Preservation and Conservation Assistant; Library

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

As a world‑leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.

We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity‑focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full‑time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities.

Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

The Preservation Department maintains the Library's collections in serviceable condition. It is responsible for binding, repair, conservation treatment, protective enclosures, disaster planning, and other preservation services.

Provide supervised support throughout the Preservation Department, as needed; other duties as assigned.

The First Review Date for this job is: 7/8/2026

• Assist in minor repair of circulating library collections (e.g., books, maps), and utilize such repair techniques as tip‑ins, minor sewing, paper repair, flattening, and staple removal.
• Assist with tracking collection items in Alma that have been sent to Preservation; prepare and process monographs and serials for binding and repair.
• Prepare items for replacement, and assist with photocopy replacement of damaged or missing pages; conduct bibliographic searching using OCLC and other search tools.
• General preservation support with environmental monitoring, pest management, disaster planning, and salvage response.
• Assist in coordination of CoLibri workflow (protective treatment for paperback bindings).
• Measure library materials for custom enclosures, construct custom enclosures, and encapsulate flat items.
• Help hire, train and assign work to student employees.
• Maintain workspace, equipment, and supplies.
• Administrative: attend and contribute to department meetings; maintain documentation of procedures and suggest methods for improvement; record and submit monthly production statistics.

• Willingness and ability to work with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work under general and close supervision, and in a tight‑knit team environment.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills in the English language.
• Competence with Google and/or Microsoft Office applications.
• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

• Working knowledge of library preservation principles and workflows.
• Demonstrated interest in preservation and conservation (e.g., professional work, volunteer work, classes, or other professional development).
• Knowledge of and ability to execute book and paper repair techniques.
• Knowledge of and ability to use related conservation materials and equipment.
• Experience coordinating and planning the work of colleagues.
• Experience using Alma or other library catalogs.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range…