Rare Materials Cataloger, Rare Book School, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Posted August 10, 2021

Description:

Rare Book School (RBS) seeks a motivated, collaborative individual capable of precise and complex work to join its team as the School’s full-time Pine Tree-Fearrington Rare Materials Cataloger. The successful candidate will be responsible for contributing to the cataloging and processing of RBS’s teaching collections. This is a four-year, full-time contract with benefits, with the possibility of renewal.

Located on central Grounds at the University of Virginia, RBS offers a close-knit, highly collaborative, mission-centered work environment. The School currently maintains a teaching collection of approximately 100,000 items, largely consisting of printed materials (including books, prints, ephemera, and periodicals), but also including manuscripts, photographs, printing and book-making equipment, and other artifacts.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Associate Curator of Collections & Special Collections Librarian, the Rare Materials Cataloger’s primary responsibility will be to catalog a wide range of books, ephemera, manuscripts, periodicals, realia, and related items according to the School’s in-house cataloging procedures. The University of Virginia’s main library, in which RBS is located, is currently under renovation, and slated for completion by mid-2023. In addition to general cataloging duties, the cataloger will contribute to organizational and logistical tasks related to the relocation of RBS collections from the School’s temporary offices and offsite storage facility to the newly renovated library in 2023. The cataloger will also: enhance records for previously cataloged items; contribute to the ongoing maintenance and development of the School’s online catalogue; assist with the processing, preservation, photographing, and shifting of materials; and occasionally perform programs-related tasks during RBS course sessions, as required. The cataloger will also occasionally assist with tasks related to RBS exhibitions and collections-related outreach.

Required Qualifications

Master’s degree in library and information science from an accredited institution, or equivalent professional experience
Demonstrated knowledge of and professional experience with rare book cataloging standards, including DCRM(B) and RBMS Controlled Vocabularies
Basic knowledge of one or more languages, in addition to English (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese, Spanish, &c.)
Service-oriented, systematic, analytical thinker with excellent communication skills
Demonstrated interest in and engagement with book history and bibliography, the humanities, special collections librarianship, conservation, and/or the antiquarian book trade

Desired Qualifications

At least two years of experience working in a cataloging-related position
Experience in logistical planning related to inventorying and moving collections during a library renovation
An undergraduate or graduate-level degree with a concentration or specialization related to bibliography and/or book history
Basic knowledge of additional languages
Training or experience in digital photography as related to conservation and collections documentation

The annual salary for this position is $45,000, with up to a 3% annual increase per year based on performance. The successful candidate will receive three weeks of paid vacation, as well as the following additional benefits: sick leave; health insurance (including dental and vision); and long-term disability. Retirement benefits are available after the first year of employment. In addition, the successful candidate will be able to attend one RBS course per year of employment (tuition free) and will receive funding to attend the annual RBMS conference or other professional development activities.

Rare Book School is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. For more information on our Inclusive Excellence Plan, visit: https://rarebookschool.org/inclusive-excellence-plan/

The RBS workspace is a standard special collections library environment with possible exposure to mold and dust. Some work on weekends is required when RBS programs are in session. Please note that although many RBS staff members are working remotely owing to the pandemic, the successful candidate will need to be present for in-office work in Charlottesville.

How to apply:

Applicants should submit the following materials:

A cover letter discussing a) your interest in RBS; b) the various strengths you could bring to RBS’s collections and staff; c) the skills you hope to cultivate at RBS and the areas in which you hope to grow; and d) the ways in which this position would inform your longer-term professional goals, and e) when you would be able to begin work on site in Charlottesville
A c.v. listing three professional references
A short writing sample of up to 10 pages on any topic, along with a sample catalogue record; excerpts from longer essays are welcome

Please send electronic copies of application materials to Ruth-Ellen St. Onge, Associate Curator of Collections & Special Collections Librarian: [email protected]

Deadline for applications: September 13, 2021.

Link to job announcement: https://rarebookschool.org/about-rbs/employment/