Librarian for Ancient Mediterranean and Hellenic Special Collections

Princeton University Library; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Princeton University Library seeks a knowledgeable, collaborative librarian to oversee Special Collections for ancient Greece and Rome, Byzantium, and early modern Hellenic history and culture. The librarian will integrate instruction, research, and digital initiatives and will work with the Classics, Art & Archaeology, and History departments, and the university museum.

The successful candidate will steward access to 120,000+ numismatic objects, contribute to exhibitions and collection

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in humanities or social sciences with primary sources.
• Minimum three years of relevant work experience with special collections.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated service orientation, initiative, flexibility, engagement in the wider academic community, and willingness to learn new curatorial approaches.
• Ability to thrive in an expansive, changing, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with Princeton faculty and PUL specialists on instruction.
• Collaborates on curatorial acquisitions supporting the PUL's educational and research mission.
• Promotes donor relations and manages gifts.
• Works with SC Public Services to provide on-site and remote reference.
• Contributes to outreach activities, blogs, library publicity, and public events.
• Develops and prepares content as part of an exhibitions team.
• Partners with SC Technical Services on accessioning, cataloging, archival processing and description; attends to issues of ethical custodianship.
• Collaborates with Preservation and safekeeping of SC materials.
• Represents SC across campus, in professional organizations and on multi-institutional projects.
• Conducts collection-based research for conferences and publications.

Skills

Primary sources engagement

Collaborative work

Communication skills

Service orientation

Adaptability in dynamic environment

Education

MLIS or equivalent degree

Advanced degree in humanities or social sciences

Job description

Princeton University Library (PUL) seeks a knowledgeable, collaborative, and classroom-oriented librarian for this new position, which oversees the library’s Special Collections for the study of ancient Greece and Rome, Byzantium, and early modern Hellenic history and culture, as well as PUL’s collection of 120,000+ international numismatic objects. The librarian will be integral to instruction, research, and digital initiatives related to these materials and will work closely with the university’s Classics, Art and Archaeology, and History departments, the Princeton University Museum of Art, and the Stanley Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, which supports Special Collections (SC) acquisitions related to Ancient and early modern Greece.

The librarian will work closely with colleagues to steward, interpret, and provide access to PUL’s outstanding collections in these areas for undergraduate and graduate courses (overall, SC hosts 400 classes each academic year), as well as the international research community. They will facilitate discovery and use of the numismatic collection; engage diverse audiences through exhibitions, scholarship, and collection description; lead digital projects, which may utilize advanced imaging technology; and collaborate with colleagues and community partners to advance equitable collection practices. Numismatics work represents 50% of FTE; a core project will be to devise and implement a description strategy for the numismatics holdings within the first 3 years.

This new, full-time position joins a highly collaborative curatorial team of six librarians in other fields and reports to the Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. The initial appointment will be for three years with the possibility of reappointment.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborates with Princeton faculty and PUL specialists on instruction
• Collaborates on curatorial acquisitions supporting the PUL's educational and research mission
• Promotes donor relations and manages gifts
• Works with SC Public Services to provide on-site and remote reference
• Contributes to outreach activities, blogs, library publicity, and public events
• Develops and prepares content as part of an exhibitions team
• Partners with SC Technical Services on accessioning, cataloging, archival processing and description; attends to issues of ethical custodianship
• Collaborates with Preservation and safekeeping of SC materials
• Represents SC across campus, in professional organizations and on multi-institutional projects
• Conducts collection-based research for conferences and publications
  

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in humanities or social sciences field engaged with primary sources, such as History, Area/Cultural Studies, Classics, or Art & Archaeology
• Minimum three years of relevant work experience with special collections
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated service orientation, initiative, flexibility, engagement in the wider academic community, and willingness to learn new curatorial approaches
• Ability to thrive in an expansive, changing, collaborative environment
  

Preferred Qualifications

• MLIS or equivalent degree
• Familiarity with numismatics descriptive practices
• Five years of professional experience working with special collections
• Experience with original materials from the times and regions covered
• Experience making or advising relevant acquisitions
• Experience building relationships with stakeholders, including marginalized communities
• Working knowledge of multiple languages relevant to the collections, e.g., Ancient or Byzantine Greek, Latin, or Arabic
  

Work location for this position is in-person on campus at Princeton University

The successful candidate will be appointed to an appropriate Librarian rank depending upon qualifications and experience. This position is subject to the University's background check policy. This position is not eligible for H-1B sponsorship that requires consular processing.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.