Legal Heritage Collection Manager

The Supreme Court Library Queensland is looking for a Legal Heritage Collection Manager for the library’s legal heritage and rare books collection.

A full-time, permanent position in the Collections team leading the development, maintenance and coordination of the legal heritage and rare books collection has become available at Supreme Court Library Queensland (SCLQ).

About the role

• Are you qualified and experienced in the curation, management and preservation of heritage, archive, or museum collections?
• Do you have a passion for researching the stories behind a collection, and contributing to the creation of accessible and meaningful experiences for users to discover and explore heritage collections?
• Would you enjoy working in an innovative customer service organisation, which aspires to the highest standards of professionalism and responsiveness?

Then this is the role for you!

The Legal Heritage Collection Manager is responsible for the curation, conservation and discovery of the library’s legal heritage and rare books collection, and undertaking research for exhibitions and displays of heritage items.

Scope of the role

• Lead and supervise direct reports, ensuring effective communication, workload management, performance evaluations and fostering a positive and productive work environment and support staff in developing their knowledge and skills
• Develop, manage and maintain the museum collection management system, including cataloguing and enriching collection description
• Coordinate activities to manage and improve the library’s physical legal heritage and rare books collection, including collection arrangement and description, appraisals, storage, condition reporting, and preventive conservation
• Develop, manage and expand the library’s digital legal heritage collection including digitisation of physical items for online discovery and access
• Review and update collection documentation to track items and their locations
• Develop and maintain appropriate systems, policies, and procedures that support best practice museum collection management
• Create, review and manage disaster prevention and response plans and materials
• Appraise incoming donations and gifts, manage associated documentation and process accepted materials
• Plan, research, design and deliver legal heritage and rare books displays and associated didactics and assist with the research, design and delivery of exhibitions
• Prepare condition reports including for items to be displayed
• Work collaboratively with curators, lending institutions and private lenders and donors to source material for exhibitions and collection displays, and process and manage incoming and outgoing loans in accordance with museum best practice
• Manage access to legal heritage materials for internal and external stakeholders
• Identify and deliver discovery and access initiatives to improve customer experience and engagement with the legal heritage and rare books collection, including social media, online displays and events, talks, and articles
• Prepare and deliver tours of the collection to groups and individuals
• Provide research and materials for marketing and other SCLQ initiatives
• Respond to research requests and other information needs in a timely and efficient manner
• Identify relevant funding and grant opportunities for archiving and heritage collections
• Seek out and maintain professional relationships with internal and external clients including members of the GLAM sector, legal profession, researchers, and library users
• Proactively manage personal workload and competing priorities
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, including identifying potential efficiencies and enhancements in collection management and information services functions.

Remuneration starts at $92,279 annual salary (plus leave loading and superannuation). Working conditions are flexible and family friendly.

How to apply

Apply online via Seek with your CV and a concise response (no more than 2 pages) to the selection criteria contained in the position description.

About us

SCLQ: your law library is Queensland’s principal legal information provider. We are an independent statutory authority established in 1862 to serve the administration of justice in Queensland by providing legal information services to the Queensland judiciary, legal profession and broader community.

Our vision is to be Queensland’s leading legal information service, delivering world’s best practice legal library services to our customers.