Technical Services Fellowship

 Published: January 29, 2026

Technical Services is a vital part of every library. Whether large or small, a technical services department describes, organizes, and preserves a library’s collection. This nine-month fellowship seeks to serve as a springboard for graduate students interested in learning the practicalities and intricacies of special collections cataloging and description. Depending on the successful candidate’s strengths and subject expertise, the Technical Services Fellow will work with the Rare Books Librarian and/or Manuscripts and Archives Librarian on cataloging and description projects, learn the standards and professional tools required in technical services, and become familiar with special collections management and collections care in a hands-on environment, all while helping make more of the Clark Library’s physical collection materials available to researchers.

Examples of projects that could be undertaken in this position include:

• Physical processing and description of 20th-century artists’ and printers’ papers
• Hands-on appraisal, research, description, and re-housing of oversize artwork and prints from the Clark’s art collections
• Cataloging rare books from the 17th-19th centuries related to the history of feminism, English law and government, and/or French literature
• Surveying and appraising the Clark’s collection of books, pamphlets, maps, periodicals, and manuscripts related to the history of Montana and the western US
• Surveying the Clark’s bound rare materials for preservation and conservation needs and assisting in the preparation of preservation housings

Award Amount:

$36,500 stipend plus standard tuition and fees (excluding nonresident supplemental tuition and professional degree supplemental tuition).

Fellowship Duration:

The fellowship begins in September 2026 and lasts until June 2027. Awardees are expected to commit to 20 hours/week on-site at the Clark Library for the duration of the fellowship.

Eligibility & Requirements:

Required Qualifications:

• Applicant must be a currently registered PhD or Master’s student at UCLA during 2026-27 academic year.
• Familiarity with library services in an academic or research library environment.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Demonstrated experience using library catalogs, such as UC Library Search, WorldCat, and other national and international OPACs.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively within and across organizations.
• Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and anti-racism in the workplace and to serving the needs of a diverse population.

Application Process:

Please submit the following application materials to clark@humnet.ucla.edu by March 1, 2026.

1. CV
2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (no more than one page single-spaced) highlighting relevant experience, training, and reasons for the applicant’s interest in the fellowship.
3. TWO REFERENCES including names, affiliations, and email addresses. Please include at least one academic reference.

Applicants will be asked to meet with Clark Library staff by Zoom as part of the application process.

About the UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

The UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library is a rare book and manuscript library open to all researchers who wish to conduct research with its holdings. The Library specializes in the study of England and Western Europe from the Tudor period through the long eighteenth century and from the mid-Victorian to late Edwardian periods, with a focus on Oscar Wilde and his circle. Other collection strengths include modern book arts; fine printing and the history of the book; and Montana and the West. The Library is located in a 1926 Beaux Arts building, listed as Los Angeles City Historic-Cultural Monument #123, and is situated on five landscaped acres in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Clark Library is administered by the UCLA’s Center for 17^th– and 18^th–Century Studies. The Clark Library and the Center for 17^th– and 18^th–Century  Studies present a wide range of public and academic programming, including conferences, lectures, concerts, and workshops.