FACULTY & AP POSITION REQUEST
Proposing Division,
Unit, Group or
Individual
Preservation and Conservation Units, Office of Collections
Proposed Title
Faculty Rank
Head of Preservation and John "Bud" Velde Endowed
Professorship
Assistant/Associate Professor
Estimated Salary
TBD
Potential sources of
funding for position
State Funding (lapsing salary from vacant Head of
Preservation position) and endowment funds
Reports to
AUL for Collections OR Dean of Libraries (TBD)
Recommended time
frame for filling
(immediate need, 6
months, 1 year, etc.) and
explanation
This position has been effectively vacant since Tom Teper’s
assumption of the acting AUL for Collection’s role in 2006
until July 2009, when Jennifer Hain Teper assumed the
position on an interim basis. This is not an adequate solution
to the needs of the program and is, in fact, continuing to
damage the progress and even maintenance of our
preservation program by allotting insignificant time and
energy to the only two faculty positions in the preservation
program (the Head of Preservation and the Head of
Conservation). Now, rather than one unit suffering, neither
unit has adequate leadership and direction. Therefore, the
need to fill this position with a full time appointment of
somebody trained in the specifics of preservation
administration (i.e. NOT a conservator) is critical to the
success of the program and the library’s preservation goals.
Position Need &
Rationale: explain how
this position contributes
to the Library’s strategic
goals
In addition, this is an endowed position and having this
position filled only on an interim basis is not an ideal
solution.
Preservation has been a strategic goal for the Library in the
past TWO strategic plans. Through the support of the
Administration and Advancement, the program saw robust
growth (admittedly, from nearly nothing to a program that is
beginning to meet the Library’s enormous preservation
needs) during the years of 2001-2007. Since that time,
however, the units personnel and operational development
both suffered, and the leadership activities that led the
Preservation and Conservation Program to be among the top
grant generating programs in the library has diminished. The
Library’s success and progress toward reaching any number
of preservation goals hinges critically on the strength of the
program’s leadership – leadership that has suffered since
Tom Teper’s promotion to AUL for Collections and Jennifer
Hain Teper’s subsequent assignment as interim (thus
removing her from providing leadership in the conservation
unit). Due to years of neglect of our physical collections and
our rapid progress in the production and utilization of digital
assets, preservation remains a critical goal for the Library’s
success. Currently, the Library’s strategic plan states:
Section IV Building and Enhancing the Library’s Core
Mission (Reinforce and Build Comprehensive Excellence)
1. Strengthen our ability to provide content in all formats and
enhance access for Library users
b. Preserve content in all formats to ensure that it can be used
by future generations of UIUC faculty and students. Current
Status: The Preservation and Conservation programs within
the University Library continue developing their capacity to
meet the preservation needs of the collections by building
staffing, funding, and equipment levels along with increasing
awareness throughout the Library and its constituencies. It
has accomplished this through concerted internal and
external outreach efforts, developing capacities akin to those
enjoyed by peer institutions, and seeking both internal and
external resources to support ongoing programmatic
development. As resources and facilities permit, the program
has worked to expand its suite of services and develop a
contemporary organization necessary to meet collection
needs. Five-Year Goal: During the next five years, the
Preservation and Conservation program seeks to address five
significant challenges for maintaining access to library and
archival materials:
i. Strengthen the capacity of existing preservation
services while meeting the needs of changing use;
ii. Build the Library’s capacity to preserve acquired
and born digital content through the development of a
Digital Preservation Management Program and a Trusted
Digital Repository that is attentive to the developing
certification process;
iii. Develop conservation services that meet the needs
of our unique special collections while supporting the
conservation needs that arise in the digitization of such
unique materials;
iv. Improve the safety, security, and environmental
conditions of Library facilities;
v. Strengthen the Library’s role as a center for
education and training in the preservation of library and
archival materials through collaboration with the Graduate
School for Library and Information Science and statewide
consortia.
To be able to adequately meet these challenging, but
necessary goals, a full time preservation specialist with a
strong background not only in preservation of physical
collections, but also a full understanding of digital
preservation needs and metrics MUST be appointed.
Brief position
description and job
duties
The Head of Preservation has responsibility for developing
and administering the Library program of preservation for all
Library collections in all formats; developing and building
staffing levels; assessing and creating programs for
reformatting, and mass deacidification; directing the binding
operation; developing and overseeing a program for
preservation education throughout the Library; coordinating
mass and local digitization efforts with DCC and other
Library units, evaluating collections for preservation;
representing the Library to external organizations, such as
the CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation); and
seeking funding opportunities in support of these efforts.
The Head of Preservation coordinates preservation policies
within the University Library and represents preservation
interests through membership on related committees, and
works collaboratively with the Conservation Unit and
Conservation Librarian.
How might this position
evolve to meet
continuing Library
During the next 5-10 years this position MUST evolve to
meet the changing needs of the Library. The very field of
preservation continues to adapt and change as library
needs in 5-10 years?
Library EC, rev. Sept. 2006
collections shift to rely more heaving on electronic access
and digital assets. While the enormous backlog of our
physical collections with preservation needs will be a
challenge for years to come, preservation leadership will be
even more critical in the audio-visual and digital realms in
order to keep up with the rapid developments in technology
in these areas. To provide the necessary stewardship for
continued access to ALL of our collections, a successful
Head of Preservation must provide leadership on both of
these fronts.