The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is seeking a Specialist II/Librarian II.
Position Description:
Overview:
The Moving Image and Recorded Sound (MIRS) Division located in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture collects and preserves audio and moving image (AMI) material related to the experiences of people of African descent. The Division is central to the Schomburg Center’s mission, which is to advance knowledge and inspire lifelong learning, by the strength of its collections but also by the compelling nature of AMI materials. In a variety of formats, MIRS has amassed approximately 5,000 cubic square feet of rare and unique material that documents the major historical, artistic and cultural moments of the Twentieth Century.
The MIRS Division seeks a detail-oriented, tech-savvy and solution-minded professional. This is a unique opportunity to be part of re-setting, managing and preserving the MIRS collection into the twenty-first century and for future generations.
Responsibilities:
Working with and under the supervision of the Curator of the MIRS Division, the responsibilities of the Specialist II/Librarian II position are to:
- Organize, inventory, catalog and create finding aids for MIRS’ AMI collections
- Manage ongoing processing, metadata and collection maintenance
- Remain current with evolving AMI standards in consultation with NYPL’s archival, metadata, preservation, conservation, cataloging and digitization units
- Manage archiving, metadata and collection digitization
- Conduct in-person, telephone and email reference
- Train and mentor pages and technical assistants
- Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of operations and participate in short and long-term divisional planning
- Serve on relevant committees, task forces, and working groups
- Support the Schomburg Center’s collection development strategies, public services, policies and procedures and special projects, including exhibitions and publications
- Preform related duties as required
Key Competencies:
- Technical Skills
- Planning and Organizational Skills
- Leadership
- Communication
- Customer Service Skills
- Teamwork
Qualifications:
- Master's Degree from accredited program in Archival Studies, Library and Information Sciences or a related field
- Knowledge of AMI archival and library processing standards and procedures
- Experience handling a range of AMI formats
- Experience appraising, arranging and describing archival records, including creating finding aids
- Demonstrated experience addressing workflow for cataloging of A/V material and/or processing backlogs of materials.
- Working knowledge of Library of Congress subject headings, archival description and cataloging
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to work well with colleagues, donors and the public
- Knowledge of the history and culture of people of African descent preferred
- Knowledge of basic preservation and conservation treatments preferred
Work Environment:
Library Environment
Physical Duties:
Sitting
Standing
Lifting
Kneeling
Starting Salary:
USD $51,073.00/Yr.
Minimum Salary (with 2 years of NYPL service):
USD $51,073.00/Yr.
Hours:
35 hours per week
Monday through Friday
Evenings and Weekends as required
Monday through Friday
Evenings and Weekends as required
Union / Non Union:
