Assistant Conservator, Book Conservation

The Metropolitan Museum of Art•The Met Fifth Avenue, NY

3d•$80,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world. At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity. Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always. Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued. Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission. Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity. Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve. Thomas J. Watson Library is The Met's research library. With its collection of more than one million volumes, extensive digital collections, and online resources, Watson Library is one of the world's most comprehensive art libraries. The library's holdings reflect the global and encyclopedic nature of The Met, with books ranging in date from the late fifteenth century to current scholarship, in all fields covered by The Met. The library's mission is to support the research activities of the Museum staff and to offer access and outstanding services to an international community of students and scholars. The staff of the Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation are responsible for the preservation of Watson’s collection, and for other Met departmental collections, at the discretion of the Chief Librarian. As the Assistant Conservator, you will contribute to conservation treatments and preservation functions for the library’s’ and museums’ collection of books and related objects. You will maintain, process and house library materials. You will develop, document, and report on treatments, workflows and conservation best practices. You will collaborate with Curators, Scientists, Collections staff, Registrars and other Museum staff. You will act as an allied professional within the wider conservation field through the and presentation and publication of your work within professional forums, social media and public educational programs.

Requirements

Master’s degree from a recognized conservation training program in book conservation, or Library Science degree with a concentration on book conservation, or equivalent experience.
Demonstrated skill in book conservation treatments and enclosure-making, and knowledge of and experience of current library preservation and treatment standards.
2 years’ experience in rudimentary through advanced book conservation techniques.
Effective communication skills (verbal and writing) and enthusiasm for working in a team setting.
Ability to safely lift 45 pounds
Knowledge of printmaking processes, the history of the book, and international binding structures, paper, and printing techniques.
Familiarity with books and related objects within their many formats.
Knowledge of preservation issues for libraries (pest management, emergency preparedness, environmental monitoring, current standards, and best practices).

Nice To Haves

Working in a research library setting is preferred.
Experience with integrated library systems (Sierra, TMS) is useful but not required.
Writing and social media publishing experience, foreign language skills are useful but not required

Responsibilities

Evaluate, examine, treat and rehouse objects within both the special and general collections. This may include the cleaning, rebinding and repair of books with materials such as leather, cloth, vellum, photographs textiles, metals, plastics and more.
Perform the physical processing for newly acquired or catalogued materials to render them shelf ready. This includes cleaning and rehousing objects, creating custom enclosures and inserts, mats, boxes, four-flap enclosures, and mylar sleeves, and labeling collections as needed.
Select, develop, and build custom object enclosures for preservation.
Conduct conservation triage and housing of fragile or damaged special collections materials to make them shelf ready
Advise and contribute to exhibition functions which include condition reporting, installation, and object supports.
Supervise and support the professional development of interns or work-study students.
Participate in pest management duties and emergency prevention and response training and practice.
May serve as a departmental representative in Museum preservation and emergency-related teams
Conduct hands-on training in essential preservation and conservation skills for library staff, interns, and volunteers
Participate in monitoring of the Watson Library environment via the Vaisala system and in-person inspections
Participate in remote and in-house storage, condition, and treatment assessments for Watson Library materials, and for other libraries on request
Support digitization projects. This includes handling objects, reviewing collections for digitization, and assisting with imaging if needed.
Monitors workflow of books and related objects in Book Conservation and ensures appropriate processing of library material.
Participate in the Library’s and Museum’s social media venues, and in-person educational programs
Maintain professional skills and knowledge relating to the preservation of library materials and book conservation, organize and participate in professional training and events
Maintain a clean and orderly facility (lab, equipment, tools, and supplies), Participate in vendor review, selection, and relations
Other duties as assigned

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
Long-term disability coverage
Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
Free financial-planning services
Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
25% discount for staff in Museum shops
A subsidized staff cafeteria
Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions