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Thursday, August 18, 2011

[LIBJOBS] Curator of Rare Books, Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, USA

The Folger Shakespeare Library invites applications for the position of Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Rare Books.  The successful applicant will have curatorial responsibility for a world-renowned collection of early printed books, the greatest strengths of which are the early modern age in the West from 1450 to the mid-1700s and the largest and finest Shakespeare collection in the world.

The Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Rare Books will serve as a member of a curatorial team for which care of the collection is a core responsibility.  He or she will share rare collection development responsibilities with four other selectors.  The curator will interpret and set priorities within the library’s collection development policy; collaborate on major acquisitions; and represent the Folger within the broader book community
of scholars, collectors, dealers, and librarians.  He or she will provide specialized reference support for Folger readers and interpret the collection for diverse audiences through exhibitions, public presentations, and original scholarship.  The curator is a key participant in library strategic planning and preservation and access initiatives. 

Qualifications: Five or more years’ scholarly/professional experience with early modern collections and a record of demonstrated accomplishment required.  Ph.D. in literature or history, or equivalent subject-expertise, required.  M.L.S. or equivalent library experience in some combination of bibliography, bibliographic control, collection development, digital humanities, exhibitions, research services, and/or teaching required.  The successful applicant will also have: a demonstrated understanding of the appropriate roles of digital surrogates in a research environment; knowledge of technologies and software used by readers and libraries to facilitate information access and management; bibliographical knowledge of those languages most relevant to early printing history, and a reading competence in at least one; knowledge of basic cataloging principles and standards; excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills; and a strong record of service in relevant scholarly and professional associations on the national or international level.

The Folger Shakespeare Library is a world-class center for scholarship, learning, culture, and the arts. It is home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection and a primary repository for rare materials from the early modern period (1500–1750).  The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collections include rare printed books, manuscripts, works of art, audiovisual materials, digital resources, and modern scholarship. These materials extend beyond Shakespeare to include a wide range of disciplines – history and politics, theology and exploration, law and the arts – from the early modern period (1500–1750). New acquisitions of rare and modern materials are made regularly through purchases and the generosity of donors. Folger Shakespeare Library is an internationally recognized research library offering advanced scholarly programs in the humanities; an innovator in the preservation of rare materials; a national leader in how Shakespeare is taught in grades K–12; and an award-winning producer of cultural and arts programs – theater, music, poetry, exhibitions, lectures, and family programs.

Salary commensurate with experience.  Generous benefits.  Please send cover letter, c.v., and three references to Folger Shakespeare Library, Attn: HR/CRB., 201 E. Capitol St., SE, Washington, DC 20003-1004 or e-mail to jobs@folger.edu. Please visit our website at
www.folger.edu. EOE.

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Posted on behalf of the search committee by Erin Blake.

Erin C. Blake, Ph.D.  |  Curator of Art & Special Collections  |  Folger Shakespeare Library  |  201 E. Capitol St. SE  |  Washington, DC 20003-1004  |  office tel. (202) 675-0323  |  fax:  (202) 675-0328  |  eblake@folger.edu  |  www.folger.edu

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