Conservation Internship at the Chester Beatty Library

The Heritage Council and the Chester Beatty Library are pleased to offer a twelve-month internship in Conservation.

The scheme is co-funded by the Heritage Council and the generous support of the Library’s Contributing Members. The internship offers the possibility of professional workplace experience within a prestigious institution.

Details of the internship:

The successful candidate will gain experience working in the Library’s busy Conservation Laboratory. He/She will work under the supervision of the Library’s Senior Conservator, Kristine Rose Beers. Practical projects will be assigned to fit in with the Library’s on-going treatment, exhibition and loan programmes and include the preparation of manuscripts and single folios for digitisation from across the collections.

The internship is for a period of one year only and will be funded at a rate of €26,700 per annum (subject to PRSI and PAYE). The start date is flexible and can be adjusted to fit the successful candidate’s existing commitments; however he/she would ideally start in November 2015.

Key Responsibilities:

• Carrying out condition assessments on items prioritised for digitisation, exhibition or loan and entering condition details on the Library’s collections management database (Adlib).

• Assisting with handling of objects during professional photography.

• Carrying out conservation treatments on items that require conservation and stabilising paper and book materials in preparation for digitisation, maintaining the highest technical and ethical standards.

• Preparation of Collection items requested to travel on loan.

• Promoting the Chester Beatty Library and conservation by participating in outreach activities.

• Performing other duties as assigned by the Head of Conservation.

Essential Requirements:

• Candidates should be recent graduates (2013-15) of a recognised conservation training programme; with preference given to book and paper conservation programmes.

• Candidates should have basic experience of handling bound manuscripts and museum objects and must be able to work within a team environment.

• Self-motivation and good organisational skills, with an eye for detail.

• The applicant should ideally have enough experience to be able to work with a degree of independence.

• Competence in the use of information technology to achieve work objectives, including use of PCs and Office software, the internet and other electronic and presentation tools.

• Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a particular interest in the Library’s Collections and living in Ireland.

Location: Dublin, Ireland

The deadline for applications is Friday 31 July and interviews will be held on Thursday 3 September 2015.

Read more and apply here.