About Us - Values Overview

Department Summary

As the most-used service on campus and an essential component of education and research at the University of North Texas, the Libraries offer access to more than 6 million items (print and digital) along with expert personnel to assist patrons in achieving their academic and scholarly goals. We provide innovative programs and support to enhance the relationship between teaching and learning at the University of North Texas.

The Special Collections department collects and preserves rare and unique research materials for use by students, scholars, and the public. The department consists of five highly collaborative units; Digital Collections, Preservation, Processing/Description, Public Services/ Outreach, and University Archives. Special Collections offers unique experiences to students and faculty to engage with primary sources, rare books, arts, and artifacts. Faculty in a variety of disciplines including arts, humanities, and sciences schedule class visits to Special Collections each semester. Faculty also take advantage of coursework development grants to integrate Special Collections into curriculum, and research fellowships to further scholarly pursuits. As one of the largest contributing partners to The Portal to Texas History, Special Collections leads initiatives each year to digitize archival collections and preserve born digital archival content.

The University of North Texas is a student-centered public research university with nearly 40,000 students. A Carnegie-ranked Tier One public research university, UNT is one of the nation’s most diverse universities. UNT has been designated as both a Minority Serving Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution.

With 7.5 million people and two international airports, DFW is the fourth-largest metro area in the United States. DFW is racially, ethnically, religiously, and culturally rich and maintains a long-standing commitment to the arts exemplified by local attractions such as the Dallas Arts District and the Fort Worth Cultural District. UNT’s proximity to these major metropolitan centers ensures that our new colleague will be able to access a wide range of activities and cultural experiences. The university also has a generous benefits, leave and perks package.

UNT is located in Denton, Texas, a growing city with a small-town feel and a thriving arts and music scene centered on its downtown Square and is connected by highways and light rail to the major transportation hubs and big-city attractions of Dallas and Fort Worth, about 40 miles away. Want to know more about why you should consider coming to Denton? Check out Discover Denton.

UNT has a highly diverse campus with a wide range of languages spoken in addition to English. We welcome candidates who have experience with HSI/MSIs and/or who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin and other variations), Arabic, Tagalog, Farsi, French, or/and Yoruba.

Position Overview

Oversee the day to day activities of the UNT Library Preservation Unit and support the long-term preservation of library collections. Perform preservation/conservation activities for materials in a variety of formats with an emphasis on Special Collections materials. Identify and resolve complex problems related to the long-term care of materials in a variety of formats. Support Preservation and Acquisitions Librarian on collection-wide preservation initiatives, develop project plans to treat collections, and respond to requests from Special Collections and other library departments for assistance in preservation issues and exhibition preparations. Monitor the environmental and security conditions of Special Collections storage environments and make suggestions for improvements. Assist in the digital preservation of Special Collections materials by identifying materials for digitization, oversee pre-digitization preparations, shipping and receiving collections from digitization vendors and quality control of selected digital products.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and three years of progressively responsible full-time library experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Expert knowledge of library principles and policies, and extensive knowledge of specialized area functions and workflows. Strong supervisory and leadership skills. Evidence in working effectively with students, faculty, staff, and the community. Verified ability to utilize multiple computer applications toward increased productivity in a rapidly changing environment. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships. Demonstrated critical thinking and independent decision-making skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in archives or Special Collections
• Experience working with analog and/or digital film and video
• Experience with archival digitization and metadata creation
• Experience using analog to digital conversion hardware and software
• Experience using project management software, like Trello
• Experience performing archival research
• Strong supervisory skills

We want to emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleague develop these preferred skills.

Required License/Registration/Certifications

Job Duties

• Plan and implement goals and priorities for the long-term care of library collections. 
• Hire, train, and supervise student employees and fulltime employees engaged in preservation/conservation activities such as encapsulation, simple book and paper repair, deacidification and creation of simple enclosures such as phase boxes and Mylar wraps. 
• Identify preservation concerns within collections, including the presence of magnetic and electronic media, and assist in the creation of plans to preserve materials through digitization. 
• Work with key personnel in other library departments to develop and maintain emergency disaster response plan for library collections. 
• Assist in the digitization of magnetic media, both audio and videotape. 
• Assist in the preparation of custom mounts, framing and matting for materials on exhibit.
• Maintain the safety and security of the Preservation Lab, ensuring all tools and machinery is properly operated, that the lab is clear of debris, and workspaces are kept clean. 
• Respond to all requests for preservation services in a timely manner. 
• Assists with other Special Collections projects as assigned, including preparation of large collections being digitized, metadata creation, and helping with workshops and special events. 
• Oversee and maintain the safety and security of the Preservation Lab. 
• Support Preservation and Acquisitions Librarian on large-scale preservation initiatives. 

Physical Requirements

Communicating with others to exchange information.
Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like.
Lifting and Moving objects up to 20 pounds.
Lifting and Moving objects up to 50 pounds.
Lifting and moving objects up to 100 pounds or more.
Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another.
Moving self in various positions to perform tasks in tight and confined spaces.
Operating machinery and/or power tools.
Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

Environmental Hazards

No adverse environmental conditions expected.
Exposure to fumes or airborne particles.
Work with toxic or caustic chemicals.

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday, 8am – 5 pm

Driving University Vehicle

No

Security Sensitive

This is a Security Sensitive Position.

Special Instructions

Applicants must submit a minimum of two professional references as part of their application. If needed, additional references can be added after the application has been submitted. Applicants must submit a resume, a cover letter and a list of three professional references with their online application.

Benefits

For information regarding our Benefits, click here.

EEO Statement

The University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit -- and takes actions to prevent -- discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking) and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application, employment practices and facilities; nor permits race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sex discrimination and harassment in its admissions processes, and educational programs and activities, facilities and employment practices. The University of North Texas System promptly investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment and related retaliation and takes remedial action when appropriate. The University of North Texas System also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose any form of harassment or discriminatory practice, file a charge or report, or testify, assist or participate in an investigative proceeding or hearing.