Job Announcement: Director of Library & Archives
Posted April 15, 2011
Brooklyn Historical Society’s Othmer Library invites applications for the position of Director of LIbrary & Archives. The position reports to BHS’ President and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of BHS’ library and archives program. The Director of Library & Archives supervises library and collections staff, including the Special Collection Librarian and Photographic Archivist and various grant-funded full and part time staff. The successful candidate will be a creative, experienced and forward-looking librarian dedicated to serving a diverse range of patrons and supporting BHS mission to connect the past to the present and make the vibrant history of Brooklyn tangible, relevant and meaningful for today's diverse communities, and for generations to come.
The Director is responsible for providing leadership, vision, planning and management for the library, including overseeing staff; maintaining budgets, policies and procedures; planning and managing grant projects; and with Senior Library Staff, developing long-range planning and priorities for collection development, management, preservation, description, and access to library and archives. The position plays a key role in the senior staff of the larger institution, participating in institutional planning; working with the Director of Development to identify funding opportunities and write grants; and collaborating with education, exhibition and oral history staff on integrating library and archives work with the activities of the larger institution.
In addition to management and planning functions, the position plays an active role in the day-to-day work of the archives and manuscript collections, including acquisitions and appraisal; overseeing arrangement and description work; reference and outreach activities; and administering and overseeing Archivists’ Toolkit and Emma, the WordPress-based BHS catablog of archives and special collections.
Required Qualifications:
- Masters in Library and Information Science, or equivalent degree, with a specialization in archival studies or special collections.
- Minimum of four years successful experience in special collections and/or archives
- Evidence of effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
- Flexibility in adapting to organizational change and growth and to ever-changing technological environments
- Evidence of strong leadership, budgeting, project management and organizational skills.
- Strong customer service orientation, with a commitment to serving a diverse patron base.
- Supervisory experience; demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and collaboration.
- Demonstrable experience in seeking and administering grant funding
- Experience in soliciting, acquiring, organizing, and maintaining collections
- Knowledge of current practices related to the identification, access, control, organization and digitization of primary source materials, including metadata schemas, digital processes and trends in delivering collections electronically
- Computer/technology competence; aptitude for learning and applying new technologies and information tools to library operations
- Advanced degree in History, American Studies, or relevant academic field.
- Experience working in a museum setting or in supporting exhibit development and design
- Experience with records management in print and electronic formats
- Experience with WordPress content management system
- Experience with Archivists’ Toolkit
- Knowledge of preservation issues and best practices
To Apply: Please send resume, cover letter, salary requirements, and name and contact information for three references to Deborah Schwartz , President, at apply@brooklynhistory.org. Subject line of the email should read: Library Director Application [your last name]. No phone inquiries, please.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled; priority will be given to those applications received by May 8th, 2011.
Original Posting is located here: http://www.brooklynhistory.org/about/job.html
About the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Othmer Library
BHS' Othmer Library houses the most comprehensive collection of Brooklyn-related materials in the world. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Education designated the Othmer Library as a “major research library” under Title II-C of the Higher Education Act. Today the collection includes more than 100,000 books and pamphlets, 60,000 photographs and prints, 2,000 feet of archival collections, and more than 2,000 maps and atlases. These materials include family histories, rare books, periodicals, serials, journals, personal papers, institutional records, and oral histories that document Brooklyn 's many different ethnic groups and neighborhoods.
We draw from these holdings to create interpretive exhibitions that prompt students, scholars and members of the general public to reconsider the fundamental facts of history in light of primary source documents and artifacts. BHS serves almost 80,000 people annually by providing opportunities for civic dialogue and community engagement for children and adults through exhibit tours, public programming, research opportunities, educational programs for New York City students, and professional development workshops and written curricula for teachers.
Brooklyn Historical Society is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.
The Brooklyn Historical Society is dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, the presence of any mental, physical, or sensory disability, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law
