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Philip Hofer Curator of Printing and Graphic Arts
Harvard University College Library
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Philip Hofer Curator of Printing and Graphic Arts

Harvard University College Library

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Details
Posted:
January 18, 2019
Location:
USA - MA - Cambridge
Salary:
Open
Type:
Full-time
Harvard University invites applications and nominations for the Philip Hofer Curator of Printing and Graphic Arts (P&GA) at Houghton Library. The Curator provides vision, leadership, advocacy, interpretation, and passion for the collection and serves as catalyst and coordinator for a dynamic group of activities and individuals dedicated to connecting the holdings of P&GA to Harvard faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and an international community of scholars, artists, and other researchers and enthusiasts.

The Curator will have enthusiasm and demonstrated ability for sharing and interpreting the collection in the classroom, in the reading room, in the digital sphere, in publications, and through exhibitions and programming and for communicating the value, power, and contemporary relevance of printing and the graphic arts to expert and general audiences. The Curator will have an extraordinary opportunity to build and shape the collection and will develop and implement a strategy that incorporates diverse cultures, new and evolving technologies, and the role of printing and graphic arts in social and political change.
  • Establishes and implements vision and strategic and annual goals for Printing and Graphic Arts
  • Collaborates with faculty to design and host classes that allow students to learn directly from the primary source holdings of P&GA
  • In collaboration with the Director of Scholarly and Public Programs, promotes P&GA by planning, managing, and creating content for a robust program of exhibitions, lectures, symposia, workshops, publications, websites, and other activities that present and interpret the holdings of P&GA for a wide set of audiences
  • Provides expert reference and research consultation for users of P&GA and, as appropriate, the holdings of Houghton Library
  • Creates and implements a strategy to guide collection development and works with dealers, private collectors, and donors to acquire materials for the collection through purchase and gift
  • In collaboration with the Director of Operations and Finance, manages the P&GA budget for acquisitions and programs
  • Participates in development efforts by cultivating donors and preparing funding proposals for gifts and grants
  • Develops a network of faculty, professional colleagues, book and manuscript dealers, donors, and others to advance the goals of P&GA and the library at large
  • Assists with the cataloging and archival processing of new acquisitions and materials in backlogs by assessing collections, establishing priorities, and providing input on catalog records and finding aids
  • Collaborates with librarians and library staff at Houghton, Harvard, and other institutions, as well as scholars and students, to identify, plan, and execute projects that supply access to P&GA holdings in digital form, so that they can be discovered and utilized using emerging research and teaching methodologies
  • Identifies items in need of conservation treatment and works with staff to develop, review, and approve treatment plans
  • Coordinates with Houghton registrar to review loan requests
  • Collaborates with Houghton administration, curators, and other staff to publicize, select, manage, and host research fellowships
  • As a member of the Collections Division, works with Houghton curators and other staff on long-range and annual planning and the development and implementation of curatorial policies and procedures
  • Collaborates as appropriate with staff of library collections and programs at Harvard, whose missions align with P&GA including the Fine Arts Library, the Harvard Art Museums, and others
  • Participates and assumes leadership roles in appropriate groups in Houghton Library, Harvard Library, and the university
  • Cultivates and maintains a strong presence in the research communities related to printing and graphic arts and in the library, archives, and museum profession.
  • May supervise staff, students, and interns, as needed


Although this position will remain open until filled, applications will be reviewed beginning February 22, 2019.

The Department of Printing and Graphic Arts was founded at Harvard in 1938 by legendary curator, collector, and connoisseur Philip Hofer. The department holds an extensive collection of original artifacts from all periods illustrating the book arts and the materiality and historical development of the book, whether manuscript or printed. In addition to facilitating teaching and research based in the collection, the department administers a vibrant set of programs including the Frances and Philip Hofer lecture series, the Philip Hofer Prize for Collecting Books or Art, workshops on letterpress printing, and other activities core to the department's mission and spirit.

The Department of Printing and Graphic Arts is one of the main curatorial departments of Houghton Library, Harvard's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, literary and performing arts archives, and more. The library is a destination for students and scholars on campus and around the world, and each year welcomes thousands of researchers and students into its reading room and classrooms. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century America. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. To learn more about the collections and Houghton Library, please visit our website at https://library.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton.


Diversity Across Harvard Library

Across the Harvard Library, our work is enriched by our diverse campus community. Our unique and wide-ranging abilities, experiences, and perspectives are integral to achieving Harvard University's mission of excellence in research, teaching, and learning for our patrons, our collections, and our workplace. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success.

We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members. Our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world's most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also champion our diverse society.

Harvard Library inspires collaboration, reflection, experimentation, and discovery connecting users to related disciplines and to University-wide teaching resources. The Library engages users through curated discovery, digital collections, reimagined physical space, and specialized research support. Today, Harvard Library's holdings range from traditional print collections to rapidly expanding access to digital resources. Harvard Library provides the University's faculty, students, and researchers—now and in the future—with exceptional experiences and comprehensive access to these materials.

Learn more about our contributions to the academic enterprise by visiting us at http://library.harvard.edu and about the Harvard University community at http://hr.harvard.edu/why-harvard.

The Harvard Library is a proud member of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance.



Salary Grade: 059

Union: 00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

  • Advanced degree(s) in Art History, History, Library Science, and/or another subject area relevant to the collections of the Department of Printing and Graphic Arts.

  • Minimum 5 years work experience in a special collections environment, preferably in an academic research library.
  • Record of scholarly production and professional activities.
  • Experience teaching with primary sources and working with students in classroom settings.
  • Demonstrated familiarity and fluency with emerging fields of digital scholarship and outreach around the history of the book.
  • Reading knowledge of at least one foreign language.


  • ALA accredited MLS strongly preferred.
  • PhD in a subject relevant to the collections strongly preferred.
  • A commitment to diversity and to serving the needs of a diverse population.
  • General knowledge of cataloging, archival processing, digitization, and conservation methodologies and standards used in rare book and manuscript libraries.
  • Advanced knowledge of printing history and graphic processes and ability to master over time the wide range of materials and time periods represented in the collection.
  • Knowledge of intellectual property and scholarly communication issues and trends related to libraries, archives, and special collections.
  • Knowledge of the antiquarian book market.
  • Knowledge of current practices and emerging trends in the book arts.
  • Demonstrated abilities to manage programs and complete projects that require collaboration with a wide variety of colleagues.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Excellent organizational, time, and project management skills.
  • Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently and to promote teamwork among colleagues.
  • Familiarity with digital printing technologies, including digital typefaces.


EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Internal Number: 48042BR
About Harvard University College Library
Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education. Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
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