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PIERPONT MORGAN LIBRARY, NEW YORK--POSITION AVAILABLE

Position available in Reference Cataloguing Department
Title: Head of the Reference Collection
Closing date: April 30 (will be extended until position is filled)

The Reference Cataloguing Department is responsible for acquiring,
cataloguing, and maintaining a reference collection of about 70,000
titles. The Library's reference collection, which includes
monographs, pamphlets, offprints, microforms, and visual materials,
supports research on the Library's world-renown collections of rare
books and manuscripts, prints and drawings, and ancient Near Eastern
cylinder seals. Reference material is consulted by librarians,
curators, and administrative staff, and is available to scholars
studying the Library's rare materials in the Reading Room.

Records for about 95% of the reference collection are available
in RLIN, and retrospective conversion is expected to be complete
by the end of the year. Acquisitions records for about 5,000 titles
are also available in RLIN. Although the reference and rare book
cataloguers still produce cards for filing in the Reading Room card
catalogue, the Library is in the process of planning for a
library-wide network and an integrated library system which will
contain information on all the Library's holdings, rare and
reference alike. The new system will include an OPAC, an
acquisitions module, a circulation module (for in-house circulation
only), and a serials control module.

The Pierpont Morgan Library seeks a librarian with five years of
professional experience to head the Reference Cataloguing
Department. The Head of the Reference Collection supervises 3
full-time employees (1 cataloguer, two library assistants) and
reports to the Director of Information Services.

DUTIES:

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT:

 The reference collection acquires about 1,500 titles per year, and
maintains about 200 journal and auction house subscriptions. The
Head of the Reference Collection, in consultation with the
curatorial staff, approves the selection of all materials added to
the reference collection by purchase or by gift, and administers
an annual materials budget of $90,000. The Head supervises the
work of a serials coordinator and of an acquisitions assistant,
overseeing the creation of book order records in RLIN and in a
local database, monitoring spending, and trouble shooting as needed.
The Head will be closely involved in planning for and implementing
the acquisitions and serials control modules in the new library
system. When a library network and OPAC are in place, the Head of
the Reference Collection will be responsible for identifying and
providing access to electronic reference resources available
through the OPAC, and for training staff in their use.

CATALOGUING:

The Head of the Reference Collection catalogues reference material
in a variety of formats and languages into RLIN, revises the work
of one full-time cataloguer, and contributes name authority records
to the Library of Congress Name Authority File as part of the
Library's membership in ARTNACO. The Head works closely with the
Head of Cataloguing and Database Maintenance, who is responsible
for providing support for current book cataloguing operations and
for overseeing bibliographic control and database maintenance within
the planed institution-wide system. The Head of the Reference
Collection implements current cataloguing policies and procedures
for the reference collection, and will participate in planning the
new OPAC and cataloguing system.

MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION:

The Head of the Reference Collection is responsible for the
maintenance and preservation of the reference collection. The
collection contains many rare or unique items which require
special care. In consultation with other staff members, the
Head of the Reference Collection sets up procedures for managing
the collection and monitors its environment. In the near future,
the Head will be responsible for overseeing several special
projects: the transferral of ca. 10% of the collection to a new
location, the cleaning of the entire collection in the wake of
extensive construction, and its bar-coding in preparation for
automation. In collaboration with the Development Office, the Head
will develop a long-range plan for preservation of the collection.
This will include conducting a survey of its physical condition to
determine preservation/reformatting needs, and securing funding
for preservation and conservation.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required: ALA-accredited M.L.S. and five years professional
experience (at least two years of cataloguing in an on-line
environment); reading knowledge of French, German, or Italian and
ability to deal with materials in a varity of languages and
formats. Preferred: Prior experience cataloguing in RLIN and/or
an automated library system; background in humanities, with work
experience in research library or museum; experience with special
collections. The position calls for excellent written and oral
skills, and the ability to collaborate with computer and library
staff in the development or implementation of special projects for
collection management.

The Library offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits.
It is an equal opportunity employer.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Application deadline: April 30, 1997 (will be extended until the
position is filled). Send by mail or fax a letter of application
and a resume to:

Nancy Schoffelen
Human Resources Associate
Pierpont Morgan Library
29 East 36th Street
New York, New York 10016
Fax: (212) 481-3484