Fellowship at National Archives, Kew

Conservation Research Fellowship
Assessing the impact of dust in archives
National Archives
Kew, West London

Full-time. Fixed Term Appointment for 12 months

If you are a Civil Servant, you will need to obtain permission from
your current department to be loaned to us for the duration of the
appointment

Band E

Starting Salary: UKP31,870 plus generous benefits package, including
pension, childcare vouchers, sports and social club facilities,
onsite gym, subsidised staff restaurant and opportunities for
training and development.

Reporting to the Head of Conservation Research and Development, the
Conservation Research Fellow will develop appropriate metrics,
necessary to assessing the risk of degradation posed by dust in
archives and will provide evidence that will support a dust
management strategy for The National Archives repositories in two
locations, Kew and DeepStore, Cheshire. In addition, this 12 month
project will review the current cleaning regime and evaluate the
options for managing dust levels that are efficient and effectively
mitigate the risk of dust. Dissemination of research outcomes
through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and other creative
means to reach a wide audience is an essential part of this role.

Reports to: Head Conservation Research and Development

Role and Responsibilities: As the Conservation Research Fellow you
will apply your specialist knowledge in support of this project, the
outcomes of which will inform the future development of a dust
management strategy for The National Archives collections. You will
take a strategic lead in ensuring the delivery of this research
project within 12 months and work within an agreed budget. Working
with key departments across The National Archives the Conservation
Research Fellow will apply their professional experience to plan and
deliver the "The Impact of Dust in Archives" research project. As a
specialist you will be expected to work independently exercising
your professional judgment in making decisions and establishing new
approaches that will help to deliver the overall objectives of the
project.

Including:

    Identify the sources and nature of dust in the Kew and DeepStore
    repositories.

    Determine the effect of dust on archival collections and
    enclosures and the factors that influence it.

    Quantify the dust levels and rates of deposition across the Kew
    and DeepStore repositories.

    Determine the level after which dust becomes a significant risk
    to the archival collection and if this increases as dust levels
    increase.

    Define the most appropriate indicator for quantifying the risk
    of damage by dust. (e.g. cumulative deposition, deposition rate,
    infiltration rate, handling of enclosure etc.)

    Quantify the effectiveness of storage enclosures (eg. boxes) at
    mitigating the risk of dust to the collection, and determine the
    factors affecting infiltration.

    Appraise different mitigation strategies for reducing the risk
    from dust to the collection stored at both Kew and DeepStore.

    Ensure the outcomes of this work are disseminated widely
    throughout the project.

Person Specification

Essential:

    Knowledge of the material chemistry of archival collections
    (e.g. paper, parchment, photographs).

    A track-record of undertaking conservation research and
    delivering published research outcomes.

    Experience of analytical testing, imaging and data processing.

    Strong inter-personal and communication skills to support
    networking and engagement internally and externally.

    Ability to project-manage and deliver agreed outcomes on time
    and within budget.

    Strong analytical skills: An ability to understand and
    synthesise complex information in order to inform future
    programmes.

Desirable:

    Experience of dust monitoring, risk assessment and cost benefit
    analysis.

Additional Information: Health and Safety Risk Assessment: Normal
office environment

Please apply through our website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/jobs

Supporting Statement: Please explain how you meet each point in the
person specification. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities,
experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities,
education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note
selection for interview will largely be based on the information you
provide in this section.  Please write on separate sheets, but
remember to put your name and post applied for on each sheet.

For Further Information Please contact the Recruitment Team on +44
20 8392 5203

Closing Date Wednesday 11 July 2012 at midnight

Interviews To be confirmed

Simon Boyd-Smith
Recruitment Adviser
+44 20 8392 5335
The National Archives
Kew, Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:7
                   Distributed: Monday, July 9, 2012
                        Message Id: cdl-26-7-022
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