report out on progress during monthly calls.

Apply   More About the Committee

OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE, part of the Communications Committee

Position: Member

Term: 2 years

Areas of responsibility: Participate in monthly calls. Help monitor, improve, and create outreach content, suggest partnership and strategic activities that facilitate outreach. Collaborate with other groups in the Communications Committee or within AIC.

Prospective members should have broad interest in communications and outreach, including community outreach. Preference may be given to applicants in specialties or areas of focus not currently represented in the subcommittee.

Apply

The AIC Imaging Working Group (IWG) is an international community of conservators, photographers, scientists, and others with the shared interested of conservation imaging. We prioritize communication, connection, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop and share resources, projects, and solutions. Our first major effort has been to develop an Imaging Wiki on the AIC Wiki platform (www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Imaging) as a dynamic online resource for the community. The IWG is partnered with the AIC Research and Technical Studies (RATS) Specialty Group.

All roles require demonstrated interest in imaging and in networking with other imaging, conservation, and allied professionals. Please reach out to Chair E. Keats Webb (webbekeats@si.edu) if you have any questions about the positions.

Vice Chair

• One appointed position, 1-year term that transitions into 1-year term as Chair, ~5 hrs/month
• Responsibilities include:
  • Attending IWG meetings and Leadership Team meetings (~2hrs/month)
  • Supporting IWG Chair and IWG Secretary (~1-2hrs/month)
  • Learning/training while providing support to the Chair (~1hr/month)

Secretary

• One appointed position, 2-year term, ~7hrs/month
• Responsibilities include:
  • Working with IWG Chair on agenda and circulating agenda (~0.5hr/month)
  • Taking notes of meetings (leadership meetings, full membership meetings, team leads meetings, etc.) (~2hrs/month)
  • Getting meetings notes to Wiki and Community Lead for posting on Wiki and in the IWG Community (~ 0.5hr/month)
  • Responsible for recorded meeting content and prepping it to go on Wiki (this is dependent on whether content is recorded, ~1-2hrs when content is recorded)
  • Internal communications and sending emails to IWG from IWG gmail account including meeting announcements and agendas (~1hr/month)
  • Working with Wiki and Community Lead on general and external communication including IWG, AIC Communities and social media (~0.5-1hr/month)

Wiki and Community Lead

• One appointed position, 2-year term, ~6 hrs/month
• Responsibilities include:
  • Attending IWG meetings and Leadership Team meetings (~2hrs/month)
  • Wiki editing for Leadership Team and working closely with Secretary on this (~0.5hr/month)
  • Posting meetings notes to Wiki and Community (~0.5hr/month)
  • Posting recorded meeting content on Wiki (~0.5hr/month)
  • Keeping track of wiki development, general communication with team leads and wiki editors, and progress of topic groups (some of this may fall to the Chair especially when the communication falls into the overview of the IWG) (~1-1.5hrs/month)
  • General communication and external communication and working closely with Secretary on this (~0.5-1hr/month)
  • Announcement and communications on IWG, AIC Communities, and social media and working closely with Secretary on this (~0.5-1hr/month)

AIC Annual Meeting Program Chair

• One appointed position, normally 2-year term but with first year option for 1-year or 3-years, time commitment varies
• Time commitment: ~5-10hrs/month for the busiest months which will be Sept-Oct for the abstract review process and April-May for the session preparation and the Annual Meeting; ~3-4 hrs/month for the less busy times.
• Requirement: demonstrated interest in imaging and in networking with other imaging, conservation, and allied professionals.
• Responsibilities include:
  • Attending IWG meetings and Leadership Team meetings
  • Drafting call for RATS/IWG session
  • Advertising call for presentations
  • Reviewing abstracts and attending meetings as part of the review process
  • Meetings with AIC and RATS to prepare for conference
  • Corresponding with presenters
  • Moderating session at AIC Annual Meeting
  • Planning IWG Social at Annual Meeting

Diversity statement: IWG is committed to creating a diverse leadership team. Special consideration may be given to individuals from underrepresented groups such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and differently abled communities. Applicants' personal backgrounds, characteristics, and lived experiences will be considered to ensure that the members of the IWG leadership team are diverse, represent a variety of specializations, geographic locations, work environments, and include individuals from allied professions.

AIC members are preferred for the leadership positions, but we can be flexible.

Application: submit a statement with the position you are interested in and why you are interested in it along with your CV. Applications will be assessed based on statement of interest, skills and experience (both imaging and non-imaging), and contribution to an inclusive community.

Apply

The Publications Subcommittee, one of four subgroups of AIC’s Communications Committee, focuses on issues and needs related to AIC’s many publications, the most well known of which are JAIC, AIC News, and the AIC Wiki.

The subcommittee meets virtually each month for one-hour working sessions. Members may expect to devote an additional 1-2 hours per month on projects. We are seeking 3 to 5 additional members to serve a 2-year term, with an option of serving a second term.

Responsibilities include:

• Attending meetings
• Writing occasional blog posts
• Researching topics

Desired qualifications include:

• An interest in AIC’s publications
• Skills to support outreach efforts
• Interest in making publications more accessible

• Create the Wiki Working Group, bringing on a liaison to attend subcommittee meetings
• Promote varied ways for members to publish and share knowledge
• Promote collegial mentoring and support for writing efforts and projects
• Support translations and access in other languages, such as adding international editors and new abstract translation languages
• Encourage book reviews and topical review papers in the journal
• Identify print items that should be digitized with member help
• Develop a survey on member needs and wants (Ex: paper vs. electronic publications) in tandem with the Website Subcommittee

Questions can be directed to Chair Rebecca Rushfield at wittert@juno.com.

Apply

CONTEMPORARY ART NETWORK
One appointed position, 2-year term, ~5 hours commitment per month

The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for the network's budget and manages its income and expenses. While spending is approved by all board members, it is the Secretary/Treasurers responsibility to advise the board on spending and keeps them regularly updated on the budget. Typical expenses can include CAN! activities throughout the year and at the annual meeting, CAN! publications, funding for speakers, and administrative cost.

The Secretary/Treasurer is in communication with AIC's staff liaison about expenses and the quarterly income/expenses report. Furthermore, the Secretary/Treasurer takes meeting minutes of the bi-weekly CAN! Board Meeting and the annual CAN! Business Meeting.

This is an elected position, so please contact current CAN! Chair Luca Ackerman, Program Chair Jennifer Hickey, or Secretary Delia Müller-Wüsten to express interest.

The new Wiki Working Group (WWG) is tasked with keeping track of and provided feedback on various aspects of the AIC Wiki. There will be a primary group of volunteers, serving staggered 2-year terms, that help coordinate the work of project-based teams. One member will liaise with the Publications Subcommittee. Officer roles may be chosen by WWG participants.

Volunteers who join the Wiki Working Group in its first year may choose from 1-, 2-, or 3-year terms to help us begin staggering the terms for continuity.

The various teams can be filled with wiki editors and reviewers that join as their interest and time allows, with no formal terms, as long as one core working group member serves on the team. However, all volunteers will be listed in the working group roster.

The Wiki Working Group will consider the following topics, among other items, and subgroups may be formed to tackle some of these initiatives:

1. Semantic wiki – AIC received a grant from NCPTT to implement the semantic wiki update on our site. Essentially this will create an underlying database structure that will facilitate more complex search options, allow for automated menu templates, and facilitate participation with LinkedData projects. It will help us arrange content more thoughtfully and provide a clear path through our pages. We have a vendor hired to do the technical work but need guidance in moving forward with the structure based on how our users access our content. This project is anticipated to have a one kickoff meeting via Zoom and then monthly online meetings over the course of a year. 
2. LinkedData – Assist in creating a template for glossary and Lexicon content so that it can be combined into a consistent format that will facilitate participate in the LinkedData project. This project will overlap with the Semantic wiki discussion but will also involve some editing/coding of pages. This topic is anticipated to have 6 one-hour online meetings and with asynchronous work in between. Flexible time commitment over a potential six-month period.
3. Copyright – AIC’s publications committee is updating copyright, permissions, and terms of service agreements for all its print and digital publications. Participants will review updated language for AIC’s site and provide feedback and edits on the new language. This topic is anticipated to have one, one-hour meetings and participants would then review the new language. Flexible short-term opportunity.
4. Banners and Disclaimers – Various groups have different methods of working on our wiki. However, we can move towards consistency of language and format in our use of banners and disclaimers, which will provide for a better user experience in understanding levels of review and updates. This topic is anticipated to have 2-4 one-hour online meetings and with asynchronous work in between. Flexible time commitment over a potential six-month period.
5. Accessibility – Participants will provide feedback on visual accessibility to improve the site in accordance with best practices developed by AICs website committee and other resources. This topic is anticipated to have 1-2 one-hour meetings and participants would then review the site independently and make updates/corrections as needed with a flexible time commitment.
6. Translation – Help develop best practice guidelines for providing non-English language translations of content on wiki pages.
7. Best Practices – Brainstorm and provide peer to peer feedback on ways in which the various groups working on AIC’s wiki can foster interest in participation, collaborate on topics of common interest and expand use and access of the site. This topic may overlap with the semantic wiki discussions. Quarterly online meetings of any interested content leaders and wiki editors.

Apply

The Website Subcommittee, one of four subgroups of AIC’s Communications Committee, focuses on issues and needs related to AIC’s websites and digital platforms.

The subcommittee meets virtually each month for one-hour working sessions. Members may choose to devote an additional 1-2 hours per month on projects of interest. We are seeking 3 additional members to serve a 2-year term, with an option of serving a second term.

This subcommittee focuses on AIC's web platforms, considering topics such as accessibility and usage. Members also plan to reach out to various volunteer leaders to learn how the website can better support their needs and collaborate with the other Communications Committee's subcommittees.

Apply

The Objects Specialty Group is seeking additional team members for the Postprints editorial team. Applicants should excel at time management and organization, have strong writing skills, a love for editing, and a diplomatic communication style with regard to both the nuances of copy editing and enforcement of deadlines.  

The position is time-intensive, requiring several hours of work per week throughout the year, although this can be done on your own schedule and is weighted more heavily to the months following the annual meeting. There are no set term limits for this position, but a commitment of at least two years is ideal for continuity of the publication.

• Correspond with presenters prior to Annual Meeting to communicate author responsibilities, guidelines, resources, and deadlines
• Send and receive drafts, image files, proofs, author license agreement forms (ALAFs) and other correspondence to and from authors and vendors using Dropbox and Gmail
• Update status of each paper using a shared task management platform (currently Trello); update and revise submission dates for missed deadlines and communicate with authors about new deadlines by email             
• Maintain archive of original submissions, individual image files, final published PDFs, and ALAFs for each published article; update files in Dropbox as drafts and additional files are received
• Solicit anonymous peer reviewers for article submissions, ensuring that there are no conflicts of interest; prepare drafts and contact sheets for peer reviewers and respond to reviewers’ questions as they arise
• Read each article for adherence to JAIC Style Guidelines, consistency with other articles in the volume, clarity, logical order of presentation, presence of sufficient illustrations, correct and consistent use of terminology, factual accuracy, support for claims, appropriate use of references, etc. 
• Update OSG Postprints website (WordPress); upload abstracts and full articles (where applicable) to OSG Postprints website when published
• Send manuscripts and image files to copy editing and layout editing vendors (currently Aptara)
• Report to the OSG leadership on several calls during the year and the OSG membership at the Annual Meeting
• Optional: Serve on the Conference Proceedings Subcommittee of the Communications Committee of the AIC  

Apply

The Book and Paper Group Publications Committee Co-Chair role is a volunteer position that offers the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the BPG scholarly community by managing and shaping the future of BPG publications work, including the BPG Annual (AIC Annual Meeting postprints) and the BPG Wiki. The Co-Chair position is appointed by the BPG Executive Council, and reports to the BPG PubComm Chair. The BPG PubComm Co-Chair supports and assists the Chair while learning the operations of the Committee. The term of service is one year, after which the Co-Chair will serve an additional one-year term as Chair, for a two-year total term.

Skills: To fulfill the demands of this position, the Co-Chair must have good interpersonal, communication, and project management skills as well as an interest in overarching publication and communication topics. The time commitment for this position varies throughout the calendar year with PubComm activities.

Responsibilities:

• Assists Chair in ensuring that the responsibilities of PubComm members are addressed in a timely manner. Each member is expected to organize their work, meet deadlines, and maintain schedules.
• Works with Chair to organize conference calls and in-person meetings at the AIC Annual Meeting, to develop and report on projects, and to address current and future BPG publication related issues.
• Ensures that summary notes from conference calls reflect the deliberation and reasoning behind actions taken by the committee.
• Runs meetings in the absence of the Chair.
• Assists Chair in managing documentation of PubComm decisions, activities, and other relevant information in the PubComm Online Community.
• Collaborates with the Chair and the Website Coordinator to ensure that summary minutes of the year’s activities (in-person or conference call meetings) are posted to the BPG website.
• Assists the Chair in preparing a report at the Book and Paper Group business meeting and contributes to the AIC Newsletter, AIC Board reports, and IAG annual report at direction of BPG Executive Council.

For questions about the position, please contact PubComm Chair Lydia Aikenhead.

Apply

Art on Paper Discussion Group (APDG) Co-Chair, 2-year term

The BPG Art on Paper Discussion Group (APDG) seeks a volunteer to serve as co-chair for the 2023 and 2024 Annual Meetings. Together the co-chairs will select a topic and closely collaborate to develop a program with selected speakers. The APDG is a unique opportunity to focus on a relevant topic for conservators of works of art on paper and to create an open forum for discussion with colleagues.

Primary duties, shared between co-chairs, include:

• Developing the discussion topic
• Securing speakers
• Coordinating and moderating the 2-hour session
• Authoring the session summary for the BPG Annual
• Contributing edits to the Book or Paper Wiki for an entry related to the session topic
• Selecting an incoming APDG co-chair for the following Annual Meeting

Conservators at all stages of career are encouraged to apply. For questions about the position, please contact APDG Co-Chair Grace Walters, gwalters@loc.gov.

Apply

The Health & Safety Network creates and shares resources to keep conservation professionals safe in the workplace. We also host a forum dedicated to providing information to conservators and allied professionals.

We are seeking a member to take on this role:

Vice Chair (3-5 hours/month, varies)

• Acts as AIC Program Chair for the Network
• Coordinates and manages all activities and programming associated with the Annual Meeting including any H&S-related luncheons and workshops, fit testing, setting up booth/ booth materials, and any other associated Annual Meeting work.
• Manages AIC Annual Meeting Committee, including Fit Test Coordinator, the H&S Booth Coordinator, and other people to help (or other designations as determined by the Vice Chair)
• Assists Chair with the above listed responsibilities
• Becomes Chair after serving as Vice-Chair
• Term: Two years, non-renewable

Apply

ELECTRONIC MEDIA GROUP

The Website Director oversees EMG’s online presence. Activities include keeping EMG’s websites up to date and working with AIC staff to ensure EMG is represented on the AIC website. We encourage any candidates who are interested in creating a social media presence for EMG and/or coordinating updates to the EMG Wiki to apply for this officer role.

This role is a 2-year term, May/June 2022-June 2024.

Applicants should be EMG members with an interest in outreach.

Apply