Employer: The Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity, which opens Sept. 29 in Boston.

What do you do? I oversee the Mary Baker Eddy Collection, which is the largest collection by and about an American woman. I work with a team of consultants, scholars, and curators to essentially build the collection of an entire library to capture her essence.

Why is Mary Baker Eddy such an important subject? She was born into a 19th-century New Hampshire farming family and from there became a world-renowned figure. [Mary Baker Eddy founded Christian Science.] For a woman living in that time, she not only broke the boundaries but also changed society in general. Most women writers at that time were writing poetry or fiction, but she was an author, a publisher, and started a new religion and philosophy.

What is the most interesting piece you have? People are most touched by the 630 pages of notes she left behind in response to the Book of Genesis in the Bible.

How do you care for the different objects? We keep all of the items, whether it be embroidery or paper, in climate-controlled areas of the library. Temperature and humidity levels are kept at a constant, and the amount of light we allow in the areas is limited as well. All of those things can ruin the object because of the acid levels. We also do not touch the objects because the oil from our hands damages them.

How do you preserve the collection on display? One of the hardest things about my job is balancing what people see on display while making sure the artifacts aren't damaged. We have the technology now to scan in color - some of the documents are as good as the real thing to exhibit to the public. We use that replica to showcase, but keep the original artifacts safe.

What is your background? I started out in nursing where I was involved in administrative operations. From there I learned strategic planning skills and began to work with other activities and was introduced to the CEO of the Library. He saw that many of the same qualities that I was using in nursing would carry over to this job.

How did you get this position? I had been managing several touring exhibits that went around the country featuring women called ``This is Women's Hour,'' which started in 1998. I worked on different projects and got an appreciation for Mary Baker Eddy's life and achievements and wanted to focus specifically on her life. When I was offered this opportunity, it was perfect timing.

What qualities would somebody in your position need to have? A love and passion for history is so important because you make it come alive. You have to look at events in a time period and, like a detective, place objects and artifacts in the right places to build a story.

What is the salary range for a job at your level? It can range between $80,000 to $100,000.

-MELANIE JANUS