F/T - Head Librarian, JBI (NY)

Head Librarian, Jewish Braille Institute International

https://jbilibrary.bamboohr.com/careers/26

 

JBI Library Head Librarian:

 

About Us 

Founded in 1931, JBI Library is a nonprofit organization that supports anyone who is blind, has low vision, or has a print disability so that they may fully participate in Jewish life—from education and community to prayer and celebration. We are the heart of a community where our patrons can come for accessible books and texts, cultural programs, learning, and all things that connect people to Judaism, culture, and community. We strive to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion, so that everyone can read, learn, and engage, both with JBI and their local Jewish community—independently and with dignity. 

  

Position Summary 

 
The Head Librarian is a senior leader responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of JBI Library’s patron services, programming, collection development, integrated library system (ILS), community outreach, and library operations. This position works closely with the Head of Production, who oversees the creation of braille, large print, and audio materials, as well as recording studio operations, mailing, and returns processing. 

 

The Head Librarian supervises a team that includes the Russian Language Specialist, the Patron Services and Programs Librarian, a part-time outreach and volunteer consultant, and a dedicated group of volunteers. As the leader of JBI’s Library Department—the heart of the organization—the Head Librarian ensures that patrons receive exceptional service, meaningful engagement opportunities, and access to high-quality accessible materials. 

 

This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on service. The Head Librarian plays a key role in shaping the library’s vision, managing daily operations, building relationships with patrons and partner organizations, expanding membership, and developing innovative programs and services. Working closely with patrons, the Head Librarian helps identify emerging needs, generates creative ideas, and develops new strategies that enhance the patron experience and strengthen the library’s impact. The Head Librarian also oversees the department’s budget, establishes goals and priorities, monitors outcomes, and ensures that library services support JBI Library’s mission, strategic plan, and long-term sustainability.  

 

As a member of the senior leadership team, the Head Librarian works closely with the Executive Director, staff, and Board of Directors to help guide the organization’s overall direction and impact. 

 

Responsibilities 

Leadership and Administration 

• Provide strategic leadership and vision for the Library Department. 
• Foster a culture of creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement, encouraging staff, volunteers, and patrons to contribute ideas that enhance services, programs, and the overall patron experience. 
• Supervise, mentor, and support library staff, consultants, and volunteers. 
• Establish departmental goals, priorities, and performance measures. 
• Manage the library department budget and allocate resources effectively. 
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven workplace culture. 

Patron Engagement and Customer Service 

• Cultivate strong relationships with patrons through direct engagement and by leading the library team in delivering exceptional service and support via phone, email, Zoom, and in-person interactions.  
• Stay abreast of digital trends and integrate technology into library services. 
• Respond to patron needs, concerns, and requests in a timely and professional manner. 
• Promote a strong sense of community among JBI patrons.
   

Community Outreach and Membership Growth 

• Develop and maintain relationships with synagogues, schools, community organizations, libraries, NLS, and service providers.  
• Expand awareness of JBI Library and grow membership among individuals and institutions. 
• Recruit, train, and support volunteer ambassadors and outreach volunteers. 
• Represent JBI Library at conferences, workshops, webinars, and community events. 
• Advocate for disability inclusion and accessibility within Jewish communal life. 

Collection Development and Library Services 

• Partner with JBI Library patrons to oversee collection development and ensure the collection reflects the diverse interests and needs of patrons.  
• Identify collection gaps and make acquisition decisions consistent with JBI’s collection development policies. 
• Collaborate with the Production Department to prioritize new materials and accessible formats. 

ILS and Library Technology Management 

• Oversee the creation, maintenance, and quality control of library records using Keystone’s KLAS database. 
• Generate reports and data analyses that support organizational planning and decision-making. 
• Maintain database integrity and identify opportunities to improve library services through technology. 
• Stay informed about emerging technologies and trends in library and accessibility services. 

Programming and Community Engagement 

• Develop, implement, and evaluate educational, cultural, and social programs for patrons. Coordinate guest presenters, facilitators, and volunteers. 
• Organize virtual and in-person events, including workshops, discussion groups, field trips, and community gatherings. 
• Ensure programs support JBI Library’s mission and strategic goals. 

Communications and Reporting 

• Prepare monthly patron newsletters, bi-monthly aggregated news magazines, and other patron communications. 
• Produce monthly statistical and impact reports that track patron engagement, circulation, program participation, and service utilization. 
• Analyze trends and outcomes to support strategic planning, fundraising, grant reporting, and continuous improvement. 
• Share insights and recommendations with organizational leadership and other departments. 

 

Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in library science (MLS/MLIS) from an accredited institution. 
• Minimum of 5 years of professional library experience, with progressively responsible experience, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership role 
• Experience or knowledge of accessible literacy and disability culture  
• Familiarity with an ILS. 
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, writing, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. 
• Passion for books, helping people, disability inclusion, lifelong learning, and community engagement. 

 

Salary 

The salary range is $75,000 to $85,000. The position also offers an attractive benefits package.  The regular hours are 9:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays.  This position is open until filled. 

 

Work Environment 

JBI Library is committed to fostering a collaborative, mission-driven workplace that values accessibility, innovation, and work-life balance. Additional benefits of working at JBI include: 

• 35-hour work week (Monday–Thursday, 8:45 a.m.–6:00 p.m.) 
• Professional development funding 
• Generous paid time off and leave policies 
• Mission-driven culture focused on expanding access and inclusion 
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of people who are blind, have low vision, or have print disabilities 

  

Application Process 

Interested candidates should submit their application, resume, and cover letter to JBI’s employment portal: https://jbilibrary.bamboohr.com/careers/.  In your cover letter, please highlight your relevant experience and your exposure to working with diverse communities. If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Goodman, JBI’s COO, at jobs@jbilibrary.org. 

  

Equal Opportunity Employer 

JBI Library is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is deeply committed to building a workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We celebrate and encourage applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences, and we believe that inclusion, accessibility, and dignity strengthen our work and our mission. All employment decisions are made without regard to any protected characteristic and in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. 

 

F/T - Systems Tech Lib, The Met (NY)

 Associate Museum Librarian, Systems and Technology, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

As the Associate Museum Librarian, you will administer and maintain the library’s integrated library systems, manage the library's hardware and software applications and play an active role in the library's extensive digital initiatives. You will contribute to library data analytics, visualization, and support information security. You will support and pilot emerging tools including LLM/AI-assisted workflows — for cataloging, metadata, and systems automation to streamline workflows of patron-facing services. You will be a core team member of several technical service teams and provide reference and research support to library patrons.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

• Manages the maintenance and ongoing development of the library ILS (Innovative Interfaces Inc.’s Sierra); serves as primary contact with the vendor; coordinates with the library systems team for installing new releases, troubleshooting, and documentation.

• Provides staff training on all upgrades and enhancements and their implications for improving access, workflows and processes; assesses the value of new software and features.

• Manages and supports the operation of the ILS by maintaining configuration and access tables, creating documentation, maintaining passwords and authorizations, and by resolving problems relating to records, access, and functionality.

• Works closely with vendors providing link resolvers, proxy authentication, authorities processing, cataloging services, digital repositories, and interlibrary loan systems; monitors, ensures optimal performance, and resolves technical support issues when appropriate.

• Collaborates with library staff and vendors to identify, format, and coordinate the batch loading of vendor-supplied records into the online catalog.

• Works as a key member of the Digitization Team to plan, implement, and support projects that advance the creation of digital collections.

• Maintains the library’s externally hosted web server and serves as the library’s primary administrator of the Museum’s content management system (currently Sanity), including page migration, content updates, user research, and coordination with Digital.

• Communicates regularly with library and museum staff on technology-related issues; works collaboratively with Digital and IS&T; provides regular updates on the status of ongoing projects, new equipment and services, and the resolution of technology issues.

• Develops and maintains Python and shell scripts, SQL queries, and lightweight web applications designed to automate or partially automate processes related to extract, transform, and load library data, record loading, and reporting workflows.

• In collaboration with Library team, contribute to blog library newsletter and outreach.

• Collects and reports system-generated statistics and provides management and statistical reports on systems operations. Prepares and distributes local documentation as necessary; advises on the library’s information technology budgets and negotiates and arranges for the purchase of appropriate products and services.

• Develops and maintains library data products and dashboards in PowerBI, including the Artist Indexes (IBA, IINAA, ILGBTQIA+, IHLAA, IAAPI), ILS performance dashboards, and digital collections usage reports; collaborates with library staff on data modeling and reconciliation (OpenRefine, SQL).

• Administers the Library’s cloud infrastructure (AWS: S3, EC2, Lambda, IAM, SNS) for content delivery, shared access, and automation, in coordination with the Head of Systems and Museum IS&T.

• Supports information-security practices for library systems, including periodic security reviews of departmental access, hardening of patron-facing forms and accounts, coordination with vendors on incidents (e.g., junk-account IP blocks.

• Coordinates library staff onboarding and offboarding for systems access, including network accounts, ILS authorizations, mailbox setup, and shared drive permissions, in partnership with IS&T and HR.

• Provides research support and scheduled reference service (including 3-4 weekend shifts per year required).

• Coordinates the lifecycle of library workstations, peripherals, scanners, and printing equipment — including deployment, OS upgrades (e.g., Windows 11 rollout), replacement, and decommissioning — and ensures their ongoing effective use.

• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science, with a bachelor's degree or experience in Art History preferred.

• Two or more years’ experience managing an ILS required, Innovative Interfaces preferred, in a medium or large research library.

• 5 Years of library experience required.

• Coursework or demonstrated competency in computer science, programming, information security, or cloud architecture desirable.

• Knowledge of HTML/CSS, XML/XSL, Microsoft Excel, content management systems, visualization tools (Power BI), web design, and graphic design.

• Knowledge and experience working with content management systems required. CONTENTdm, TMS, and Sanity experience desirable.

• Knowledge of relational database design principles required.

• Demonstrated project management experience, training and supervisory skills required; experience with Agile/DevOps practices and tools such as Jira and Slack preferred.

• Experience creating and manipulating library metadata, developing and administering web-based solutions using CSS, HTML, utilizing API Services, writing relational database queries using SQL, and scripting and/or using programing languages, particularly Python, JavaScript and Linux Shell, required.

• Experience administering a Unix/Linux operating system using the command line interface required.

• Experience with Zotero citation management software desirable.

• Demonstrated aptitude for acquiring new skills relevant to library systems required.

• Strong service orientation and awareness of end user needs as related to library systems and web platforms required.

• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with a commitment to data-informed decision-making processes required.

• Experience and commitment to public services including reference and instruction required.

• Ability to work effectively, both collaboratively and independently, in a service-driven environment required.

• Experience administering an enterprise content management preferred.

• Experience building production data dashboards and reports in PowerBI (or comparable platform) preferred.

• Familiarity with cloud-hosted services and basic AWS concepts (S3, IAM, EC2, Lambda) preferred.

• Awareness of information-security fundamentals and willingness to participate in security reviews, system hardening, and end-user security training preferred.

  
  

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Range: $90,000.00 - $100,000.00 / Annually

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

Location Requirements

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the Museum. “Commuting distance” means that they are located in one of following states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania (the “Tri-state and PA” areas), and be able to commute to and from the Museum in a single day.

Benefits Offerings

The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Note: Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match

• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
• Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
• Free financial-planning services
• Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
• 25% discount for staff in Museum shops
• A subsidized staff cafeteria
• Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions

To Read Full Posting and Apply:

https://metmuseum.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/metmuseumcareers/job/The-Met-Fifth-Avenue-New-York-NY/Associate-Museum-Librarian--Systems---Information-Technology_JR-44121-1

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the desired attributes for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

The Met is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, The Met will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed in this process, please contact benefits@metmuseum.org.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.