(Contract) - Kress Fellowship in Art Librarianship, Yale (CT)

Yale University Library Seeks Applications and Nominations for 2014/15 Kress Fellowship in Art Librarianship at Yale University

The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library
Yale University

New Haven, CT

Fixed Duration Position:  8 months from date of hire; non-renewable

Expected Start Date:          July 21, 2014

Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut.  Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include two major art museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.

THE UNIVERSITY AND THE LIBRARY

The Yale University Library, as one of the world's leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and is a highly valued partner in the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including more than 12.5 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaged in numerous digital initiatives designed to provide access to a full array of scholarly information. Housed in the Sterling Memorial Library and twenty school and departmental libraries, it employs a dynamic, diverse, and innovative staff of over 500 who have the opportunity to work with the highest caliber of faculty and students, participate on committees, and are involved in other areas of staff development.  For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library's web site at http://www.library.yale.edu/.

THE ROBERT B. HAAS FAMILY ARTS LIBRARY
The Haas Family Arts Library at Yale consists of collections from three formerly-separate operating units: Art and Architecture, Arts of the Book, and Drama. Now located under one roof, these libraries support arts-area programming at Yale, including the Schools of Architecture, Art, and Drama, and the department of the History of Art, as well as the teaching and research needs of the Yale community beyond the visual arts. In addition, the Arts Library houses several prominent archival and special collections in Art and Architecture, Arts of the Book, and Drama, ranging from type specimens and woodblocks to theatrical archives to one of the world's foremost collection of books on color.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Yale University Library welcomes applications and nominations for the 2014/15 Kress Fellowship in Art Librarianship. The Kress Fellowship is intended for a recent graduate from library school who wishes to pursue a career in art librarianship. This fellowship is made possible through the generosity of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.   Through this fellowship, the Kress Foundation seeks to achieve in the field of art librarianship what it has accomplished for art history and art conservation:  ensuring the growth of the discipline by promoting the advancement of new professionals.

The Haas Family Arts Library at Yale serves a distinguished array of academic and museum programs, architects, artists and scholars. Kress Fellows have the opportunity to interact with faculty, staff and students in distinguished Schools of Architecture, Art, and Drama; a nationally ranked department of the History of Art; and two outstanding university art museums, the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery. They also have occasion to collaborate with colleagues from throughout the Yale University Library, including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the library and rare books department of the Yale Center for British Art. The rich professional and scholarly resources of New York City and Boston's art libraries and museums are within two hours travel, providing still further opportunities for professional growth and professional contact with colleagues.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This year the focus of the Kress Fellowship will be on public services librarianship with focus on the history of art, which will include experience in reference services and library research education in the Haas Family Arts Library, the Haas Arts Special Collections, and the Library and Archives of the Yale Center for British Art. During their tenure at Yale, Kress Fellows are expected to pursue a mutually agreed-upon project resulting in a publishable paper or a new library service (such as a research guide). Kress Fellows are also introduced to a broad spectrum of professional activities and may have the opportunity to perform collection development activities or assist with library-based exhibitions.   Kress Fellows also participate in library planning committees and task forces and engage in campus, regional, and national professional organizations and other collaborative activities. Expected to be professionally active and represent the Library and the University in the academic, scholarly, and professional community.  May be required to participate with disaster recovery efforts. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program for library and information science.  Excellent analytical, organizational, management, customer service, and interpersonal skills.  Ability to effectively build partnerships and promote the benefits of change in an academic culture that often values ambiguity, diversity of opinion, and historic precedent.  Ability to communicate effectively through both oral and written expression.  Ability to work both independently and collegially in a demanding and rapidly changing environment.

Preferred:  Advanced degree and/or relevant experience in history of art, architecture or related arts disciplines.  Experience with web design and development and electronic information resources.  Experience with HTML and XML.  Reading knowledge of two or more Western European languages.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country's great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. The Kress Fellow will be in residence at Yale for eight (8) months, and will receive an award of $30,000, prorated over the fellowship term. Health insurance will be provided.

The Kress Fellowship is a competitive fellowship. Applicants should submit a current resume, as well as a brief cover letter/statement of interest, and names and contact information of three (3) professional references, to Holly Hatheway, Assistant Director for Collections, Research & Access Services, Haas Family Arts Library, via e-mail at holly.hatheway@yale.edu, before January 24, 2014.

The statement of interest is expected to reflect a genuine commitment to art librarianship and an interest in the provision of information services to the visual arts community. There is no application form.  Please be sure to include “2014/15 Kress Fellowship” in the e-mail subject and cover letter.  A search committee of Yale librarians will review submissions.  

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENTS

All external candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. Internal candidates may be subject to a motor vehicle or credit check for this position based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent on successful completion of the required background check. Please visit http://www.yale.edu/hronline/careers/screening/faqs.html for additional information on the background check requirements and process.

 

Yale University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.  Yale values diversity in its faculty, staff, and students and strongly encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups.

Holly Hatheway,  Art and Architecture Librarian
Assistant Director for Collections, Research & Access Services
Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, Yale University
180 York Street     P.O. Box 208318
New Haven, CT 06520-8318
T: 203.432.6219    F: 203.432.0549
E: holly.hatheway@yale.edu