Consultant - Cataloguing of the IBE audiovisual collection
at UNESCO, Geneva, Switzerland
- Contract
- Level 2 - Middle
- Closing date
- 23 November 2026
- Listed
- 22 October 2026, from UNESCO
The advert
JOB DETAILS Type of contract : Consultant Contract Level : Level 2 - Middle Hiring Unit : International Bureau of Education (IBE) Duty Station : Geneva Work location : On site Duration of contract : 4 months Hiring open to : External candidates Application deadline (Midnight UTC+2 Time) : 16/11/2026 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, ProfessionalismOVERVIEW The UNESCO International Bureau of Education (UNESCO-IBE) Documentation Centre holds an audiovisual collection of materials produced, collected, or received in the course of IBE activities, primarily between the 1970s and 1990s. The collection occupies approximately 23 large moving boxes and storage crates. It includes 16 mm film reels, slides, projection transparencies, filmstrips, videocassettes, magnetic tapes, CD-ROMs and floppy disks, as well as teaching materials and related documentation. Originating in part from UNESCO Member States, these materials were used for exhibitions and for documenting teaching methods. They provide evidence of educational technologies and practices and of the IBE’s work as an international documentation centre. Existing descriptions are incomplete; partial inventories compiled in the early 2000s and related historical archives may inform the assignment. The IBE seeks qualified specialists to assess, arrange, describe, catalogue and rehouse the collection, and to identify its principal preservation needs and priorities for future digitization and access.Long Description ASSIGNMENTS The objectives: Establish the composition, provenance, arrangement and historical value of the collection. Produce a reliable, searchable archival catalogue compatible with the IBE’s existing systems. Assess the condition of the media and identify urgent preservation needs. Improve physical storage through appropriate rehousing and labelling. Identify priorities and requirements for future conservation, digitization and access. The assignment covers the following interrelated activities: Survey, historical research and arrangement Review existing inventories, related archives and available documentation; establish provenance and context. Conduct an initial survey to identify formats, volumes, groupings and any material requiring special handling. Develop an agreed arrangement and description methodology, with reference codes and a classification structure. Arrange and describe the holdings at series and sub-series level, adding more detailed description where justified by content or preservation needs. Long Description 2. Description and cataloguing Create a structured catalogue in Excel with fields agreed with the IBE Documentation Centre, following relevant archival standards, including ISAD(G), and appropriate conventions for audiovisual materials. Record, as available and applicable, reference codes, titles, dates, provenance, scope and content, formats, quantities, languages, physical condition and locations. Identify holdings of particular importance for the history of education and document uncertainties or gaps in attribution. Prepare and harmonize catalogue information in French and English and make the metadata suitable for integration into the IBE TIND database. Collaborate with the Documentation Centre on validation, import testing and necessary corrections to the catalogue. 3. Preservation assessment Assess the preservation condition of photographic, film, magnetic and legacy digital media through appropriately qualified specialist expertise. Identify deterioration risks, handling restrictions, materials requiring urgent attention, and suitable storage conditions. Recommend preventive conservation measures, archival enclosures and priorities for possible conservation treatment and digitization. Identify any additional equipment or specialist services needed for safe examination, preservation or future transfer of content. 4. Rehousing and finalization Prepare a specification and quantities for the ar