Preventative Senior Conservator

The Ohio State University • Columbus, OH

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Associate Director of Conservation and Collections, the Preventive Senior Conservator is responsible for managing different aspects of preventive care program for the library collections including but not limited to supporting the environmental monitoring, integrated pest management and stacks maintenance in support of the stewardship of multiple collections housed at the Ohio State University Libraries. The Preventive Senior Conservator participates in the development of care and handling guidelines and their implementation through education and training opportunities for Ohio State University Libraries staff and faculty. Other duties consist of assisting with the management of the conservation lab as well as with the disaster planning and response and performing conservation treatments for book and flat items as needed. The Preventive Senior Conservator partially supervises students and interns and advises on workflows and best practices for the Conservation and Collections Care department. The Preventive Senior Conservator works collaboratively as part of a team to steward the Ohio State Libraries collections, harnessing our different expertise and helping each other to reach our full potential, and together ensure the long-term preservation of this vast cultural heritage. University Libraries’ faculty and staff embrace Ohio State’s Shared Values and strive to enact the behaviors guided by those values in all that we do. This position is dedicated to advancing the culture of University Libraries and the work of the Content and Access unit. All other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent level of education and experience
• At least 4 years of demonstrated experience in the application of current conservation principles and practices, materials science, and the history of bookbinding and papermaking
• Demonstrated ability to perform high-quality conservation treatments on special collections materials, primarily book and paper with high level of independence
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree from a conservation program is highly desired
• At least 1 year of post-graduate work in a library, archive, or museum preservation department
• American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Professional Associate Membership
• Experience with outreach and education in conservation
• Strong orientation for service to the profession

Responsibilities

• Managing different aspects of preventive care program for the library collections including but not limited to supporting the environmental monitoring, integrated pest management and stacks maintenance
• Participates in the development of care and handling guidelines and their implementation through education and training opportunities for Ohio State University Libraries staff and faculty
• Assisting with the management of the conservation lab as well as with the disaster planning and response
• Performing conservation treatments for book and flat items as needed
• Partially supervises students and interns and advises on workflows and best practices for the Conservation and Collections Care department
• Works collaboratively as part of a team to steward the Ohio State Libraries collections

Benefits

• Ohio State offers a comprehensive benefits package with a variety of options to meet your unique needs.
• Ohio State’s total rewards package includes benefits that support employees’ health, finances, work-life balance, and education.
• Eligible Ohio State employees receive comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition assistance for employees and their dependents, and state or alternative retirement options with competitive employer contributions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees