"Book Arts & Preservation Librarian"

Book Arts & Preservation Librarian

Working Title: Book Arts & Preservation Librarian

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: JMU Libraries

Department: 100113 - Libraries

Pay Rate: Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: $62,000 - $67,000

Beginning Review Date: 1/26/2026

General Information:

JMU Libraries seeks an enthusiastic and innovative leader for the new position of Book Arts & Preservation (BAP) Librarian in the Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections (DSDC) department. The BAP Librarian is a full-time, Administrative & Professional Faculty position that will join the collaborative DSDC leadership team and report to the DSDC director. DSDC stewards rare books, manuscripts, and archives; supports digital scholarship methods in teaching, learning, and research; and preserves general and distinctive collections at JMU.

The BAP Librarian will lead the Book Lab, a highly visible preservation space in the renovated and expanded Carrier Library (opening August 2026) and will support teaching, learning, and making in the JMU community. The position will embrace the opportunity to shape the Book Lab as both a working space for collections preservation and a site of active learning for students, faculty, and staff.

The BAP Librarian will lead and offer comprehensive preservation services for general, music, and distinctive collections at JMU Libraries, to include custom housing, non-commercial binding, repair and conservation, environmental monitoring, disaster planning, and exhibit installation. The position will also support learning in the Book Lab through events, class sessions, workshops, and other offerings focused on preservation, conservation, and book arts. As the BAP Librarian shapes the space and services, student employees may be hired and supervised by the position to support the Book Lab.

DSDC values collaboration, and the BAP Librarian will welcome opportunities to engage in teamwork and integrate book arts and preservation with the broad responsibilities of the department. The position joins DSDC and the Libraries at an exciting time with significant potential for innovation and growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide leadership for the Book Lab in the Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections (DSDC) department. Responsibilities include:

• Collaborating as a member of the DSDC Leadership team to coordinate services, operations, and initiatives across the department.
• With the Director of DSDC, articulating and implementing a vision for the Book Lab as both a working preservation space and a site of active learning for the JMU community.
• Leading the development and continuous improvement of policies, workflows, and best practices for collection preservation, including custom housing, non-commercial binding, repair and conservation, environmental monitoring, disaster planning, and exhibit installation.
• Supervising, coaching, and appropriately delegating tasks to Book Lab student employees.
• Liaising and partnering with relevant colleagues across Libraries to support preservation, conservation, and the book arts.

Support Libraries users by actively contributing to DSDC services, operations, and initiatives. In collaboration with DSDC colleagues, responsibilities may include:

• Designing and delivering instruction sessions related to book arts.
• Researching and curating exhibits in areas of interest and expertise.
• Contributing to outreach through event design and delivery, community event participation, and public communications.

Engage in relevant service and scholarly and professional development activities.

Qualifications:

Required:

• A graduate degree in book arts, conservation, library science, or another relevant field
• Demonstrated understanding of the preservation needs of physical library collections, including rare and fragile collections
• Demonstrated experience leading projects, initiatives, and or operations in an organization
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills to effectively work with a broad community of library users and colleagues
• Demonstrated commitment to building environments that are accessible and welcoming

Preferred:

• Demonstrated instruction experience, especially in teaching book arts
• Demonstrated exhibit experience, especially in exhibit installation
• Demonstrated experience supervising the work of others
• Demonstrated experience with music binding

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.jmu.edu/jobs/book-arts-preservation-librarian-harrisonburg-virginia-united-states

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