James Joyce Curator, Special Collections, University at Buffalo

James Joyce Curator, Special Collections, University at Buffalo

Job Location:

Buffalo, NY Salary Range or Hourly Rate:$65,000 - $80,000

Job Location:

Buffalo, NYSalary Range or Hourly Rate:$65,000 - $80,000

Job Description:

The Special Collections unit of the University at Buffalo (UB) Libraries seeks dynamic and collaborative applicants for the position of James Joyce Curator in the Poetry Collection. Founded in 1935, the Poetry Collection is the library of record for 20th- and 21st-century Anglophone poetry and houses the UB James Joyce Collection , the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of manuscripts and other works by and about the renowned Irish writer.

Currently, the university is designing a UB James Joyce Museum in historic Abbott Hall to create a vibrant exhibition and engagement center where a wide and inclusive audience can experience the remarkable resources of the collection and celebrate Joyce’s literary life and works.
With the support of endowed funds, and in close coordination with the Curator of the Poetry Collection, the James Joyce Curator will play a significant role in guiding the future success of both the James Joyce Collection and the James Joyce Museum. The primary duties of this new faculty position include:
Public services and programming:

• Directing the daily activities of the UB James Joyce Museum.
• Providing public presentations and tours for individuals and groups.
• Planning compelling exhibitions in alignment with the Joyce Museum’s strategic goals.
• Organizing events and programming (both online and in-person) for different audiences; examples may include lectures, readings, open houses, Bloomsday celebrations, and community reading groups.
• Helping to develop a docent program and school visits for K-12 students to the museum.
• Training and supervising student assistants as needed.

Research and instruction services:

• Supporting visiting scholars and students in their research both in person and virtually.
• Providing course-integrated instruction with primary sources—including both introductory and advanced special-topic presentations related to Joyce—for visiting undergraduate and graduate classes.
• Answering reference questions and handling reproduction requests.

Collection development:

• Working within established budgets to select new Joyce-related editions, scholarly publications, and other materials for the UB James Joyce Collection in order to maintain its bibliographic comprehensiveness.
• Working collaboratively with the Poetry Collection’s processing archivists and catalogers on metadata and description.
• Developing digital collections with the Libraries’ digital strategies group.

Outreach and engagement:

• Providing substantial community outreach and developing regional, national, and international partnerships and collaborations to increase the visibility of the UB James Joyce Collection.
• Fostering relationships and collaborations with other university departments.
• Planning publicity and communication strategies for the UB James Joyce Museum including its website and other publications with the University Libraries communications team.

Advancement:

• Participating with University Advancement in development activities including fundraising, events, donor relations and stewardship, receiving gifts in kind, and grant writing.

Service:

• Working with other colleagues in the Poetry Collection and Special Collections to contribute to setting directions, implementing goals, and providing the services of the unit, including maintaining order in the storage areas.
• Participating actively in teams, working groups, and committees in the Libraries, at the university, and in the profession.

Based upon qualifications, experience, the University’s standards for continuing appointment, and Libraries’ standards in librarianship, service, and scholarship, we anticipate appointing the successful candidate at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian or Associate Librarian. The James Joyce Curator will report to the Curator of the Poetry Collection and work with librarians and staff across the University Libraries.
The University Libraries is a welcoming multicultural environment that serves an…