Curator of Early Printed Books

About the role

The Huntington Library seeks a Curator of Early Printed Books to serve as a creative and collaborative professional in stewarding, developing, and interpreting its exceptional collection of books from the handpress era (ca. 1450-1800).

Responsibilities

• Stewards and develops the Library’s extensive rare and special collections in Early Printed Books from the hand-press era (1450-1800) through gift and purchase, and informs the development of the general reference collections in this area.
• Interprets collections for the widest possible audiences (from scholars to the general public) through exhibitions, academic lectures, public talks, tours, conferences, publications, digital initiatives, and outreach activities.
• Provides research and reference assistance for the collection to users (in person and remotely) and participates in the review of Huntington fellowship applications for appropriateness to the collections.
• Works with Library Director, Advancement staff, and Head of Library Curatorial to identify and steward donors and to win and implement grants useful to the collections and the institution.
• Works closely with the Technical Services team responsible for the creation of access tools on collection priorities and the appropriate level of description for catalog records based upon an understanding of the materials and scholarly and research needs.
• Promotes and develops tools to improve access and understanding of the collections, including LibGuides.
• Establishes priorities and initiates projects for the preservation and conservation of collections, in collaboration with the Head of Preservation, Preservation staff, and the Head of Library Curatorial.
• Advises colleagues in Education and Public Programs on appropriate interpretation of content and participates in programs across the institution.
• Keeps current with relevant developments, issues, concerns, and trends in scholarly and library professional communities.
• Represents the Library and contributes to appropriate professional organizations at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
• Contributes to departmental, division, and institution-wide activities and initiatives in collaboration with colleagues and support staff.

Requirements

• Knowledge, skills, and abilities: Specific subject knowledge of the history of the book in the hand-press era, European printing methods, bibliography, and the history of the book usually obtained through a PhD (preferred), MLIS, or advanced degree in a relevant discipline (History, Literature, etc.).
• Familiarity with the catalogues of incunabula and printed books of the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries, like the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) and Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC).
• Familiarity with Material Evidence in Incunabula (MEI) project and the ability to supervise international interns working on projects that contribute content to the project.
• Demonstrated experience conducting advanced research with rare books and primary sources and advanced provenance research.
• Knowledge of the rare book trade.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, oral, and written communication skills, including public speaking skills.
• Reading knowledge of a non-English European language relevant to the collection strengths, preferably German and/or Latin.
• Understanding of preservation issues common in special collection libraries.
• Ability to effectively prioritize competing tasks and excel in a fast-paced, demanding, and engaging research library with a public mission.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a diverse group of colleagues, researchers, donors, and other individuals and communities.
• Demonstrated collegiality, professional contributions, and a record of collaboration.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in special collections or a research library.
• Experience in acquiring rare materials.
• Experience with digitization and digital humanities projects.
• A record of scholarly and professional contributions.

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment.
• Some weekend and evening work is required.
• Some local, national, and international travel is required.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay Range: $90,000.00- $100,000.00. Commensurate with experience.
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
• Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions
• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
• Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
• Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds