Preservation and Book Arts Librarian

Description

The Preservation and Book Arts Librarian independently runs the Book Conservation Lab within Wesleyan's Unique Collections department. Unique Collections also includes the Archaeology and Anthropology Collections, East Asian Art and Archival Collections, Special Collections, University Archives, and the World Music Archives and Music Library. The position reports to the Dietrich Family Associate University Librarian for Unique Collections and will collaborate with the other Unique Collections managers providing education offerings across Wesleyan’s curriculum and the creation of policies. As a whole, Unique Collections staff teach over 120 class sessions a year, manage student workers, oversee student-curated exhibitions, and create other programming and events. 
 
The Preservation and Book Arts Librarian has two main areas of responsibility. First, they will be responsible for ensuring the long-term well-being of the library’s general and special collections. This includes assessing collections, conducting preventative preservation efforts, and completing basic conservation treatments and preservation enclosures for books in the collections. They will also coordinate environmental monitoring, disaster preparedness and response, and the creation and maintenance of plans and policies related to integrated pest management.  
 
Second, they will also be responsible for building and maintaining an outreach program to leverage the Book Conservation Lab as a tool for applied learning and creativity. This will be done by working with faculty, classes, and individual students on projects; creating class sessions related to book arts, book construction, and topics related to book culture; and hiring and managing student workers to work in the lab. The ideal candidate brings a mix of technical expertise, preservation knowledge, program management, teaching experience, and a desire to expand our capacity for outreach. 
 
Responsibilities include: 
Manage the Book Conservation Lab; hire, train, and supervise student employees performing book conservation work 
Actively maintain, update, develop and apply plans and policies related to preservation measures, pest and environmental control, and disaster response, including leading the Library Emergency Response Team, and liaise with campus facilities staff on environmental controls 
Collaborate with faculty to design and provide experiential learning activities and demonstrations in support of the curriculum; provide instruction on an individual basis with advanced and beginning students in the creation of book arts objects of their own design and interest 
Perform basic conservation treatments and create preservation housing for bound materials in the library’s general and special collections; consult on archival materials, photographs, artifacts, textiles, and other formats  
Create an environment open to various cultural approaches to design and interpretation; encourage a diverse student population to utilize the conservation lab; develop creative approaches to encourage use by students of all abilities 
Create and conduct workshop offerings and create interest in events through advertising and outreach 
Collaborate with other campus entities relevant to book arts and design, including the Shapiro Writing Center, the IDEAS Lab, Digital Design Studio, and Center for the Arts, to strengthen connections between these groups, promote awareness of the Book Conservation Lab, and create collaborative programming 
Design and execute preservation assessments and surveys as needed 
Other duties as assigned 

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications 
Graduate degree in library/information science, book arts, or fine arts, and/or certification from an institution specializing in conservation or book arts and two years’ related experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience 
Experience in preservation program management within a library setting; familiarity with best practices for emergency response/recovery, pest management, and disaster management as they pertain to collections 
Demonstrated experience executing basic conservation treatments for bound general and special collections items and conducting housing and storage projects 
Experience providing instruction in one-on-one or group settings in conducting conservation treatments and/or book construction and articulating technical concepts to a general audience 
In-depth knowledge of the history of printing, book construction, and current and emerging trends in the conservation and preservation fields 
Effective interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills  
Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks effectively and respond fluidly to newly emerging priorities  
Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team-based environment while exerting influence across all levels of the organization 
Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact collegially with individuals of different backgrounds. 
Proven time management skills 
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends 
 
Preferred Qualifications: 
Supervisory experience of student workers 
Demonstrated experience in conservation treatments of paper-based items such as archives and photographs 
Experience developing collaborative outreach programming and teaching workshops and classes related to book arts topics 
Demonstrated experience running a preservation program for a library across multiple collections and locations