Position at Stanford

Head, Preservation Department
Librarian / Senior Librarian
March 1, 2007

Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources
(SULAIR) collect a wide range of materials in support of world-class
teaching and research.  SULAIR's collections include 8.7 million
volumes and 2,600 archival collections.  The Head of the
Preservation Department reports to the Associate University
Librarian for Technical Services and is responsible for assuring
that these resources are accessible to current and future
generations of scholars and students.  This position includes a
significant role in developing strategic directions as well as a
serious tactical role managing and enhancing the programs which
preserve and provide access to library assets of all formats in all
collections.

Proactive advocacy and application of preservation principles and
practices within SULAIR is core to the position.  The Head is our
preservation conscience, activist, and leader.  This role extends
beyond Stanford into national and international preservation and
library communities.  Technical Services, and SULAIR itself, has a
deep organizational culture of collaboration within and beyond
itself; we reward a willingness to experiment, and we operate with a
high level of comfort for working in and leading a state of
continual process change.  The duty of the department head is to
embrace this mode of operation and to model it within the department
and within all interactions with other departments.

The Head of Preservation takes a lead role in collection life-cycle
management, documenting and resolving preservation issues as general
and special collections are considered, acquired, processed,
reformatted, used, and stored.  The Head is responsible for
investigation of new strategies and technologies to address the
current challenges to long-term preservation and access to SULAIR's
heterogeneous collections.  This assessment and consultation role
includes responsibility for coordination with curators, selectors,
facilities staff, and technology staff.

Examples of current projects anticipating such leadership include
developing a more formal preservation plan for the Archive of
Recorded Sound (http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ars/) and, in
collaboration with peers in Digital Library Systems and Services
(DLSS), planning for its media reformatting lab.

Stanford follows national preservation practices, which evolve with
the shifting needs presented by new library material types as well
as by emerging technology solutions.  The Department Head plays a
visible role for Stanford in national review of proposed new
practices, and ultimately must assess their impact on local
resources.

Responsibilities: The Preservation Department Head will:

    *   Provide leadership across SULAIR as it continually assesses
        values, risks, and costs of preservation treatments
        associated with assuring long-term access to the full
        breadth of collection materials, both physically in the
        stacks and storage, and digitally through the Stanford
        Digital Repository.

    *   Develop and manage the programs and activities of the
        Preservation Department to support the Libraries'
        requirements for a wide variety of preservation services.
        These include, but are not limited to:  preventive
        preservation, conservation, book repair, commercial library
        binding, end-processing, and reformatting paper-based
        materials.  Manage the department's activities within the
        allocated space, budget, and personnel resources.

    *   Coordinate the activities of the Preservation Department and
        advocate SULAIR'S preservation mission with the Libraries'
        Collections and Services Program, including strong
        cooperation with and support for Special Collections.

    *   Collaborate closely with Digital Library Systems and
        Services (DLSS) regarding standards and processes related to
        their responsibility for preservation of media materials.
        Actively champion effective overlap between analog and
        digital preservation policies, practices, staff, and
        priorities.

    *   Work closely and effectively with SULAIR Facilities Office
        to routinely monitor and review, and occasionally remediate,
        environmental conditions as they affect collections.

    *   Provide managerial oversight to Conservation OnLine (CoOL)
        and develop plans for its future sustainability.
        http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/

    *   Participate actively in program planning within Technical
        Services and the Libraries as a whole.

    *   Identify potential sources of grant funding for preservation
        projects and write grant proposals.  Negotiate with vendors
        for services and partnership deals.

    *   Build and foster productive relationships with those groups
        both locally and nationally involved in the full range of
        preservation responsibilities.  Participate in standards
        development and articulation.  Build partnerships with
        libraries, other non-profits, and the commercial sector to
        address preservation challenges.

Requirements:

    *   Minimum of 5 years in a related preservation field

    *   MLS or equivalent in education or experience

    *   Substantial experience with a wide range of preservation
        principles and practices; management principles and
        techniques; library physical environments, programs, and
        procedures.

    *   Demonstrated knowledge of deterioration mechanisms of all
        media and their mitigation strategies.

    *   Interest in current and emerging activities in materials
        science and scientific research in conservation of modern
        media.

    *   Familiarity with all, and expert level experience in at
        least one of the following is required:

    *   Book and paper preservation and conservation

    *   Preservation of non-print materials, including audio and
        video through electronic formatting;

    *   Reformatting of print and manuscript materials into digital
        form;

    *   Preservation of electronic materials: born-digital as well
        as reformatted to digital forms

    *   Digital repository implementation.

Appointment at the Senior Librarian rank will be based on breadth of
expertise and years of experience.

The Preservation Department comprises Binding and Finishing, the
Conservation Laboratory and Repair, and Conservation OnLine.   The
department has an annual budget of $1.44 million (fy2006) which
includes $450,000 allocated to commercial library binding services.
Staff consists of 13 regular staff: exempt, non-exempt, and
bargaining unit employees. These include conservators, conservation
technicians, and library specialists. The department is
geographically distributed:  Binding and Finishing is housed on
campus with Technical Services colleagues, while the Conservation
Lab and Repair occupies a newly renovated building 1.2 miles from
campus.

To Apply:

Apply via:  <URL:http://jobs.stanford.edu/find_a_job.html>

    Put job number "24339" in the keyword search box at the bottom.

    Scroll to bottom and click on Apply.  Attach your resume,
    including the names of three references, and input your cover
    letter.

Preference is given to applications received by April 15, 2007

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 20:43
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 6, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-20-43-036
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