Position at New York Public Library

Head of Conservation Treatment
Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division
Technical Services, Research Libraries
The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library announces the availability of the Head
of Conservation Treatment position for its Research Libraries.  For
more information, please contact

    Evelyn Frangakis
    Aaron and Clara Greenhut Rabinowitz Chief Librarian for
        Preservation
    212-930-0045
    efrangakis [at] nypl__org

Description: Under the direction of the Aaron and Clara Greenhut
Rabinowitz Chief Librarian for Preservation, has primary
responsibility for administration of the treatment programs in the
Barbara Goldsmith Conservation Laboratory. Designs, develops, and
implements a comprehensive, efficient and effective general and
special collections conservation program based on the Research
Libraries' requirements and policy guidelines; serves as the
Research Libraries' lead expert on the conservation of library
collections.

Supervises conservators and other technical staff assigned to
treatment of special collections and general library materials in
all four of the NYPL distinguished research centers. Plans and
allocates the substantial annual treatment budget. Establishes
treatment specifications and procedures for general and special
collections. Develops procedures and systems for the intake of items
for treatment, rehousing, or other collections conservation
activities including setting priorities. Oversees the research,
evaluation and recommendation of supplies and equipment to be
ordered for a highly technical, sophisticated, and innovative lab.

Establishes and maintains environmental monitoring operations in
collaboration with the Collections Care Unit and the Facilities
Office. With the Collections Care Unit, manages disaster planning
and recovery activities. Works closely with the Division Chief and
other Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division managers to maintain
preservation programs and standards of treatment. Works closely with
the Research Libraries' renowned curatorial areas and coordinates
treatment activities throughout the Libraries. Works closely with
the Exhibitions Program Office and the Digital Library Program in
the preparation of items for loan and digitization, respectively.
Performs related duties as required. Encouraged to participate in
all facets of professional activity. Opportunity and support to
represent the Division and Research Libraries at professional
conservation meetings and organizations.

Requirements: ALA-accredited Masters degree in library/information
science and certificate in conservation or; graduate degree in
conservation; or graduate certificate in conservation with extensive
book and paper conservation training including a thorough working
knowledge of conservation theory and techniques, with satisfactory
completion of courses in organic, paper and conservation chemistry.

Demonstrated substantial success in conservation. Demonstrated
knowledge of preservation issues in large research libraries and
substantial knowledge of conservation treatment procedures is
essential. Demonstrated successful administrative, supervisory and
organizational skills, including the ability to train, supervise and
assess work; to plan, organize, and direct workflow and physical
space.  Demonstrated mastery of written and oral communication.
Demonstrated skill with technology as it applies to the efficient
management of treatment operations and effective environmental
monitoring. Ability to work collegially across a large, complex, and
dynamic organizational setting.

The Institution: Libraries are the memory of humankind,
irreplaceable repositories of documents of human thought and action.
The New York Public Library is such a memory bank par excellence,
one of the great knowledge institutions of the world. Virtually all
of the Library's many collections and services are freely available
to all comers. In fact, the Library has but one criterion for
admission: curiosity.

The New York Public Library comprises simultaneously a set of
scholarly research collections and a network of community libraries,
and its intellectual and cultural range is both global and local,
while singularly attuned to New York City. That combination lends to
the Library an extraordinary richness. It is special also in being
historically a privately managed, nonprofit corporation with a
public mission, operating with both private and public financing in
a century-old, still evolving private-public partnership. The
research collections of over forty-three million items (for
reference only, and organized as the Research Libraries, with four
major centers) resemble the holdings of the great national and
university libraries, and the community circulating libraries with
seven million items (organized as the Branch Libraries) resemble
classic American municipal libraries.

The Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division supports the mission of
the Research Libraries by preserving both the artifacts and
intellectual content of NYPL's rich and vast collections. A wide
variety of preservation activities are performed in four units:
Binding and Shelf Preparation, Collections Care, the Barbara
Goldsmith Preservation Lab, and the Barbara Goldsmith Conservation
Lab. These units oversee collection binding, housing, repair,
reformatting, and conservation treatment.

How to apply:

By Mail:

    The New York Public Library
    Human Resources Department / KRHCT
    Attn: Employment and Placement Office
    188 Madison Avenue
    New York NY 10016-4314

By Email: When applying by e-mail, cover letters and resumes should
be sent as an attachment. Attachments may be in a Microsoft Word or
RTF (Rich Text Format). Please refer to the specific job you are
applying for in the subject line and message area of your e-mail.
E-mail applications can be sent to krresumes [at] nypl__org.

By Fax: When faxing your cover letter and resume please be sure to
use a fax cover sheet with the address listed above and the specific
position you are applying for. Fax: applications can be sent to
212-592-7327.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:3
                  Distributed: Thursday, June 24, 2004
                        Message Id: cdl-18-3-021
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