[Preservenw] job posting: Conservation Specialist, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle, WA

[Kathryn Leonard via Preservenw]

Conservation Specialist II, University of Washington Libraries

Seattle, WA 



The University of Washington Libraries enthusiastically seeks a Conservation Specialist to join a collaborative group of six conservation staff plus students caring for book, paper, and textile collections in the UW Libraries Conservation Center.  Under the general direction of the Conservation Manager, the Conservation Specialist performs complex conservation treatment for the UW Libraries circulating collections and creates protective enclosures for both circulating and special collections. The Conservation Specialist supervises conservation students and assists the Conservation Manager with the day-to-day management of these workflows including maintaining equipment and supplies.



DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Conservation Treatment and Enclosures 

Evaluate library materials selected for repair or housing; identify and specify treatment options, advise staff regarding treatment choices, costs, and routing procedures. Apply expertise, creativity, and informed judgement to daily tasks.  



Perform repair of circulating collections, primarily 19th-20th century materials, including paper repair and guarding, page replacement, resewing, and cloth case rebacking.  



Prepare materials for binding by outside vendor, including consolidation for sewn and adhesive text blocks, creating and attaching replacement pages, replacing endsheets and re-lining spines.  



Construct protective enclosures such as drop-spine boxes, phase wrappers, and custom-designed boxes; encapsulate maps, drawings, posters, and other flat work; make pockets within bindings for accompanying items such as maps, plates, etc. Develop creative solutions to unique materials housing, handling, and storage needs. 



Maintain current and pertinent knowledge of library conservation principles and practice, through hands-on training and professional meetings and literature.   



Work collaboratively with other staff to design, analyze, and execute solutions to resolve complex preservation problems. 



Supervisory and Training 

Supervise 3-5 conservation students whose work is primarily focused on in-house pamphlet binding and assembling custom enclosures.  



Interview, hire, train, schedule, assign, and evaluate the work for student staff including providing ongoing, individualized training; specifying treatment; and setting standards for quality and productivity. 



Prepare materials to facilitate pamphlet workflow: including paper repair, guarding, and photocopying replacement pages.  



Develop training resources and tools to support and improve the work of students and hourly staff. 





The Conservation Center is part of the Preservation Services Department, one of four departments in the Collections & Content portfolio of the University of Washington Libraries. The department’s mission is to care for, and enhance access to, the UW Libraries collections that advance research, teaching, and learning at the University of Washington. Preservation Services consists of ten staff who manage programs designed to extend the life of the UW Libraries collections including commercial binding, conservation, digital preservation, disaster planning, environmental monitoring, media preservation, preservation replacement and reformatting, and shelf preparation. 



This is a full-time onsite position represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees, offering a full benefits package including medical/dental, retirement, paid public transportation, etc. 

 

Salary: $3,999-$5,371 per month. 

 

Application deadline: 06/14/2024

  

For full description and to apply, visit UW Hires/Conservation Specialist<https://uwhires.admin.washington.edu/eng/candidates/default.cfm?szCategory=jobprofile&szOrderID=234123&szCandidateID=0&szSearchWords=&szReturnToSearch=1>



For questions regarding the application process please contact: uwhires at uw.edu<mailto:uwhires at uw.edu>

 

For questions regarding the position, please contact: Erik Dahl, Libraries Human Resources eadahl at uw.edu<mailto:eadahl at uw.edu> 




__________________________

Kathryn Leonard

Conservation Manager, Preservation Services

University of Washington Libraries

Box 352900  Seattle, WA 98195-2900

206 543 2273

(she/her)

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/pipermail/preservenw/attachments/20240514/cdafefd3/attachment-0001.html>