Curator of Prints at the Boston Public Library
Job Title: Curator of Prints
Job Status: Full-time
Location: Boston, MA
Salary: $69,941 – $91,224
Description
The Boston Public Library seeks an experienced Curator of Prints to join our Arts Department. Situated in the BPL’s Central Library in Copley Square, the department supports the overall mission of BPL Special Collections in facilitating discovery, fostering curiosity, and encouraging public engagement with the library’s rare, distinctive, and culturally significant holdings.
Reporting to the Lead Curator of the Arts, the Curator is responsible for the stewardship and management of the Boston Public Library’s distinguished collection of more than 120,000 prints, drawings and works on paper. The department has a long history of caring for and exhibiting works of art from the 16th century to the present day; more than 1,000 artists are represented in the print collections.
The collection is a repository of visual materials for access and use by learners from all walks of life. Curatorial responsibilities include providing specialized and complex reference services; promoting the use, care, and servicing of the collection; collaborating across library departments; researching, describing, and interpreting materials; and developing the print collection in support of the library’s mission and collecting strategy.
This is a unique opportunity to join the newly reconstituted Special Collections team, working closely with many of the BPL’s signature collections in a highly visible public institution. The incoming Curator will have the opportunity to make significant contributions both to public accessibility of rare materials at the BPL and to the many fields of learning and scholarship that rely on these collections.
Special Collections staff have the option to work remotely one day/week.
Boston Public Library is committed to racial equity and to becoming an anti-racist organization and formed an action plan in 2020 in response to systemic racism, inequity, and injustice prevalent in our society. You can read more about the action plan and the steps BPL is taking to address diversity, equity, and inclusion here.
About the collection: Collection strengths include examples of master printmakers and illustrators from the American, British, French, Old Master and Ukiyo-e traditions; Boston artistic movements; children’s book illustrations; historical advertisements; war posters; and prints from Boston studios. Themes within the collection include world travel, architecture, advertising, portraits, politics and war, natural history, costume, and fashion. BPL continues to collect works by contemporary artists that address the social issues of our time and speak to themes within our historic collections.
With such deep holdings, the BPL’s collection can demystify artistic processes and illustrate the development of printmaking over time, including the techniques of etching, engraving, woodcut, wood engraving, lithography, screen printing, and digital techniques. Related sketchbooks, tools, and matrices supplement understanding of the artistic process.
How to apply: For the full job description and duties, please see the online posting and apply via the City of Boston’s website. Please combine your cover letter and resume in a single PDF file and attach them together in the resume upload section of the website.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university and a master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA accredited library school, or a master’s degree in Art History from an accredited college or university. Relevant subject knowledge and/or specialized training required. In exceptional instances specialized education, training, and/or experience may be substituted for part or all of the educational requirements.
Please note that the City of Boston residency requirement applies to this position; successful candidates must be residents of the City of Boston on or before the date of hire.