Career Center

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

Serving three campuses, the University of Washington Libraries is one of the largest and most innovative libraries in North America with collections exceeding 9 million volumes, over 1.5 million electronic books, more than 190,000 currently received journal titles, as well as millions of scholarly resources in other formats. Beyond the strength of local collections and digital resources, the Libraries is recognized for its excellent service, innovative learning and research spaces, faculty partnerships, global reach, extensive assessment efforts, and diverse award-winning staff. The Libraries play a significant leadership role regionally as a member of the groundbreaking Orbis Cascade Alliance and throughout the profession, as evidenced by the number of its staff selected for competitive leadership programs and honored by professional association lifetime achievement awards. 

Preservation Services 
Preservation Services is one of four departments in the Collections & Content portfolio of the University of Washington Libraries and provides preservation services for all three University campuses according to established preservation standards and practices.The department 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. 

The Libraries has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Conservator for Books and Paper.

THE POSITION  
Working in a collaborative team environment under the direction of the Director of Preservation Services, the Senior Conservator plans, documents, and performs complex item-level conservation treatments on both bound and unbound special collection materials, including rare books, manuscripts, prints, maps, and drawings on paper or parchment. The Senior Conservator cultivates productive relationships and works in consultation with collection managers and preservation staff to establish priorities for treatment. The person in this position works on unique and diverse special collections throughout the UW Libraries with a focus on rare book conservation and provides professional advice and education to staff, interns, and other libraries and cultural heritage institutions in the region, as needed. The Senior Conservator also maintains an awareness of current practices in conservation through participation in relevant professional organizations and professional development. Currently, the position provides support for the grant-funded project, Sustainable Cooperative Conservation Services at the University of Washington.   

This position is represented by SEIU 925 – Libraries.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Treatment
•Advise on, initiate, and coordinate a broad range of advanced to complex conservation treatments for rare books and other unique paper-based library materials in adherence with AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice. Complete both single-item and multi-item conservation treatments as needed. Stabilize materials for processing, accessioning, exhibition, and loan.
•Engage in review, interpretation, and development of conservation-related policies, methods, procedures, and services in collaboration with others. Identify, evaluate, and provide oversight for conservation projects outsourced to private conservators as needed.
•Develop and refine the capabilities of the Conservation Center through training and the purchase of supplies and equipment. Lead documentation and examination procedures for the Conservation Center and maintain statistics.
•Serve as the Chemical Hygiene Officer for the Conservation Center and ensure compliance with UW laboratory safety best practices and requirements. 
•Contribute to preventive preservation programs, such as environmental monitoring, pest management, collections security, and disaster response and recovery as needed. 

Consultation, needs assessment, and project management
•Provide conservation support to locations holding rare book and paper-based special collections materials in consultation with collection managers, preservation staff and others. 
•Perform preservation assessments to prioritize treatment; establish specifications, procedures, and quality control for work performed; and provide condition assessment for a variety of digitization and other projects. Work with colleagues to determine project scope and deadlines and to coordinate the flow of treatments through the Conservation Center.
•Facilitate access to materials by ensuring safe practices and providing recommendations for culturally appropriate treatment, protection, and future care. 
•Assist in staff education and in the planning and development of the overall preservation program. 

Supervisory
•As budgets allow, staff at various levels will report directly to the Senior Conservator to support the initiatives of the Conservation Center. Staff supervision may include, but is not limited to, grant-funded project staff, hourly assistants, directed fieldwork students and interns, and volunteers.

Outreach and Service
•Serve as a spokesperson to internal and external audiences for the importance of long-term preservation of collections.
•Provide training and consultation to students, interns, staff, and other University of Washington cultural heritage institutions as well as other cultural heritage institutions in the region as needed.
•Provide donor stewardship and support for grants as needed.
•Assist with the development of regional training opportunities in the Pacific Northwest in collaboration with local conservators, organizations, consortia, and others. 
•Maintain active involvement in professional conservation organizations at the national level, such as the American Institute for Conservation.

Research
•Conduct research to identify causes of condition problems and to develop appropriate conservation treatments. Participate in research to answer questions pertinent to the study of collections as physical objects.

Minimum requirements
•Master’s degree in conservation with a focus on library and archival materials, or demonstration of a similar level of education and training required for the conservation of rare materials, such as a graduate degree in conservation, completion of an apprenticeship with an established conservator, or other verifiable certification of advanced training and education. 
•Minimum of five years professional conservation experience with extensive knowledge of book and paper conservation principles and practices, as well as knowledge of chemistry and materials science as it applies to the conservation of library collections. 

Qualifications

Additional requirements
•Demonstrated exceptional manual skills and ability to perform a broad range of complex rare book conservation treatments. 
•In-depth knowledge of the history of the book, bookbinding techniques and structures, and the history and methods of papermaking and printing. 
•Demonstrated competency with advanced technical equipment related to conservation documentation, such as computer database applications, photography, and transmitted, UV, and IR imaging.
•Strong collaborative and organizational skills, including the ability to establish priorities and achieve goals; plan, organize, and direct workflows, and balance competing priorities.
•Demonstrated experience in teaching and/or training. 
•Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in the workplace or community.

Preferred qualifications
•Experience working collaboratively in a research library, museum, or archive with demonstrated experience conserving collections for the typical research library use of special collections preferred.
•Demonstrated record of continuing education, teaching, research, and publication in areas relevant to this position. 
•Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to train, supervise, and motivate staff, encourage teamwork and staff development.
•Supervisory experience training and managing staff and/or students. 

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
•Operate equipment, and safely work with solvents, dust, and mold as needed.

After applications are reviewed, selected candidates will be required to submit a portfolio demonstrating their skills and accomplishments in rare book conservation. Portfolio examples of particular interest include repair of original bindings and/or construction of conservation bindings for 16th-19th century books demonstrating the use of a variety of materials, structures, and formats; treatments relevant to both bound and flat materials, such as hinge, tape and adhesive removal, filling losses, and stain reduction.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.