Position at University of Iowa

Conservator
The University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa

Position Description: Reporting to the Head, Preservation
Department, the Conservator provides leadership and strategic
direction for the Conservation Unit in the conservation treatment of
circulating and special collections materials. The Conservator
provides technical expertise and professional advice and education
to the staff, other institutions, and the public. The incumbent:

    Executes complex conservation treatments on paper-based library
    and archival materials, working closely and collaboratively with
    subject specialists, Special Collections staff and others to
    establish goals, select and prioritize materials, and design and
    implement plans;

    Manages the Conservation Lab and program and identifies
    programmatic needs and sets priorities;

    Collaborates with the University of Iowa Center for the Book in
    teaching classes in bookbinding and on other aspects of the
    evolving book studies program at the University;

    Establishes specifications and procedures for work performed,
    developing workflow patterns and ensuring the quality of
    completed work;

    Assesses condition of material for a variety of digitization and
    other projects;

    Directly supervises 3.2 FTE staff members, and additional
    students and volunteers performing a wide range of conservation
    treatments and activities;

    Serves as a resource for staff and the public on a wide range of
    conservation issues;

    Assists in staff education and in the planning and development
    of the overall preservation program for the Library; and,

    Conducts research on conservation treatment methods as needed.

Required Qualifications:

    High level of expertise in book conservation achieved through an
    accredited advanced degree in book conservation, equivalent
    certificate program, or formal apprenticeship.

    Minimum of 6 years professional experience in rare books and
    paper conservation.

    Demonstrated expertise in performing complex conservation
    treatments on a broad range of library and archival materials.

    Thorough knowledge of the history of book structure;
    bookbinding, printing, writing, and papermaking materials and
    techniques; and materials science.

    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

    Demonstrated ability to train and supervise staff, assess their
    work, plan, organize, and direct work flow, and plan and
    organize physical space.

    Working knowledge of disaster planning, response, and recovery.

    A record of engagement with professional conservation
    organizations.

    Knowledge of conservation issues and current trends at the
    national level.

    Experience providing instruction in bookbinding and other
    aspects of book studies.

    Demonstrated commitment to diversity in the workplace or
    community.

    Display continuing achievement, particularly at a national
    level, in an area or areas of professional interest that will
    enhance his/her value to the Libraries, the University, the
    profession, or the scholarly community.

Desired Qualifications:

    Demonstrated knowledge of history of photography and the
    evolution of historical and contemporary photographic
    techniques.

    Experience in book and paper conservation in a research library
    setting.

Additional Expectations of the Position:

Civil and Respectful Interactions:

    Demonstrates respect for all members of the University community
    in the course of performing one's duties and in response to
    administrators, supervisors, coworkers, and customers;
    constructively brings forward workplace concerns to coworkers
    and/or supervisor.

    Establishes and maintains standards of collaborative interaction
    among peers and employees that is characterized by respect,
    honesty and service; assures that all unit members are held to
    similar standards and ethics; constructively manages conflict.

Diversity and Inclusion:

    Welcomes the richness of talent from a diverse workforce and
    recognizes that diversity brings stimulation, challenge, and
    energy that contribute to a productive and effective workplace.

    Manages the talents, strengths and behaviors of each individual
    in a diverse work group, while providing each employee with the
    opportunity to contribute to the goals of the unit. Works to
    assure that all employees are respected and treated in a manner
    consistent with University policies in regard to equal
    employment opportunity and diversity.

Leadership Accountability:

    Represents the interests of the University and of unit
    leadership in the use of resources to meet service and
    productivity demands within unit goals and budgets; strives to
    promote continual process and quality improvement.

    Inspires and motivates others to high performance by exercising
    strong stewardship of University resources, setting
    expectations, measuring success through individual performance
    evaluations, and driving organizational results.

Learning and Professional Development:

    Seeks opportunities to enhance one's own professional knowledge,
    skills, and abilities as they relate to one's current position
    and/or to prepare for potential future roles and overall career
    development.

    Identifies opportunities for and creates development plans that
    encourage employees to attend to the growth of their personal
    and professional capacity; engages self and staff in collective
    reflection of the University's greater role in society.

Salary and appointment: Hiring range $50,000 to $75,000. Start date
negotiable. Position will be filled at the level of Expert Librarian
(PLB3) or Senior Librarian (PLB4) depending upon level of
experience, expertise, and professional contribution. The University
of Iowa offers an attractive package of benefits including 24 days
of paid vacation per year, your choice between two retirement plans
and two University of Iowa health insurance plans, dental insurance,
pre-tax child and health care spending accounts, and additional
options.

The University of Iowa Libraries: The University of Iowa library
system consists of the Main Library, the Hardin Library for the
Health Sciences and a number of branch libraries. The Libraries has
more than 5 million volumes including thousands of electronic
resources and coordinates the development and maintenance of the
University's locally-created open access digital resources including
the Iowa Digital Library, featuring more the 440,000 digitized
texts, images, and audio and video recordings, as well as Iowa
Research Online, our institutional repository. Our Special
Collections include over 200,000 rare books, ranging in age from the
15th century to newly created artists' books.

Library systems are built on a mix of open source, locally
developed, hosted services, and vended applications primarily from
Ex Libris, OCLC, and Microsoft. The University of Iowa is a member
of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), ARL, OCLC,
SPARC, CNI, CLIR, LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and Portico. The Libraries
provides a program of support for professional development
activities and its staff members are actively engaged in national
cooperative efforts.

The Conservation Unit: The Conservation unit
<URL:http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/preservation/Conservation.html>
founded by Bill Anthony in 1985, operates from a 2000 square foot
laboratory facility to provide conservation services for materials
from Special Collections, University Archives, Iowa Women's
Archives, John Martin Rare Book Room, Music Rare Book Room, and
circulating collections. Conservation staff works closely with The
University of Iowa Center for the Book
<URL:http://book.grad.uiowa.edu/> which is a unique program that
conjoins training in the technique and artistry of bookmaking with
research into the history and culture of books.

The University and Iowa City: A major research and teaching
institution, the University of Iowa offers internationally
recognized programs in a diverse array of academic, medical, and
artistic disciplines, from otolaryngology to fiction writing,
printmaking to space science, hydraulic engineering to dance. The
University consists of a faculty of 2,000 and a permanent staff of
13,000 serving 30,500 students, more than 40% of whom are from out
of state and close to 10,000 of whom are registered in graduate and
professional degree programs. Approximately 9% of the University's
faculty and staff and 10% of its student body are members of
minority groups, and 8% of the students are from foreign countries.

Iowa City is a community of some 68,000 people (more than 150,000
live in the surrounding area) with excellent educational,
recreational, and cultural advantages. It is consistently cited in
the national media as a city with an excellent quality of life. The
city is readily accessible via interstate highways and a major
airport is only 30 minutes away. The community is growing in its
diversity; within the Iowa City Community School District, 32.47% of
the students are minority, with 16.22% identifying as
African-American, 8.55% as Latino/Hispanic, 7.33% as Asian-American,
and .37% as Native American during the 2010/11 school year.

Application Procedure:

To apply for this position, please visit

    <URL:http://jobs.uiowa.edu>

To help facilitate your application process, note the requisition
number 59966. Applications must be received by October 14, 2011.

The University of Iowa is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
Employer. Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply.

For more information about the University of Iowa Libraries and
community, please see

    <URL:http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/about/employment/>

Nancy E. Kraft
University of Iowa Libraries
Preservation
100 Main Library
Iowa City IA 52242-1420
319-335-5286
Fax: 319-335-5900

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:13
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