Book Arts & Preservation Librarian

Working Title: Book Arts & Preservation Librarian

State Role Title:N/A

Position Type:Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: JMU Libraries

Department: 100113 - Libraries

Pay Rate:Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: $62,000 - $67,000

Is this a JMU only position?No

Is this a grant-funded position?No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position?No

Beginning Review Date:1/26/2026

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

JMU Libraries seeks an enthusiastic and innovative leader for the new position of Book Arts & Preservation (BAP) Librarian in the Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections (DSDC) department. The BAP Librarian is a full-time, Administrative & Professional Faculty position that will join the collaborative DSDC leadership team and report to the DSDC director. DSDC stewards rare books, manuscripts, and archives; supports digital scholarship methods in teaching, learning, and research;

and preserves general and distinctive collections at JMU.

The BAP Librarian will lead the Book Lab, a highly visible preservation space in the renovated and expanded Carrier Library (opening August 2026) and will support teaching, learning, and making in the JMU community. The position will embrace the opportunity to shape the Book Lab as both a working space for collections preservation and a site of active learning for students, faculty, and staff.

The BAP Librarian will lead and offer comprehensive preservation services for general, music, and distinctive collections at JMU Libraries, to include custom housing, non-commercial binding, repair and conservation, environmental monitoring, disaster planning, and exhibit installation. The position will also support learning in the Book Lab through events, class sessions, workshops, and other offerings focused on preservation, conservation, and book arts. As the BAP Librarian shapes the space and services, student employees may be hired and supervised by the position to support the Book Lab.

DSDC values collaboration, and the BAP Librarian will welcome opportunities to engage in teamwork and integrate book arts and preservation with the broad responsibilities of the department. The position joins DSDC and the Libraries at an exciting time with significant potential for innovation and growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide leadership for the Book Lab in the Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections (DSDC) department.

Responsibilities include:

* Collaborating as a member of the DSDC Leadership team to coordinate services, operations, and initiatives across the department.

* With the Director of DSDC, articulating and implementing a vision for the Book Lab as both a working preservation space and a site of active learning for the JMU community.

* Leading the development and continuous improvement of policies, workflows, and best practices for collection preservation, including custom housing, non-commercial binding, repair and conservation, environmental monitoring, disaster planning, and exhibit installation.

* Supervising, coaching, and appropriately delegating tasks to Book Lab student employees.

* Liaising and partnering with relevant colleagues across Libraries to support preservation, conservation, and the book arts.

Support Libraries users by actively contributing to DSDC services, operations, and initiatives. In collaboration with DSDC colleagues, responsibilities may include:

* Designing and delivering instruction sessions related to book arts.

* Researching and curating exhibits in areas of interest and expertise.

* Contributing to outreach through event design and delivery, community event participation, and public communications.

Engage in relevant service and scholarly and professional development activities.

Qualifications:

Required:

* A…