Collections Manager, Library

Denison University•Granville, OH

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Collections Manager stewards, manages, documents, and develops the Denison Museum Permanent Collection, which comprises approximately 8,000 objects from Asia, Europe, and North and Central America in a wide range of media. Working closely with the Museum Director and Curator, the role leads day-to-day collection management and long-term care, and develops projects to strengthen documentation, research, preservation, access, and use in teaching and exhibitions. The Collections Manager advances the Museum’s collections priorities and accreditation efforts. Priorities over the next three to five years include improving collection documentation and database records; supporting American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accreditation; facilitating research with external scholars; improving storage, preservation, and risk management; and overseeing acquisitions and deaccessioning. The role also helps make the collection an active teaching and research resource for Denison students, faculty, and visiting scholars. The position manages collection stewardship and preservation; collection records, research, and access; acquisitions, loans, and deaccessioning; exhibition and teaching support; student and intern projects and professional development; facilities, risk management, and accreditation; and related administration and institutional support. It trains and supervises student employees and interns, coordinates with University personnel and external museum partners, and contributes to collections budgets and grant proposals. Denison University is a fully residential liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, with approximately 2,400 students and around 1,000 employees. The University describes its work environment as supportive and dedicated to educational excellence and professional growth.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Museum Studies, Art History, Library/Information Science, Conservation, or a related field, plus at least three years of professional museum collections-management experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated professional experience handling, storing, preserving, documenting, and managing two- and three-dimensional objects.
Experience with a museum collections management system and maintaining accurate collections records.
Knowledge of museum standards and professional practices related to registration, collections stewardship, preservation, storage, environmental monitoring, security, risk management, and legal and ethical issues affecting collections.
Experience with acquisitions, loans, and/or deaccessioning of fine art and cultural materials.
Strong research, writing, organizational, and project-management skills.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, students, faculty, scholars, donors, and external museum professionals.
Ability to train, mentor, and supervise student employees or interns.
Ability to safely handle and move museum objects and equipment.
Experience mounting, hanging, packing, and installing two- and three-dimensional artwork.
Ability to climb ladders and safely perform physical tasks associated with collections care, storage, and exhibition installation.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with the Museum Director, Curator, and other University colleagues.

Nice To Haves

Five to seven years of professional experience in museum collections management.
Experience working in a small or teaching museum environment.
Experience with American Alliance of Museums accreditation or collections-related standards and processes.
Previous experience managing acquisitions and deaccessioning of fine art and cultural materials.
Experience with provenance research, object identification, valuation, or collections research.
Experience developing and supervising student or intern research and collections projects.
Experience with digitization, collections photography, or online collections platforms.
Experience with grant writing or grant-supported collections projects.
Experience working with external scholars, conservators, lenders, and other museum professionals.
Experience with Collector Systems.

Responsibilities

Manage the day-to-day care, stewardship, and documentation of the Permanent Collection and develop collection-care priorities and workflows with the Museum Director and Curator.
Monitor storage and environmental conditions, integrated pest management, security, and other preservation and risk-management practices.
Coordinate conservation assessments and treatments with conservators and other outside specialists.
Develop and maintain procedures for handling, moving, storing, installing, packing, and transporting objects; identify collection-care needs and plan projects to address them.
Maintain collections policies, procedures, and documentation in accordance with professional museum standards.
Manage the collections management system and maintain accurate, consistent, and complete records, including public-facing online collection information.
Conduct and facilitate object research, including provenance research, identification, attribution, bibliography, and related documentation; support research and reference inquiries from scholars, faculty, students, and researchers.
Coordinate photography, imaging, digitization, and other documentation projects, and respond to publication, image-use, and research requests.
Support research, documentation, and assessment of collection objects, including identification and valuation projects.
Manage operational processes for acquisitions, incoming and outgoing loans, and deaccessioning; maintain associated agreements, condition reports, insurance schedules, shipping documentation, and other records.
Coordinate the safe receipt, packing, transportation, installation, and return of artwork and cultural materials.
Work with the Museum Director and Curator on acquisition and deaccession projects, providing collection, condition, documentation, and logistical information; assist with due diligence, provenance research, valuation, and legal and ethical considerations.
Maintain accurate records of legal ownership and status of collection objects.
Select, research, prepare, install, and deinstall objects for exhibitions, curricular use, and public programming in collaboration with the Museum Director and Curator.
Collaborate with faculty to identify collection objects for teaching and object-based learning; prepare objects and materials for classroom visits, exhibitions, programs, and other educational uses.
Provide expertise on object handling, condition, installation, display, and collection care; assist with exhibition planning and related logistics.
Facilitate appropriate student access to and engagement with the Permanent Collection as part of the Museum’s teaching mission.
Develop and oversee collections-based research, writing, documentation, and project opportunities for student employees and interns.
Train and supervise students and interns in museum practices, including object handling, documentation, research methods, collection care, and ethical standards; provide guidance and feedback on their research and writing.
Coordinate student project workflows and ensure work is documented and incorporated into Museum records and ongoing projects.
Direct collection-related facilities management, security, emergency preparedness, and risk-management procedures with the Museum Director and appropriate University personnel; participate in emergency planning and response.
Maintain collection-related records and procedures needed to meet professional standards and institutional requirements.
Support AAM accreditation by reviewing and updating policies and procedures, maintaining records, preparing review materials, coordinating site-visit information and logistics, and helping implement recommendations and required changes.
Partner with the Museum Director to assess and strengthen Museum policies, procedures, documentation, and collection practices in line with professional standards and AAM requirements.
Participate in developing the annual collections-related budget and monitor expenditures within assigned areas.
Assist with grant proposals and reports related to collection care, research, conservation, digitization, and related projects.
Participate in Museum planning, staff meetings, events, and other activities as appropriate; communicate with donors, faculty, students, University colleagues, scholars, lenders, conservators, and other partners.
Represent the Museum professionally with external colleagues, scholars, lenders, donors, and museum professionals.