Advertisement: NIA languages job at the British Library

[Dominik Wujastyk]

The full text of the advertisement, with links, is given at

   http://tinyurl.com/s5l5c

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Job Details
Curator of North Indian Languages


Ref 	DR42
Location 	London, St Pancras
Directorate 	Scholarship & Collections

Job Description

Grade B:           £26,357 - £32,988 pa



Closing Date: 30 September 2006 (This closing date has been extended from 
15 Sep 06)



This is a full time, permanent position based in St. Pancras, London.



A vacancy exists for a Curator of North Indian languages in the British 
Library’s Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections.  The North Indian 
collections comprise both manuscripts and printed books, serials and 
newspapers in eight languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, 
Marathi, Nepali, Oriya and Panjabi, and the Library’s collection of 
manuscripts and printed books in these languages is the best in the world 
outside the subcontinent.



You will be part of the Library’s close-knit team of South Asian language 
specialists, whose tasks are to develop, document and make available the 
national collection of works in South Asian languages.  Your principal 
duties will therefore include: managing and documenting the manuscript 
collections; establishing and monitoring an acquisitions programme; 
selecting current research-level publications; MARC-cataloguing of new 
acquisitions; identifying material for conservation and reprography; and 
providing information to users, both on-site and remote, about the 
collections and about the history, religion and culture of the Indian 
subcontinent more generally.  You will be expected to undertake occasional 
enquiry desk duties in the Asian and African Studies Reading Room.  You 
will also be expected to represent the Library at external conferences and 
library groups.



You must have a degree or equivalent qualification/experience in a North 
Indian language, preferably Hindi or Bengali, and a knowledge of the 
literature, history, religion and culture of the Indian subcontinent to 
degree level.  In addition, a knowledge of another North Indian language, 
familiarity with MARC-cataloguing, a qualification in librarianship, 
and/or experience of working in a research library, will all be 
advantages.

Requirements

Of prime importance:

     * a degree or equivalent qualification/experience in a North Indian 
language (preferably Hindi or Bengali) and a knowledge of the relevant 
literature, history, religion and culture to degree level.

Essential

     * ability to work as part of a small, close-knit specialist team.

     * experience and ease of working with computers (word-processing, 
database searching, using the Internet).

     * ability to deal diplomatically and courteously face-to-face with 
readers and other enquirers, understanding and interpreting their needs.

Highly Desirable

     * previous experience of working in a research library or archive, and 
a professional qualification in librarianship or information science

     * enthusiasm and high self-motivation.

     * ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, 
with people at all levels within the organisation and outside.

     * aptitude for collections-based research with potential to undertake 
original research and publication relating to the Library’s North Indian 
language collections.

     * ability to direct and advise support staff in acquisitions, 
conservation, reprographics, etc.

     * knowledge of more than one North Indian language would obviously be 
an advantage.


For further information please see the attached job profile and/or contact 
Michael O'Keefe on 0207 412 7654 for an informal discussion about this 
role.