Job Announcement -- Catalog Librarian -- Yale Center for British Art

[Amy Apodaca <amy.apodaca@yale.edu>]

Catalog Librarian
Department of Rare Books & Manuscripts
Yale Center for British Art
Rank: Librarian II-III


THE YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART
The Yale Center for British Art, both a research institute and a
public museum, houses the largest collection of British paintings,
sculpture, drawings, prints, and rare books outside Great Britain. Given
to Yale University by the late Paul Mellon (Yale Class of 1929), the YCBA
is a flourishing center for research and scholarship on all aspects of
the history of British art since the 16th century. For additional
information about the Center, consult the web site at
http://www.yale.edu/ycba/

The Paintings and
Sculpture collection contains masterpieces by the leading artists who
worked in Britain from the
16th
century to the present, including Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds,
Stubbs, Constable, Turner, and Bonington. British sporting art, the
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the Camden Town School, and the Bloomsbury
Group are well represented, together with more recent British art. The
Prints and Drawings collection offers a comprehensive view of the
development of British graphic art, with an emphasis on the flowering of
the British watercolor school. Other areas of interest include
architectural drawings, topographical prints, caricatures, and mezzotint
portraits. The Center’s Reference Library holds materials in a variety of
formats supporting the study of British art and related fields including
architecture, history, literature, and the performing arts. The
Photograph Archive, located within the Reference Library, consists of
over 200,000 black-and-white study photographs of British art worldwide,
with a special focus on works in United States, Canadian, and Australian
collections.

DEPARTMENT OF RARE BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS
The collection of Rare Books and Manuscripts contains approximately
30,000 titles, consisting of material relating to the visual arts and
cultural life in the United Kingdom and former British Empire from the
16th
century to the present. Particular strengths include illustrated
“color-plate” books from the renowned J.R. Abbey collection, sporting
books and manuscripts, early maps and atlases, early printed books by
William Caxton and his contemporaries, private press books and
contemporary artist books, drawing manuals, and archival and manuscript
material relating to British artists of all periods.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the general direction of the Curator of Rare Books and
Manuscripts, the Catalog Librarian creates, enhances, and maintains
original and complex copy cataloging records for a wide range of
materials in a variety of formats dating from the
16th
century to the present, including books, maps, manuscripts, archives,
serials, ephemera, and realia.

Descriptive cataloging of all materials is performed in accordance with
national standards and the requirements of Yale’s local on-line system (a
version of Endeavor’s Voyager). The Catalog Librarian keeps abreast of
revisions in cataloging rules and trends and applies new rules,
interpretations, and techniques as appropriate. Subject analysis and
classification assignment follow Library of Congress standards and local
practice. Authority records follow NACO standards and are contributed to
the national authority file. The Catalog Librarian arranges and describes
archival collections, and creates finding aids in accordance with local
descriptive and EAD-encoding standards. Works with Curator to establish
cataloging priorities for newly acquired material, and to set priorities
for processing collections in the backlog, including determining
appropriate levels of treatment for groups of materials. Trains and
revises the work of Catalog Assistant and students. Works collaboratively
with librarians and staff of the Center’s Reference Library and other
departments within the Yale Center for British Art, as well as other Yale
libraries and departments, particularly the Beinecke Rare Book and
Manuscript Library, the Art and Architecture Library, the Lewis Walpole
Library, and the Yale University Art Gallery. Participates in
Center and Yale library-wide planning and committee work, and is expected
to be active professionally.

QUALIFICATIONS
Master's Degree from an ALA-accredited library science program and a
minimum of two years professional library experience in cataloging rare
materials. BA with strong knowledge of British and Western European
history and/or art history, and broad knowledge in the humanities, as
demonstrated through academic degrees or an equivalent combination of
training or experience. Good reading knowledge of at least one Western
European language. Appointment at Librarian III level requires a minimum
of five years relevant professional library experience and professional
accomplishments. 

Demonstrated experience in cataloging rare materials, both printed and
non-printed, in a wide variety of formats (including maps, manuscripts,
ephemera, and realia) according to DCRB. Knowledge of AACCR2, Library of
Congress rule interpretations, Library of Congress subject heading
practice, MARC21, Hensen’s APPM, and other relevant LC cataloging
standards. Familiarity with EAD encoding standards. Working knowledge of
basic preservation and conservation standards for rare book and
manuscript collections; good understanding of the principles of rare book
librarianship. Working knowledge of automated library information
management systems, such as RLIN and Endeavor/Voyager, for the purposes
of cataloging and collections management. Proficient in the use of
microcomputers and basic software applications in a Windows environment
as needed to perform library functions. Strong service orientation, and
the ability to work independently and collaboratively. Demonstrated
ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Excellent
organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail. Supervisory and
staff training experience. Offer is contingent upon successfully
completing a background check.

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Rank and competitive salary will be based upon the successful
candidate's qualifications and experience. Full benefits package
including 22 vacation days; 18 holiday, recess and personal days;
comprehensive health care; TIAA/CREF or Yale retirement plan; and
relocation assistance. Applications accepted until August 1, 2004 or
until the position is filled. Applications consisting of a cover letter,
resume, and the names of three references should be mailed to: Diane Y.
Turner, Associate University Librarian for Human Resources, Staff
Training & Security; Yale University Library; P.O. Box 208240, New
Haven, CT 06520; fax: (203) 432-1806. Submissions via email are also
welcomed and can be sent as a Word attachment to hrlibrary@yale.edu.
Please be sure to include Source Codes EAYU8973.

Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer