Special Collections Seeks Curator of Rare Books
News
Published November 14, 2024
The Curator of Rare Books is one of three stewards within the dynamic department of Smith College Special Collections. As a steward, the curator will oversee the Mortimer Rare Book Collection (MRBC) including, but not limited to, all collection development - acquisition by gift and purchase - as well as teaching and instruction across the Five College Consortium.
An unusually diverse encyclopedic collection, the MRBC has significant coverage of the history of printing and illustration, artists’ books, lesbian pulp fiction, and U.S. women travelers abroad, as well as highly esteemed literary manuscript collections of Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf, among others. The MRBC is currently focused on growing in the areas of material texts by marginalized groups, history of science, and book arts — a reflection of the Special Collections’ ongoing commitment to diversity in the collections and to DEIA principles more generally.
Special Collections seeks an engaging, knowledgeable, and flexible leader for this highly active and visible curatorial role. As part of a dynamic team, the Curator of Rare Books will engage in the acquisition of, and robust instruction with, MRBC materials, develop the collection in response to curricular needs and the collection development strategy, and work collaboratively with other staff to improve discovery of and access to the collection.
Review of applications will begin November 25, 2024. Sound like the right opportunity for you? Apply now.