Manager, Conservation and Preservation

Supervisor: Chief Librarian and Director of Special Collections

Employee Group: Non-Union

Hours: 35-hour work week. Regular office hours. In-Person. Extended hours and/or weekend work during emergencies.

Compensation: Hiring Rate: $110,577 to $115,183 | Band Range: PM3 ($103,665 - $138,220)

Terms: Full-Time / Permanent / Vacancy Position

The John M. Kelly Library at the University of St. Michael’s College seeks a book and paper conservator to serve as Manager, Conservation and Preservation. Candidates must hold a master’s degree in conservation, with specialized training in book and paper conservation, and have a minimum of two years of full-time professional experience in this field. A member of the Library’s Technical Services functional team, the Manager, Conservation and Preservation provides leadership and hands-on expertise in the care of the Library’s rare books, archival holdings, and circulating collections.

The Manager, Conservation and Preservation plans and delivers the Library’s conservation and preservation program. Responsibilities include conservation assessment and treatment; preventive conservation; exhibition and loan support; preparation of materials for in-house digitization; environmental monitoring; and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The Manager, Conservation and Preservation also advises Library staff, College departments, and members of the University of St. Michael’s College community on preservation practices and the safe handling and care of collections.

Through specialized workshops, instruction, and access to conservation expertise and resources, the Manager, Conservation and Preservation supports the College’s undergraduate programs, including Book and Media Studies, Celtic Studies, Christianity and Culture, Medieval Studies, SMC One, and First-Year Foundations courses. The Manager, Conservation and Preservation develops collaborative relationships with College divisions, the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS), the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) system, local community partners, and the wider conservation profession.

This is a hands‑on conservation role in which the Manager, Conservation and Preservation personally undertakes conservation assessments and treatments of rare books, archival materials, and other library holdings as a core responsibility.

Applications will be accepted from September 28 to November 9, 2026. Interviews are anticipated in late November, with an appointment expected to be confirmed in December. The anticipated start date is January 2027, with the exact date to be negotiated with the successful candidate.

The John M. Kelly Library is the central library of the University of St. Michael’s College and the largest federated college library at the University of Toronto. As a member of the University of Toronto Libraries system, the Kelly Library provides vital services in teaching, research, and collections, with strengths in theology, philosophy, medieval studies, Celtic studies, Christianity and culture, book and media studies, and rare and archival materials.

The John M. Kelly Library’s Special Collections:
Archives and Rare Books house the University of St. Michael’s College’s specialized collections. The archival holdings focus on the areas of Catholicism, Christianity, Christian spirituality, and literature and language. Highlights include the archives of spiritual writer Henri Nouwen, L’Arche Canada and L’Arche Daybreak collections, an extensive array of 19th century French literature materials, and the personal archives and library of the Canadian modernist writer Sheila Watson.

These collections and others actively support the teaching, learning and…