Swedish Translation Specialist Job Description
The Carver County Historical Society seeks a temporary contract employee to translate approximately 1100 pages of Swedish text into English.
In 2015, the Carver County Historical Society (CCHS) inherited the 12.17-acre Historic Andrew Peterson Farmstead, a National Register of Historic Places site. The farmstead has international historical significance, in part due to the diary that Andrew Peterson kept, daily, for 48 years.
Andrew Peterson began keeping a diary from the time he left Sweden until 2 days before his death in 1898. The diary is a uniquely detailed insight into the daily life of pioneer immigrant farmers, Swedish settlers, horticulturalists, and the daily work and expenses of the time. It is one of few such resources available in Minnesota.
The CCHS is seeking a translator to translate the 48 years of the Swedish Andrew Peterson Diaries. The diaries consist of approximately 1100 pages. It is estimated that the project will last 640-700 hours and should be completed in 5 months. The ideal candidate will be a native Swedish speaker who is fluent in English. Knowledge of basic German is a plus. Preference will be given to a person familiar with the dialect from Ydre, Sweden. Translation may be accomplished either at the MNHS Gale Library, at the CCHS, or at any off site location, as long as the translator has access to a microfilm machine. If work is accomplished remotely, access to Skype is required.
The ideal candidate will:
- Be a native Swedish speaker and native English or fluent English speaker
- Have familiarity with the Ydre dialect
- Have excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Have the ability to read script style cursive writing
- Have the ability to work independently
- Have the ability to follow a work schedule
- Be committed to finishing the project on time.
- Have access to a computer and the internet
- Have the ability to drive to the MN Historical Society, and/or access to a microfilm reader
Reimbursement:
This is a temporary contract position. The full project payment is $9600 and will be paid out on a per rata basis based on the percentage of total pages completed. The ideal situation would have the contract employee billing the CCHS bi-weekly.
This position will remain open until January 31, 2018.
To apply, send application and cover letter to Wendy Biorn at wbiorn@co.carver.mn.us or Heidi Gould at hgould@co.carver.mn.us . Address questions to Heidi Gould, or call (952)442-4234.
This grant project is funded from the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
