ABOUT ME
Corey Barber (she/her)
MISSION
My mission is to implement best practices in collections management and digital preservation, ensuring museum collections are not only well-cared for but also easily accessible. By fostering robust metadata standards and digitization efforts, I aim to bridge the gap between communities and the rich stories museum objects tell, creating deeper connections and broadening access for diverse audiences.
VISION
My vision is to help repair relationships with historically excluded communities by amplifying voices in the preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of their histories. Through inclusive digitization and metadata practices, I aim to ensure their stories are authentically represented and accessible to all.
VALUES
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Accessibility: Ensuring museum collections and stories are easily available to all, especially through digitization.
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Inclusion: Centering historically excluded voices in the preservation and interpretation of their history.
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Authenticity: Preserving and representing stories with integrity, reflecting the true experiences of diverse communities.
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Stewardship: Upholding best practices in the care and management of collections for future generations.
Resume
Experience Highlights
November 2022 - August 2024
Digitization and Metadata Specialist
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Indianapolis, IN
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Managed digitization and creation metadata for 11,000+ archival materials to be published on an online collections portal allowing for greater accessibility to the public.
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Established quality control of digital image content, metadata, and asset properties.
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Ensured taxonomy hierarchy and metadata standards for efficient search and accurate usage rights.
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Approved, organized, and managed over 11,000 assets within first year including review and approval of rights-managed assets depending on the use case.
February 2021 - May 2022
Collections and Repatriation Specialist
FBI Art Crime Team
Indianapolis, IN
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Prepared 500+ foreign and domestic ethnographic and archaeological artifacts as well as human remains for storage, consultation, and repatriation to source communities as well as maintain storage and intellectual control of a collection of 7,000+ items.
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Conducted provenance research on objects to determine their culture of origin.
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Lead a team of 10+ graduate and undergraduate students to perform various tasks in environmental monitoring, housekeeping, object handling and packing, cataloguing, database upkeep, and research.
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Managed onsite storage facilities including security, access, environmental conditions, pest management, and safety.
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Conducted research into NAGPRA to prepare for drafting a Notice of Inventory Completion.
August 2021-May 2022
Collections Fellow
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
Indianapolis, IN
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Accessioned over 700 objects into the museum’s permanent collection, including creating records within PastPerfect, numbering, photographing, and creating housing for a variety of archival materials and objects.
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Photographed objects including textiles, trophies, scrapbooks, and larger archival materials to attach to the entry in PastPerfect, replacing older photographs with updated ones utilizing our new photography station.
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Assisted the Collections Manager in processing incoming and outgoing loans as well as donations including all legal and insurance documents.
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Created custom, clam shell boxes for books in need of repair from the museum’s library.
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Increased knowledge in preservation of metal objects by polishing and updating catalogue entries for various trophies, including the Wheeler-Schebler and Borg-Warner trophies.
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Edited label copy for and assisted in installation of Traditions, InFocus, and Roadsters 2 Records exhibits.
August 2021-May 2022
Community Engaged Associate (Teaching and Research Assistant)
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
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Prepared and supervise 8 hands-on collections labs for Collections Care and Management and Preventive Conservation courses.
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Facilitated lectures, including virtual lectures via Zoom with guest speakers from around the globe.
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Prepared handouts, lab materials, lecture PowerPoint presentations, and other necessary materials prior to each class and created archival supply budget for two courses.
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Served as a mentor to students, providing additional clarification and assistance whenever needed.
July 2018- December 2018
Natural History and Cultural Collections Intern
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, IN
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Reorganize Documents and Manuscripts Collection including inventory development and consolidation, and rehousing 2,000+ artifacts; this project helped the Museum prepare for reaccreditation through the American Alliance of Museums prior to the AAM evaluator site visit.
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Catalogued and digitized collection of 150+ glass-plate negatives using MIMSY XG.
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Installed selection of Felrath Hines' paintings for a corporate event.
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Assisted with Hoosier Salon art exhibition de-installation, wrapped and transported paintings through the building.
Education
2022
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
MA Museum Studies
Awarded Outstanding Graduate Student for Museum Studies Program 2022.
Coursework in: Collections, preventive conservation, exhibits, education, community collaboration and curation, archives, administration
2018
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
BA Art History
with German minor
Indianapolis, IN
Professional skillset
Metadata and taxonomy: Dublin Core, MODS, MADS, VRA Core
Database management including MIMSY XG, PastPerfect, EMu, and Piction
Provenance research, including NAGPRA
Exhibit installation and handling of archaeological, ethnographic, and fine art objects
CSV/XML File Management
MS Office Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, and OpenRefine
Languages
English (native)
German (proficient)