Position at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

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

Academic Professional

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 Preservation
Services, 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 including mount making, 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
curators and by aiding in the development of care and handling
guidelines for such materials.

The Rare Book Conservator supports the Conservation Program in
general training and education programs, working with practicum
students, interns, and volunteers, and may supervise hourly staff,
graduate assistants, or interns as positions are available.  This
position will also advise digitization staff in the handling and
necessary conservation of materials relating to digitization of rare
book materials.  The position also participates 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 Services Unit at the University of Illinois Library
operates with the holistic vision of developing a comprehensive
preservation, conservation, and imaging program for the entire
library system.  The Conservation Lab consists of both collections
conservation as well as special collections conservation functions
in a shared 5,000 square foot lab space, and employs two endowed
professional conservators as well as support staff, graduate
students, hourly student assistants, volunteers and conservation
interns.  The Unit also assists in the education, planning and
development of the overall preservation program for the Library.

For more information on the Preservation Services program, visit

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

Qualifications

Required: 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 a graduate
degree in conservation or in a related field such as history, art
history, library science, museum studies, chemistry, materials
science, and/or studio art; 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; Demonstrated experience in dealing with the
intellectual issues involved in the use of research library
collections; Supervisory experience; Experience with databases and
integrated library systems; Working knowledge and practice of
digital photodocumentation; Demonstrable experience working in
exhibition preparation of book materials; Demonstrable experience
training staff or public on conservation principles and practices;
Knowledge of digitization practices as they relate to rare books
and/or special collections 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://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.
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.  This document should be upload
as "Writing Sample".  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 August 10, 2015.

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
Bud Velde Preservation Librarian
Professor and Head, Preservation Services
Room 425 Main Library
1408 W Gregory Drive
University of Illinois
217-244-5689


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:9
                  Distributed: Thursday, July 23, 2015
                        Message Id: cdl-29-9-028
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