Appendix E: Professional Resources for Archaeobytologists

Introduction §

Since “Archaeobytologist” is not yet a standard job title in most HR databases, this appendix functions as a “Translation Guide” for students entering the workforce. It maps the skills learned in the Archaeobytology curriculum to existing job market sectors, while also providing a roadmap for the future institutionalization of the field.

I. The Career Tracks (The “Translation” Layer) §

Source: Chapter 16

Track 1: Memory Institution Practitioner §

The Role: The custodian working within established libraries and archives.
Current Job Titles: Digital Archivist, Born-Digital Specialist, Metadata Librarian, Digital Curation Officer.
Target Employers: National archives (NARA, The National Archives UK), university libraries, special collections, museums (The Strong, Rhizome).
Key Skill Translation: Triage (Ch 5) -> “Appraisal”; Forensics (Ch 8) -> “Bit-level Preservation.”

Track 2: Industry Sovereignty Architect §

The Role: The builder working inside tech companies to enable data portability and ethical governance.
Current Job Titles: Data Portability Lead, Trust & Safety Policy Manager, Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), Open Source Program Office (OSPO) Manager.
Target Employers: Tech platforms (specifically Governance/Export teams), Mozilla, DuckDuckGo, Federated social networks (Ghost, Mastodon hosts).
Key Skill Translation: Sovereignty Design (Ch 12) -> “User Trust & Safety”; Distributed Governance (Ch 13) -> “Decentralization Strategy.”

Track 3: The Preservation Consultant (The “Anvil” Track) §

The Role: The mercenary expert helping organizations navigate digital death or transition.
Current Job Titles: Digital Asset Manager (DAM), Information Governance Consultant, Legacy System Migration Specialist.
Target Clients: Non-profits closing down, law firms (eDiscovery), legacy media companies digitizing back catalogues.
Key Skill Translation: Excavation (Ch 7) -> “Data Migration”; Triage (Ch 5) -> “Information Lifecycle Management.”

Track 4: The Public Advocate §

The Role: The activist fighting for the legal right to preserve.
Current Job Titles: Technology Policy Analyst, Digital Rights Campaigner, Campaign Director.
Target Employers: EFF, Fight for the Future, Creative Commons, Public Knowledge.
Key Skill Translation: Custodial Filter (Ch 9) -> “Digital Rights Policy”; Movement Building (Ch 16) -> “Advocacy.”

II. Professional Societies & “Trading Zones” §

Before the “Society for Archaeobytology” is formally established (Year 4 Goal), these are the spaces where the work currently happens.

The Maintainers: A global research network interested in the concepts of maintenance, infrastructure, and repair.
National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA): A consortium of institutions committed to the long-term preservation of digital information.
iPres: The International Conference on Digital Preservation (the premier venue for technical preservation work).
Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR): For the cultural/social analysis of platforms.
Society for Social Studies of Science (4S): For the political economy and STS aspects of the curriculum.

III. Funding & Grant Sources §

For students taking the “Institution Building” track (Chapter 11), these are the primary capital sources for preservation work.

Public/Government:

NEH (Office of Digital Humanities): For cultural heritage projects.
IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services): For infrastructure and access.
NSF: For technical infrastructure (though often requires CS partnership).

Private Philanthropy:

Mellon Foundation: The largest funder of digital preservation and scholarly communications.
Sloan Foundation: Funds “Universal Access to Knowledge” projects.
Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web: Funding for distributed/p2p preservation architectures.

IV. The “Certified Archaeobytologist” Roadmap §