Wesleyan University is hiring: Preservation and Book Arts Librarian in Middletow

Located in Middletown, Connecticut, Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges with 3,000 undergraduates and 200 graduates. Established in 1831, Wesleyan is known for its rich, open, and interdisciplinary curriculum. We have a long-standing commitment to creating a dynamically diverse campus comprising students from all racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Within this intellectually stimulating environment, the Wesleyan University Libraries are privileged to play an important role in the educational, research, and creative endeavors of Wesleyan faculty and students.

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

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

Additional Application Instructions:

Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by October 10, 2024 when first review of applications will begin.

As part of your application please upload your resume and cover letter.

Compensation: $61,300 - $72,300

Work Location: On Campus

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate's completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University's Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers. For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html

Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.