Senior Curator and Patrick Coleman Chair for Maps, Rare Books and Print Culture

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS), a statewide history organization with an annual budget of $61.4 million, seeks an engaging curatorial leader with strong team-building skills for its inaugural endowed Senior Curator and Patrick Coleman Chair for Maps, Rare Books and Print Culture position (the Curator). The successful candidate will bring extensive experience working with special collections and have a track record of acquisitions and networks within the broad fields of rare books and published materials, both analog and digital. The Curator will also lead the department’s engagement with collecting and interpreting print culture. As a senior curator at one of the nation’s premier historical societies and history museums, the Curator will have latitude to help shape departmental strategies to acquire, promote, interpret, and share its remarkable collections from the 16th century to the present with broad and diverse audiences, and will align the collection’s work with MNHS’s broader goals to represent and engage the many communities that comprise Minnesota historically and today.

A key task ahead for the Curator is to develop the rare book, maps, and print culture collections through active and well-considered acquisitions. The Curator will be enthusiastic to collect, interpret, and support research of printed source material, both analog and digital, documenting five centuries of American history, with a focus on Minnesota history and the Upper Midwest. The Curator will be curious and diplomatic, adroit at working with a wide community of donors and collectors, and excited to engage members of the public and diverse constituencies. This position is for a person who is at ease with and understands the variety of needs and interests of visitors, researchers, scholars, collectors, donors, aficionados, and students in order to share the collection and give audiences new insights into Minnesota and American history. The curator will also embrace MNHS's commitment to broadening the diversity of voices and bringing under-represented communities into the collection in ethical, equitable, and collaborative ways.

Guided by its strategic plan, the MNHS is in a period of growth and change. Beyond acquisitions and collections access work, new opportunities are being developed for curators to collaboratively develop exhibitions and programs, and to share original research with visitors as well as with colleagues in the fields of rare books, print culture, history, and other related disciplines. The Curator will be emotionally mature and resilient, able to lead and take ownership of new projects with flexibility, receptivity to new methods, and good will. The incoming Curator will bring strong administrative and organizational skills, modeling an adaptable attitude and able to shape team approaches to new projects and processes.

As a book and print culture curator embedded in one of America’s great library collections, with more than 200,000 books, 15,000 maps, thousands of newspapers, serials, various ephemera, and many unique and rare items, the Curator will proactively lead the extensive collaborative work between curators, librarians, cataloguers, registrars and collections management personnel necessary to make these collections accessible to the public.

Externally, the Curator will be a leader in the field and will proactively develop opportunities to raise the profile of MNHS and its collections. The Curator will stay abreast of acquisition opportunities and collections trends in the field, and will bring to this position their own network of dealers, auction houses and collectors.

This position reports to the Director of Collections and collaborates daily with other members of the Collections Department, including curators, conservators, registrars, collection managers, and the manager of content management systems and databases. This Curator will also regularly engage with other MNHS departments, including Library and Archives, Development, Community Engagement, Native American Initiatives, Exhibitions, the MNHS Press, and Public Programs. The position potentially oversees the work of volunteers, interns, and staff, as assigned.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Make significant and strategic acquisitions for MNHS’s Maps, Rare Books and Print Culture collections, an unrivaled collection at a state historical society or public history museum.
• Bring to light under-researched materials and broaden the scope of historical narratives through collecting, interpretation, programming, and presentation of primary source material in new ways, and for/and with diverse audiences.
• Work with a significant repository of Ojibwe and Dakota language materials.
• Work externally with diverse communities and peers in the field to set collecting priorities and strategies for a preeminent historical collection.
• Do original research, publish, and present at peer outlets.
• Ask big questions having to do with cultural relevance and the direction of the fields of special collections and cultural heritage organizations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• In alignment with institutional goals and objectives, play a leading role in developing curatorial collecting priorities, innovative strategies for stewardship, access and discovery of physical and digital collections, and other initiatives to broaden the impact of MNHS’s collection of maps, rare books, other rare materials, and print culture.
• Collaborate with MNHS leadership, Director of Collections, peer curators, collections management colleagues, internal colleagues, and an engaged community of external stakeholders to identify areas for growth and sustainable, ethically-driven strategies for collecting and access in alignment with MNHS goals.
• Ensure goals of diversity, equity and inclusivity are actively manifested in departmental activities and collections.
• Strategically assess and make decisions regarding the appraisal, acquisition, retention, and preservation of physical and digital collections.
• Selectively acquire collection items vital to exhibition, research and public programming opportunities, as well as to all Minnesotans.
• Serve on the Acquisitions Committee; work collegially and consult with Collections Management staff on acquisition processes and conservation needs and treatments; with Library and Archives staff on access and discovery; and with other colleagues.
• Oversee regular collection review deaccessioning projects as prioritized by the Collections department.
• Play a leadership role in planning around cross-disciplinary and active collecting models; digital collecting strategies and planning; and equitable stewardship models.
• Cultivate, steward, and manage relationships with donors and collectors, working in tandem with Development personnel, and with dealers and auction houses to acquire collections material. Negotiate terms of donor agreements and agreements to purchase.
• Work with local, state, and national community partners and external organizations to meet MNHS’s commitment to sharing Minnesota history with diverse constituencies.
• Manage endowments related to the Collections’ acquisitions, care, and access.
• Lead interpretation through exhibitions and programs, as well as research and education programming.
• Actively participate in departmental and cross-departmental meetings, committees and teams to develop projects and support institutional goals and growth.
• Play a leading role in the field through research, scholarly publications, presentations, grant proposals and projects and active participation in relevant professional associations.
• Execute administrative duties that come with a senior curator position, including assigning and overseeing the work of interns and fellows; managing budgets; prioritizing projects and tasks; documenting and reporting the impact of the collection; and communicating effectively and transparently up and down the chain of command.
• Represent MNHS through public speaking and programs.
• Participate broadly in the work of MNHS, including to build a positive work environment and strengthen interdisciplinary work.
• Actively engage with related fields, associations, organizations, and networks at national level through service, conference attendance and participation, and publications.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree strongly preferred in History, Library and Information Studies, Literary Studies or Cultural Studies, Museum Studies, or related fields.
• 8 years working in cultural heritage organizations or equivalent; 8 years working with collections.
• Extensive knowledge of rare books, maps, and/or print culture, especially related to American history.
• Track record of acquisitions and collection development experience; network and established relationships with antiquarian book dealers and auction houses a plus.
• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of Minnesota history, culture, and literary life.
• Enthusiastic to foster and maintain equitable and respectful partnerships with a diverse public.
• Experience with digital collecting efforts and collections.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and to improving access to collections materials that bring new narratives to light and focus on under-represented voices and communities.
• Able to collaborate effectively with colleagues, researchers, community partners, and donors.
• Track record of outstanding internal leadership, project management, and collaborative work relationships.

• An effective communicator in writing and in speaking; enthusiastic to develop external relationships to enhance MNHS’s institutional goals.

SKILLS

• Leadership skills and a commitment to shared and collaborative work.
• Good time-management skills; able to set priorities, tasks and deadlines and keep projects on schedule.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Willingness to develop proficiencies in new areas; curious to take on work outside of one’s area of expertise.
• Able to work at a high, strategic level and also happy to roll up one’s sleeves to do daily tasks.
• Appreciative of process and the role of a variety of talented colleagues; able to communicate and coordinate competing pressures and demands positively and with good will. Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Gutsy, resilient and flexible, enthusiastic to create new visitor-focused experiences.
• Perceptive reader of people; practical at finding solutions to get things done, including when working with teams of people.

HOW TO APPLY

About Minneapolis/St. Paul
Minneapolis and St. Paul together comprise the Twin Cities, the third largest metropolitan community in the Midwest. Straddling the banks of the Mississippi River, St. Paul is the state capital, and Minneapolis boasts a modern downtown of skyscrapers and global businesses, with surrounding neighborhoods that have an accessible Midwestern feel. The Twin Cities are growing at a rate of 9% per year and have a metro-area population of 3.69 million today. While a major urban center, the Twin Cities are also a friendly, welcoming, and moderately priced community.

The Twin Cities support a thriving business community and a robust scene of arts and cultural programming. The headquarters of many global and national businesses, including 3M, Cargill, Ecolab, UnitedHealth Group, Target, Best Buy and General Mills are located here. Prestigious institutions include the encyclopedic Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center and its sculpture garden (pictured above), the Frank Gehry-designed Weisman Museum of Art at UMN, the Guthrie Theater, and the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis is also known as an important music hub for alternative music – folk, funk, hip hop and rap, and both Bob Dylan and Prince are native sons. Restaurants offer international and multi-ethnic fare, and “Minneapolis is home to the greatest festivals and fairs in the nation,” including the Minnesota Craft Beer Festival and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers will find much to celebrate in the Twin Cities, where “you are never more than 6 blocks from a park,” and where you can find waterways, lakes, waterfalls, and scenic walking/biking paths. The cold winters provide plenty of outdoor winter sports, including skating, ice fishing, hockey and cross-country skiing. For sports fans, the Twin Cities offer major-league teams: the football Vikings, baseball Twins, hockey Wild, basketball Timberwolves, and men’s and women’s professional soccer teams.

Twin City citizens celebrate philanthropy and support of the arts. Target Stores’ parent company, Dayton-Hudson Corporation, is headquartered in Minneapolis, and its charitable foundation has donated over $352 million to social and arts-based programs. It has helped foster a city-wide business and civic commitment to the arts since 1946, when Dayton-Hudson pioneered a commitment to donate five percent of the Company's taxable income to its Foundation, and this continues today. Moreover, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Community Foundation has $1.7 billion in assets today and annually awards $100 million in grants.

About Minnesota
Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” is a prosperous state with a well-diversified economy. It has the second-highest proportion of high school graduates (91%), as well as a progressive income tax structure. Minnesota welcomes 70 million visitors annually, and the state is a vacation destination for cultural tourists as well as outdoor enthusiasts, offering swimming, boating, hiking and biking, fishing, and hunting; and in winter, ice fishing, skiing, and winter sports. The state supports a network of public universities and colleges and more than 20 private colleges. The state’s population in 2020 was approximately 5.7 million people, with nearly 65% living in the Twin Cities. Learn more: http://visit-twincities.com/

HOW TO APPLY