About this role
Overview
For more than 125 years, The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been an essential provider of books, information, ideas, and education. With collections numbering more than 56 million items and serving more than 16 million patrons in person each year and millions more online, NYPL’s reach is both local and global. Our mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities.
At our world-class research centers–including the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Library for the Performing Arts, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture–expert staff facilitate the work of our diverse communities, offering inspiring reading rooms, exhibitions, fellowships, and a dynamic range of research services. Their work is supported by dedicated staff on the Collections and Research Services teams. We are proud to be the most public and widely used research library in the world.
The Book Conservator position is located in the Library’s Conservation Division and is part of a team of conservation staff specializing in bound, flat, or photographic materials. The Division supports the collections of NYPL’s three research centers and provides conservation assessment, treatment, research, and training to advance the preservation of the collections and meet the conservation needs of the Library’s active acquisitions, exhibition, loan, and digitization programs. This position focuses especially on the paper-based collections – including manuscripts and archives, books, scrapbooks, ephemera, posters, and other works on paper – of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, one of NYPL’s three dedicated research centers. Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of materials focused on African American, African, and African Diaspora experiences.
Conservation at NYPL consists of two units -- the Goldsmith Conservation Lab and Collections Care, both located at the Library Services Center in Long Island City, Queens -- headed by the Shelby White and Leon Levy Associate Director of Conservation. Conservation at NYPL is a unit of Preservation under Collections and Research Services.
Responsibilities
- Performs multi-item (batch) and single-item conservation assessment, treatment, and research in accordance with the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice
- Collaborates with colleagues both within and beyond Conservation to achieve the preservation of the collections, especially in the context of exhibitions at the Schomburg Center and the Library’s commitment to access
- Maintains a regular on-site visiting schedule at the Schomburg Center to help determine conservation priorities and meet basic book and paper needs, while minimizing unnecessary movement of collections; as appropriate, coordinates the regular visiting schedule with the monthly Office Hours of the Senior Photograph Conservator and the Collections Care Manager
- Contributes to the development and refinement of the lab’s processes, assets, and capabilities
- Participates in the training of conservation interns and technicians
- Promotes professional and public community participation in preservation through outreach
- Performs other related duties as assigned
Required Education, Experience & Skills
Required Education & Certifications Graduate degree in Conservation with a focus on bound paper-based materials Required Experience
- Demonstrated experience in the conservation treatment of bound library materials
- Demonstrated experience in conservation considerations for the typical research library use of special collections, especially conservation workflows/project management in support of exhibitions
- Experience with collections emergency response for bound and loose paper-based materials
- Experience working in a conservation lab after graduate school
Required Skills
- Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and decision-making skills both within and beyond the conservation lab
- Demonstrated ability to carry out efficient conservation treatment of bound paper-based special collections in accordance with the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice
- Basic knowledge of objects, textiles, paintings (i.e., not usual library materials), and photograph conservation
- Experience, knowledge, and judgment in conservation work supporting the exhibition of library special collections
- Experience or discipline to gain proficiency with the expected computer systems and software used by a conservation lab and by library and cultural heritage institutions
- Fluency with Google Suite
Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities Contributes to the oversight of the Conservation Division’s hourly students and interns
More...
Core Values
All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:
- Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
- Be Resourceful in solving problems
- Be Curious in all aspects of your work
- Be Welcoming and Inclusive
Work Environment
- Conservation lab and office setting
Physical Duties
- The position involves lifting boxes of collections up to 10lbs, operating equipment (polyester welders, computerized mat/box cutting machine), and exposure to solvents, dust, and mold
Pre-Placement Physical Required?
No
Union/Non Union
Local 1930
FLSA Status
Non-Exempt
Schedule Full-time, M-F, generally 9-5 pm, fully onsite
This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed.
The New York Public Library Salary Statement
At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such, including, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidate's specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies.
Union Salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement(s).