Exhibitions & Publications Program Director

February 3, 2023

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Time Type: Full time
Duration Type: Regular
Compensation Grade: Administration & Operations
Wage Ranges: Click https://your.yale.edu/work-yale/careers/wage-ranges to see our Wage Ranges
Work Location: University Library System
Worksite Address: 121 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06511
Work Week: Standard (M-F equal number of hours per day)
Searchable Job Family: Communications/Editing/Teaching, Library, Museum/Curatorial
Total # of Hours to be Works: 37.5

Position Focus

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library seeks an inspiring, collaborative, and experienced leader to serve as its inaugural Exhibitions and Publications Program Director. Reporting to the Director of Collections, Research, and Education, this new position reflects Yale University Library's commitment to sharing its special collections with a variety of audiences through both physical and virtual exhibitions and publications that uphold the highest ethical and professional standards in the display and description of cultural heritage materials.

Over three centuries, Yale University Library has built special collections that represent an extraordinary range of human experience and knowledge. These collections foster a culture of curiosity, inspire research, and galvanize thinking on the enduring and emergent questions of historical inquiry. The exhibition venues for Yale Library's special collections range from small display cases to building-wide exhibition halls. For example, the Beinecke Library welcomes more than 150,000 visitors each year into exhibition space, which is open to the public free-of-charge seven days a week. On a more intimate scale, a new museum-quality gallery was recently built inside the nave of Yale's Sterling Memorial Library. This gallery aims to showcase materials from across Yale's special collections and to draw on the expertise and interests of Yale librarians, faculty, and students in the curation of exhibitions. The Library's online exhibitions reach individuals around the world every day, while the Library's publications (often published in collaboration with Yale University Press) bring the collections into the hands of scholars and students near and far. In addition, the Library regularly loans materials from the collections for exhibitions at museums on campus and internationally.

With these different venues and collaborators at hand, the Exhibitions and Publications Program Director will develop an inspiring vision for special collections exhibitions and publications, their potential audiences, and their multivalent dimensions. The Program Director will work closely with the Director of Community Engagement and the Exhibitions Production Program Director and many others to provide coordinated leadership and guidance for exhibition curators and publication authors, and they will serve as a member of the leadership team of the Beinecke Library's Department of Collections, Research, and Education.

Applications received on or before March 8, 2023, will be given immediate consideration. To apply, go to https://apptrkr.com/3857391Y

This position will be assigned a rank of Librarian 3 to Librarian 5. Librarian ranking information can be found at http://bit.ly/YULRanksPromotions.

Essential Duties

Advance a compelling vision for physical and virtual exhibitions and publications about special collections in the Beinecke Library and in the new gallery inside the nave of Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library. They will be responsible for developing a community of practice for exhibitions and publications across special collections at Yale University Library. The Program Director will be empowered and expected to inspire, guide, and provide sustaining leadership and direction to staff, students, and faculty involved in curating exhibitions (online and in-person) and authoring publications about the collections.
Develop mechanisms to assess and analyze the quality of exhibition and publication proposals (including physical and virtual exhibitions, exhibition loan requests, and publications). The Exhibitions and Publications Program Director will be fundamental to ensuring that the Library’s vast and diverse special collections enrich the intellectual and cultural life of New Haven and Yale University.
Uphold best practices for the ethical display and description of cultural heritage materials. The Program Director will be responsible for establishing guidelines and processes, setting goals, overseeing budgets, and managing workloads and deadlines. They will be responsible for developing documentation and workflows that ensure clear and transparent processes for exhibitions and publications across special collections, and for partnering with the designer and exhibit production manager in the coordination of editorial, design, and production calendars.
Serve as a member of the department’s leadership team, manage the exhibition and publications budget, and provide long-term planning. Along with the Associate Director of Collections, Research, and Education; Education Program Director; Fellowship Program Director; and the Director of the Fortunoff Video Archive; the Exhibitions and Publications Program Director will serve as a member of the departmental leadership team, providing a voice for the importance of exhibitions and publications in the strategic and operational planning of the Library.
Build strategic relationships on campus and beyond. The Exhibitions and Publications Program Director must build and sustain robust relationships with local and international research communities and library and museum colleagues. They will be expected to develop collaborations across Yale Library’s special collections, and demonstrate professional leadership and commitment in appropriate regional, national, and/or international professional organizations. The Associate Director may serve on special projects relating to the overall needs of the library and its internal and external stakeholders.

Required Education and Experience

A master’s degree in library or information science or a post-graduate degree in the humanities, and five years of experience in an academic or research library, museum, or similar institution, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Skill/Ability 1:

Demonstrated ability and record of distinction in developing exhibitions and exhibition curation, including exhibition concept development; providing guidance for independent curators and student curators; creating public and educational programming; conducting audience impact assessments.

Required Skill/Ability 2:

Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and direction that comes from a professional experience working in an archive, library, museum, or other cultural heritage institution. Demonstrated ability with managing budgets, timelines, and deliverables.

Required Skill/Ability 3:

Demonstrated ability with publishing, including a familiarity with editorial processes, working with authors, graphic designers, copyeditors, and communications staff. Adeptness in providing feedback and facilitating peer review, familiarity with permissions and rights issues.

Required Skill/Ability 4:

Superb analytical, creative, and communication skills in both writing and public speaking. This may be demonstrated through teaching, publications, exhibitions, public programming, or collaborative projects.

Required Skill/Ability 5:

Demonstrated ability in understanding the evolving legal and ethical considerations around provenance, privacy, and cultural sensitivities in exhibiting archival materials, rare books, and other media. Excellent collaborator with ability to foster organizational collegiality and impart empathy, humility, and a positive outlook in their work.

Preferred Education, Experience & Skills

Knowledge of archival theory, practice, and technologies. Proficiency using library or museum discovery and documentation systems. Experience with new media, audio, video, and other formats.

Drug Screen: No

Health Screening: No

Thank you for your interest in employment at Yale University. Please also note that the university has a Covid-19 policy for all students, staff & faculty which is described here. As you search our open positions, you will see that all postings list their on-site addresses which gives more detail on the on-campus work location of the role.

Posting Disclaimer

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the particular position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring departments.

To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/3857391

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