Historical society seeks new manager for Waterbury’s treasures

June 22, 2024 | By Margaret Moreland 

The Waterbury Historical Society sadly said goodbye to its collection manager, Mike Maloney, in April when he moved on to a full-time position and plans for graduate school.

Waterbury Historical Society’s Collection Manager Mike Maloney has moved on. Courtesy photo

Over the 18 months he spent at the society, his work significantly contributed to ongoing improvements in the organization of and access to the society’s collection of documents of artifacts, documents, and other items related to Waterbury’s history. 

He often assisted researchers, members of the public, and society volunteers working on exhibits, programs, and publications. Mike also supervised donation and cataloging activities, as well as the work of volunteers helping with the record-keeping process. 

His attention to detail (not to mention his patience and diplomacy with gray-haired volunteers) was amazing! He was especially enthusiastic about making improvements to Past Perfect, the society’s publicly available online database covering much of the collection.

A native of New Jersey, Mike is a UVM graduate. He has deferred further study for the time being and accepted a full-time position as a digital specialist at the South Burlington Public Library. However, his ultimate academic goal is a graduate degree in library science.

Although he will be missed in Waterbury, everyone who worked with him is certain that he will be a success wherever he goes!

Not only does the society want to publicly express our deep gratitude for Mike’s efforts in helping us take our operations to a new level, but we also want to emphasize that the role of a collections manager is critical to the ongoing work of a historical society. We have opened a search to fill this position and are optimistic we can find the right fit before the end of summer. In the meantime, a number of volunteers are working to fill the gaps while the role remains vacant. Our next collections manager will have strong research, writing, and organizational skills, attention to detail, and comfort with online platforms for searches, document creation, and collaboration. This is a part-time, paid position. 

More details about the position and how to apply can be found on our website, waterburyhistoricalsociety.org. Mike built a strong foundation for this role to effectively advance the society’s mission, and we are also excited to find out what our next collections manager will bring.

Margaret Moreland is a volunteer member of the Waterbury Historical Society’s Collection Acquisition Committee.