Wanted: Grateful Dead librarian

Nov. 13, 2009 | By Alex Cohen | KPCC
Mercer 1739
UC Santa Cruz

An example from UC Santa Cruz's Grateful Dead collection.

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Nowadays jobs are tough to come by in California, but one choice spot is now open for someone with a master's degree in Library Sciences and a deep love of the Dead. The Grateful Dead that is.

UC Santa Cruz is looking to hire an archivist for its The Grateful Dead Archive.

The archive documents the band's creative activity and influence in contemporary music history from 1965 to 1995, including the phenomena of the Deadheads, the band’s extensive network of devoted fans, and the band’s highly unusual and successful musical business ventures.

The archive was donated to UC Santa Cruz's Library last year and will become part of their Special Collections.

The Dead Archive contains original documents, clippings, artifacts, photography, posters, audio and video recordings, publications about the Dead and its individual members.

It also chronicles the band's tours and performances, recordings and productions, and business. Correspondence and art contributed over the years by Deadheads are part of the archive.

Christine Bunting, head of Special Collections at UC Santa Cruz, says the job is a plum one for someone who's a big fan of the Dead's music.

But the gig doesn't just entail sitting around and grooving out to "Sugar Magnolia" all day long.

The archivist will be responsible for 600 linear feet of stuff &ndash that's enough to fill several football fields!

The collection probably won’t be open to the public until early next year. Meanwhile, the New York Historical Society will exhibit a few pieces from the collection this spring.

UC Santa Cruz is currently constructing a new room in their newly renovated library to house the exhibit. It's called “Dead Central."

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