Overview
Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of materials focused on African-American, African, and African diaspora experiences, featuring diverse programming and a collection of over 11,000,000 items that illuminates the richness of global black history and culture. A research library of The New York Public Library and seeded by the collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg 100 years ago, the Schomburg Center provides free access to materials documenting Black life locally, nationally, and internationally.
The Photographs and Prints Division enables researchers to work directly with original, rare, and unique visual source materials documenting the history and culture of people of African descent worldwide. Beginning with engravings collected by Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the collection has grown over the years to include more than 1,000,000 photographs and prints dating from the eighteenth century to the present. With photography constituting the bulk of the division’s collections, all major photographic technologies are represented. The collections are particularly strong in the genres of documentary and photojournalism. Holdings in fine art and vernacular photography are represented as well.
The Photographs and Prints Division of the Schomburg Center seeks a dynamic individual to serve as a resource and facilitator for public service access.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Associate Curator of Photographs and Prints, the Reference Librarian (Librarian II) will lead public service activities in the division, which includes the following functions:
- Provides daily reference service and resource recommendations related to the Division’s collections, including reference consultations with individual scholars, researchers and other library users
- Manages incoming appointment requests and overall reading room calendar via Aeon appointment booking system; compiles stats on appointments and class visits
- Collaborates with instructors, librarians, and other Schomburg Center staff to plan class and group visits; serves on relevant Schomburg and NYPL committees, task forces, and working groups
- Conducts and facilitates orientation sessions and class and group visits; conducts outreach and develops partnerships with community-based organizations, schools to promote the division’s collections
Develops, maintains, and collaborates on content for research guides, blogs, and social media platforms, such as Instagram
Supports developing public service policies and procedures
- Assists in improving inventory processes, generating digitization metadata, and coordinating transfer between Digital Imaging Services, Special Collections Processing, ReCAP, and other units
- Retrieves and shelves collection materials as needed
- Maintains a personal program of continuous education and professional development
Performs related duties as required
- Required Education, Experience & Skills
- Required Education & Certifications
- ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library, archival, or information science
Subject area expertise or educational background in any of the following: African American History/Studies/Literature, Africana Studies, or cultural studies
Required Experience
- Professional experience working with library special collections, archives, and/or museum collections, especially in a reference or outreach capacity
- Work experience in archives and special collections
- Experience developing and conducting research-focused classes and programs
Required Skills
- Knowledge of photographic technologies and formats
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
- Demonstrated ability to work with the public
- Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment
- Strong organizational, time-management, project planning skills, including ability to manage multiple projects/tasks at the same time
- Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills
- Self-starter, service-oriented, and passionate about sharing knowledge with others
- Strong computer and technology skills, including Microsoft Office and Google applications
Email contact: jackpatterson@nypl.org