Vacancy Details

Description

 

                        

Full Time, Fixed Term for 1 Year

The International Dunhuang Project is a groundbreaking international collaboration to make information and images of all manuscripts, paintings, textiles and artefacts from Dunhuang and archaeological sites of the Eastern Silk Road freely available on the Internet and to encourage their use through educational and research programmes. The project was formed in 1994, with the directorate at the British Library, out of a desire by the holding institutions to work together to present all these artefacts through the highest quality digital photography. This post will become part of a small team working on the final year of a 3-year digitisation program focused on the 800 Lotus Sutra scrolls. The post holder will be responsible in preparing and conserving scrolls selected and assessed as part of this digitisation project.

 

You need to have either a degree in conservation or equivalent knowledge and skills sets, and practical hands-on experience in conservation of scrolls for digitisation and/or large-scale conservation projects preferably on Asian paper based material. A broad knowledge of available conservation treatments within the field of paper conservation together with the ability to diagnose conservation problems. An ability to develop and evaluate options for solutions, which further supports the success of a time sensitive project. You should also have a high level of manual dexterity, together with knowledge of materials chemistry and the properties, behaviours and interaction of a wide range of organic and inorganic materials. A good knowledge of preventive conservation issues is also required.

 

As one of the world’s great libraries, our duty is to preserve the nation’s intellectual memory for the future. At present we have well over 150 million items, in most known languages, with three million new items added every year. We have manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints and drawings, music scores, and patents. We operate the world’s largest document delivery service providing millions of items a year to customers all over the world. What matters to us is that we preserve the national memory and enable knowledge to be created both now and in the future.

 

In return we offer a competitive salary and a number of excellent benefits.  Our pension scheme is one of the most valuable benefits we offer, as our staff can become members of the Alpha Pension Scheme where the Library contributes 26.6% (this may be higher dependant on grade) . Another significant benefit the Library provides is the provision of a flexible working hours scheme which could allow you to work your hours flexibly over the week and to take up to 5 days flexi leave in a 3 month period. This is on top of 25 days holiday from entry and public and privilege holidays.

 

For further information and to apply, please visit www.bl.uk/careers quoting vacancy ref: 03064

 

Closing date: 3 December 2019

 

Interview date: Week: comm 16 December 2019

Disability Confident

We are a Disability Confident employer, and make a commitment to recruit and support disabled people. We guarantee an interview for disabled candidates who meet the minimum (essential) requirements for a vacancy.

 

In order to apply for this vacancy, you must be able to supply the required answers to the following questions: