The University of Virginia Library seeks an Academic General Faculty (AGF) member for the position of Librarian, to serve as Curator in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. AGF positions in the Library are tenure-ineligible. The Library looks forward to welcoming an individual who is eager to build collections that support the University’s “founding vision of discovery, innovation, and development of students from all walks of life” while focusing on integrating inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility into every aspect of this position.

The Curator will join a team of cultural heritage memory specialists who are dedicated to access, instruction, preservation, and reparative collection development. While they may support other collecting strengths, the Curator will focus on these key areas of responsibility: print culture, book history, printing history, bibliography, rare books, and literary papers without regard to time or format of material. The Curator will work with a robust set of endowments and an active donor community to enhance our extraordinary collections.

Bringing a collaborative orientation to the Library, the curator will work in partnership with colleagues to develop a strategic vision for collection development within Special Collections and will be responsible for implementing that vision for their core subject area. The Curator may propose and/or evaluate proposals for new areas for collection building, and will be an active participant and contributor to reference, access, and outreach activities including primary source instruction, support for scholarly research, development of exhibitions, and research for publication and presentations.

Faculty and staff in the Small Special Collections Library steward an extraordinary collection documenting American history, particularly early American; American and English literature; bibliography, book history, and book arts; African American studies; the built environment; history of the state of Virginia and the University of Virginia; and material culture. As significant as our collections are, we recognize that there are silences and gaps in the documentary record. In support of our library’s reparative work, we seek an individual who understands archival and print silences and who brings a commitment to collection development, exhibition curation, reference, and instruction that surfaces under documented and marginalized voices and who will lead students to see collections in new ways. The ideal candidate for this position is an intellectually curious individual, who is eager to learn the stories revealed in our collections, to build upon them, and to share them widely.

We welcome candidates whose values align with those set forth in the Library’s Inclusive Excellence Plan, which sets the tone for our evolving workplace. We are committed to hiring and retaining a racially diverse, culturally competent staff at all levels of the organization who not only reflect our mission and values but also continue to deepen their skills and competencies to serve the full range of the UVA Community. We look forward to working with a curatorial colleague who supports our Collection Development Strategy and incorporates a reparative framework in all areas of work responsibility.

This curatorial position is classified as Academic General Faculty. AGF positions at the University of Virginia are tenure ineligible.

At the University of Virginia Library, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and dynamic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every preferred qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in library science or terminal degree in a humanities field.

• Experience working with individuals and groups to acquire collection material through donation and purchase, and to steward the acquisitions and donation processes.

• Work experience in a special collections library or archival repository.

• Demonstrated commitment to the principles of Inclusive Excellence and IDEA, and experience imbedding those into all areas of job responsibilities

• Experience with primary source instruction

• Experience supporting research and reference services

• Subject knowledge in one or more of the key areas of focus for this position.

• Proven ability to work with rare materials, and familiarity with current best practices and standards

• Proven ability to contribute toward and participate in a team environment

• Demonstrated commitment and ability to develop strong working relationships with co-workers and stakeholders, both internal and external to the library, as well as building and stewarding donor relationships. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with copyright law and the rights, permissions, and privacy issues relevant to contemporary literary archives

• Experience curating exhibitions and creating supplemental materials, such as narrative item labels, overview panels, and other text-based interpretations

About University of Virginia

The University of Virginia was conceived with a library at its heart, placed in the Rotunda at the head of the Academical Village. Today, the Library’s original purpose remains unchanged: to provide access to accumulated knowledge, and in so doing, increase it—in short, to advance learning. In pursuit of that goal, we collect, preserve, organize, and share materials of all kinds. The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library houses the University Library's archival material, rare books, audio and visual collections, material culture, and the University Archives.

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