Position at British Library

Head of Conservation
Salary UKP32,094 to UKP47,348
The British Library

The British Library <URL:http://www.bl.uk> is undergoing a
far-reaching and fundamental restructuring, which includes the
creation of a Collection Care portfolio, embracing Preservation,
Conservation, Collection Storage and Security, and Surrogacy. The
area is responsible for the care of both traditional and digital
collections and comprises some 200 staff and UKP9m budget.

The new Head of Conservation post being created within Collection
Care will be based at St Pancras in London. Half the Conservation
studios are already in the new BL building at St Pancras. The other
half are currently still on the British Museum site about one mile
away. There is a major project to build a new centre of book
conservation on the St Pancras site. The building is being designed
to incorporate public access to the studios and to accommodate book
conservation training. This post represents the opportunity to shape
the Conservation Department in preparation for that move.

The postholder will manage all the studios, which cover the whole
spectrum of work reflecting the BL's world class collections--from
refurbishment and box-making to printed book, manuscript,
photographic and paper conservation, both oriental and occidental.
The postholder will help to develop the British Library's role as a
national and international centre of advice, expertise, research and
good practice for all aspects of conservation, and to exercise a
personal leadership role in the conservation community.

He/she will manage, with support from senior staff, a large number
of conservation personnel, together with non-staff budgets assigned
to conservation. He/she will have responsibility for managing,
reviewing and developing the full range of conservation treatments
undertaken. The successful candidate will have approximately ten
years employment experience in a relevant professional conservation
context, at least part of which will have been in a managerial
capacity. He/she will possess a relevant vocational or professional
qualification and have a deep knowledge of, and proven expertise in,
a wide range of practical conservation techniques. Particular skills
in book conservation would be welcome. An extensive knowledge of
interventive and minimal intervention approaches to conservation
ranging from treatments applicable to oriental and occidental
collections (manuscripts, printed books, maps etc) to a phased
approach is required together with a broad knowledge of allied
conservation disciplines; mechanisms of deterioration; the
interaction between materials, use and the environment; and a
knowledge of library and archive preservation activities.

The postholder will need to be personable and pragmatic and have
proven competence in managing numbers of staff and the ability to
implement changes in conservation treatments through personal
authority and expertise. Professional accreditation is highly
desirable, as is membership of, and active involvement in,
appropriate national professional conservation bodies together with
contributions to relevant professional publications and events.

Overseas applicants are welcome subject to normal immigration
controls.

For an informal discussion, please contact

    Helen Shenton
    Head of Collection Care
    +44 20 7412 7594
    helen.shenton [at] bl__uk

For more information and an application pack view
<URL:http://www.bl.uk/about/vacancies.html> or call +44 20 7412 7314
between the hours of 09.00 and 17.00, or email bl-personnel [at] bl__uk
quoting reference number PO2-20-2002.

The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is
February 28, 2003.

The British Library is an Equal Opportunities employer. We recognise
the benefit of employing a diverse workforce. Applicants are
considered solely on the basis of their merits and suitability for
the job.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:43
                Distributed: Wednesday, January 15, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-43-017
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