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Requisition        21643BR

Title                       Curator of the Harvard Theatre Collection

School/Unit       Harvard College Library

Department       Houghton Library

Duties & Responsibilities:          

Reporting to the Associate Librarian of Houghton Library for Collections, the Curator has primary responsibility for administration of the Harvard Theatre Collection, including collection building, collection promotion, and working with faculty and students.  The Curator interacts collaboratively with the Associate Librarian for Public Services and the Associate Librarian for Technical Services on matters relating to access, cataloging, and digitization of the collection, and with faculty, Houghton curators, and staff from Harvard’s Loeb Music Library, the Harvard Film Archive, and Harvard’s Office of the Arts and Culture in matters pertaining to collection development and programs. The Curator will engage faculty and students in aligning Theatre Collection programs with teaching and research. The Curator will represent Houghton Library at meetings of professional and scholarly organizations, especially those pertaining to the history of the performing arts. 

Typical Duties and Responsibilities:

·         Establishes annual and long-range goals and priorities for HTC; supervises HTC staff;

·         Oversees management of HTC budget and restricted funds;

·         Develops the collections through purchase and gift; works with dealers, private collectors, and potential donors; works with Harvard College Library’s Development Office in the cultivation of donors and financial resources;

·         Promotes and provides access to the collections through exhibitions, lectures, publications, scholarly research, and public programs; organizes and participates in conferences and symposia relating to collections;

·         Works closely with the Associate Librarian for Collections and Houghton curators in long-range planning for the Collections Division and establishing curatorial policies and procedures;

·         Works closely with Houghton Preservation Librarian in establishing conservation and preservation priorities;

·         Advises and consults with Houghton’s Associate Librarian for Technical Services and technical services staff regarding cataloging priorities and issues concerning digitization and catalog access to the collections

·         Engages faculty and students, particularly in the arts and humanities, in aligning programs with current teaching and research; participates in student seminars; interacts with researchers using theatre collection resources; and works with Houghton Public

·         Services staff in providing researchers access to the collections

·         Collaborates, when appropriate, with faculty in the arts and humanities and with staff of similar library collections and programs within Harvard, such as the Loeb Music Library, the Harvard Film Archives, and the Office of the Arts and Culture in areas of mutual interest, including collection development

·         Assumes leadership roles in appropriate Library and University committees; participates in national professional and scholarly organizations.

Basic Qualifications:      

·         Bachelor of Arts required and a minimum 5 years work experience in a special collections department, preferably in an academic research library environment;

·         Experience managing a collections budget and working with the development office in the cultivation of donor and financial resources;

·         Knowledge of the history of the performing arts and the antiquarian book market;

·         Reading knowledge of at least two modern European languages required;

·         Basic knowledge of library systems and catalogs and issues concerning digitization and catalog access to the collections required;

·         Proficiency with standard MS Office Suite, database, and spreadsheet software;

·         Experience in a supervisory and project management role required.

Additional Qualifications:

·         MLS strongly preferred; An advanced degree in a subject relevant to the collection strongly preferred;

·         Record of scholarly publication; active member/leader of professional activities and organizations;

·         Strong written and oral communication skills;

·         Experience working with the development office in the cultivation of donors and financial resources preferred;

·         Ability to work collaboratively with varied constituents at all levels across the Harvard College Library and the University;

·         Ability to lift 30 lb. cartons and oversized books. This position works primarily within an office environment, but must frequently work short-term in basements, attics, and storage lockers, with exposure to dust, damp, and mold.

Additional Information

The Harvard Theatre Collection (HTC), founded in 1901, is the oldest and one of the largest such collections in the world; its extensive holdings, including the John Milton and Ruth Neils Ward Collection, embrace the widest possible range of performance, including dance, opera, musical theatre, film, and popular entertainment.  For more information on the Harvard Theatre Collection please visit:  http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/

For more on this position, visit: https://jobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?SID=^nZPjRH6uyA84gj9uwCv2iHrVpTAWYdfrjPVfwuE94HWUaXhBYmYrXYYXMt4/vR/fTz/Q4EGseYk4_C_R__L_F_Z0iaodizzYsFE0TuXdiJEo2nKVIGWws=&jobId=743467&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&JobSiteId=5340&JobSiteInfo=743467_5340&GQId=0