Urdu Collections Curator Saint Pancras, England
Job description
Full Time, Permanent
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Curator of Urdu Collections to join a team of specialist curators in the South Asia section of the Asian and African Collections department working closely with the Head of South Asian Collections. The role involves working in particular with manuscripts and printed material in Urdu and other South Asian languages written in Perso-Arabic script such as: Sindhi, Kashmiri, Baluchi, Panjabi, Pashto and Siraiki.
The successful post-holder will develop and make accessible the Library’s holdings of Urdu materials through acquisition and cataloguing, and will assist with reader enquiries relating to Urdu and other South Asian language collections written in Perso-Arabic script: Sindhi, Kashmiri, Baluchi, Panjabi, Pashto and Siraiki. They will also be responsible for presenting and interpreting these collections at engagement events to diverse communities, academic and general audiences by using innovative and traditional ways of presenting them through online resources, public engagement activities, academic programming, media work and exhibitions.
The Curator, Urdu Collections will also make a personal contribution to the research in South Asian Studies based on individual specialist knowledge of Urdu and other relevant South Asian languages. The post-holder will have a degree-level knowledge of Urdu and a first degree (or degree level) qualification in a discipline of central relevance for the collections, as well as experience of working in a research library, academic or other relevant environment. A good working knowledge of one or more of the following South Asian languages: Sindhi, Kashmiri, Baluchi, Panjabi, Pashto and Siraiki is desirable.
As one of the world’s great libraries, our duty is to preserve the nation’s intellectual memory for the future and make it available to all for research, inspiration and enjoyment. At present we have well over 170 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 make our collections and programmes available to all. 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 by anyone, anywhere.
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 a minimum of 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:04444
Closing date: 12 March 2023
Interview date: 24 March 2023
We are unable to provide sponsorship under the UK Skilled Worker visa for this role, as it does not meet the eligibility criteria required for this immigration route
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
