Position at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Rare Book Conservator
Preservation and Conservation Program
Academic Professional
University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign

This position is available as soon as possible.

This is a 100% time, twelve month appointment Academic Professional
position in the University Library.

Duties and Responsibilities:

    Reporting to the Head of Conservation, the Rare Book Conservator
    is responsible for the conservation treatment of rare and unique
    bound library materials, generally those requiring individual
    treatment, as well as keeping written records and
    photo-documentation of such work. The Conservator will perform
    complex conservation treatment on rare book and special
    collections materials including re-sewing; leather and vellum
    rebinding and binding conservation; gold and blind tooling;
    conservation of paper and parchment, including aqueous and
    chemical treatment, and the creation of custom protective
    enclosures for a variety of rare and archival materials.  The
    Conservator will assist in the preparation of rare and special
    collections materials for exhibition, complete condition
    assessments and assist in the management of preventative care.
    This position will provide conservation support to locations
    holding rare book and special collections materials by arranging
    workflow and identifying treatments in close consultation with
    collection managers and aiding in the development of care and
    handling guidelines for such materials.

    The Rare Book Conservator assists the Conservation Unit in
    general training and education programs, working with practicum
    students and volunteers, and participating in overall
    conservation planning, program development, research, disaster
    planning and response.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library is a
leader in the delivery of user services, and active programs in
information, instructional, access, and scholarly services help the
Library to maintain its place at the intellectual heart of the
campus. The Library also holds one of the preeminent research
collections in the world, encompassing more than 12 million volumes
and a total of more than 23 million items. The Library is committed
to maintaining the strongest collections and service programs
possible, and to engaging in research, development, and scholarly
practice--all of which support the University's missions of
teaching, research, and public engagement. The Library employs
approximately 90 faculty members, and more than 300 academic
professionals, staff, and graduate assistants. For more information,
see:

    <URL:http://www.library.illinois.edu>

The Preservation and Conservation Program at the University of
Illinois Library operates with the holistic vision of developing a
comprehensive management program for the entire library system.  The
Conservation Unit consists of both collections conservation as well
as special collections conservation.  The unit also assists in the
education, planning and development of the overall preservation
program for the Library. For more information on the Preservation
and Conservation program, visit

    <URL:http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/>

Qualifications

    Required:  Bachelor's degree; Extensive knowledge of book and
    paper conservation principles and practices; Extensive knowledge
    of the physical and chemical nature of books and paper, as
    evidenced by (i) a graduate degree in conservation, or (ii) the
    completion of a conservation apprenticeship with an established
    conservator, or (iii) other verifiable certification of advanced
    training and education; Demonstrated ability to perform complex
    conservation treatments on rare books, as evidenced by a
    conservation portfolio; Extensive knowledge of the history of
    bookbinding; Excellent written and oral communication skills

    Preferred:   Two or more years of professional conservation
    experience; Experience working collaboratively in a research
    library and/or archives; Undergraduate degree or significant
    coursework in a related field such as history, art history,
    library science, museum studies, chemistry, materials science,
    and/or studio art; Demonstrated experience in dealing with the
    intellectual issues involved in the use of research library
    collections; Supervisory experience; Experiences with databases
    and integrated library systems; Working knowledge and practice
    of digital photodocumentation; Demonstrable experience working
    in exhibition preparation of book materials

Salary:  Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and
credentials.

Terms of appointment:  Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation
days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days
(cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative)
available, if needed, each year; health insurance requiring a small
co-payment is provided to employee (with the option to purchase
coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in State
Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is
withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options
for participation in additional retirement plans; newly-hired
employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and
are subject to its deduction.

Campus and Community: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university
(Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the
best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and
graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts
theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the
state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve
31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students;
approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each
year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus
is available at <URL:http://www.illinois.edu>

The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and
Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated
about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis,
and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding
communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally
suited to the work of a major research institution. For more
information about the community, visit:

    <URL:http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html>

or

    <URL:http://www.ccchamber.org>

To Apply: To ensure full consideration, please complete your
candidate profile at

    <URL:https://jobs.illinois.edu>

and upload a letter of interest, resume, contact information
including email addresses for three professional references, and
uploaded documentation (including image, PDF, or word-processing
files) of three most significant treatments, or provide an external
link to these in the cover letter.  Applications not submitted
through this website will not be considered.

For questions, please call: 217-333-8169.

Deadline:  In order to ensure full consideration, applications and
nominations must be received by July 2, 2012.

Illinois is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer and
welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and
ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity.

    <URL:http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu>

Jennifer Hain Teper
John "Bud" Velde Head, Preservation and Conservation Units
University of Illinois Libraries
jhain<-at->illinois<.>edu
217-244-5689
(Preservation Office)
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 44
Urbana, IL 61801
(Conservation Office)
809 S. Oak Street, 2nd Floor
Champaign, IL 61820

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:3
                  Distributed: Saturday, June 9, 2012
                        Message Id: cdl-26-3-032
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