Curator, Printed Heritage Collections

Location: St Pancras

Contract: Fixed term (12 months)

Hours: Full time (36 hours)

Grade: B

Salary: £34,608 per annum

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to work with one of the greatest collections of rare books in the world with a particular focus on the Library's collections of Western books printed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

This is a fixed-term maternity cover post within the British Library's Printed Heritage Collections team which has curatorial responsibility for early books, periodicals and ephemera published across Europe and the Americas between 1450 and 2000, but with a focus on British materials.

We're looking for somebody with good knowledge and experience of working with historic printed books. This will be underpinned by relevant qualifications or equivalent professional experience. The post holder will have a broader understanding of British and European cultural and social history (particularly covering the period ). They will have demonstrable experience of interpreting collections for a wide variety of audiences. The abilities to work independently and as part of a team is essential, as are excellent communication, problem-solving and time-management skills. Cataloguing experience and knowledge of AACR2, RDA and/or DCRM(B) standards are highly desirable as the post-holder will likely be involved in cataloguing projects.

As part of the Printed Heritage Collections team, the post holder will contribute to the development and management of the Library's eighteenth and nineteenth century printed books and other materials. They will select, acquire and catalogue materials. They will work with conservation colleagues to care for the collection. They will interpret the collection and create opportunities for public engagement through online resources, media work and displays through the Library's cultural programmes. They will be part of a team that aims to make the Library's rich collections as accessible and relevant to as wide a range of audiences as possible.

If you're interested in finding out more, please read the job profile. The British Library offers a number of benefits to employees, including flexible working arrangements and a hybrid working policy.

About us

We are the national library of the UK and we are here for everyone.Our shelves hold over 170 million items - a living collection that gets bigger every day. Although our roots extend back centuries, we aim to collect everything published in the UK today, tomorrow and far into the future. Our trusted experts care for this collection and open it up for everyone to spark new discoveries, ideas and to help people do incredible things.

What we can offer you

• A competitive salary.
• A fantastic pension scheme with minimum employer contributions of 28.97% (this may be higher dependent on grade).
• Flexible working hours, with the ability to take up to 5 days flexi leave in a 3-month period.
• 25 days holiday.
• Full details of employee benefits can be found on our Careers: Benefits page.

Closing date: 31 July 2025

Interview date: 21 August 2025

If you have any questions, please contact

We are unable to provide sponsorship under the UK Skilled Worker visa for this role.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse candidates and disabled candidates. We would like to increase the representation of these groups within The British Library to ensure our workforce is as diverse as the public that we serve. Creating an inclusive workplace is the core of our business and a way to engage the diversity of thought that is essential to achieve our aims.