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Manager of Public Services, Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books - New York Public Library

With a collection that exceeds 46 million items...

With a collection that exceeds 46 million items, and a mission to advance knowledge and inspire lifelong learning, the New York Public Library stands as one of the world's great public research libraries. The Library seeks a collaborative and service-oriented professional to provide leadership for research services in the Archives, Manuscripts, and Rare Books Division in the Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, which welcomes thousands of special collection researchers each year. The Manager ofPublic Services is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the highest quality of public service, supervising a team of experienced staff,and collaborating with colleagues on outreach, instruction, and other community-building and promotional activities. 

The Library's Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division holds over 29,000 linear feet of manuscripts and archives in over 5,500 collections, as well as more than 110,000 rare books and 20,000 broadsides. The collections contain some of the Library's greatest treasures, ranging from cuneiform tablets, incunabula, and illuminated manuscripts to founding documents of the United States. The collection is particularly strong in books printed in the Americas prior to 1801 and the history of the New York region. Collecting areas of focus include the American Revolution, U.S. Civil War, 19th century U.S. literature, colonial Latin America, New York City social history, the history of publishing, and LGBTQ history. The Division also oversees the Library's institutional archives and records.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Associate Director for Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books, the Manager will: 

  • Manage staff in the day-to-day public service operations, ensuring consistent, proactive, and effective researcher engagement
  • Train and mentor reading room staff in the implementation of best practices in reference and research services
  • Provide research and reference assistance to scholarly and general users
  • Serve as point person for the effective use of Aeon to manage reading room transactions, ensuring collection security protocols are observed; responsible for preparing divisional usage reports using Aeon dashboard
  • Conduct outreach to help grow and diversify the Library's patron base; cultivate and support networks of relationships among researchers, students, and educators
  • Supervise librarians and specialists in the creation of research pathways that highlight collection strengths through the development of LibGuides and blogs
  • Support the pedagogical needs of educators by planning, managing, and implementing collections-oriented programming; collaborate on NYPL-wide education initiatives
  •  Prepare reports and updates on division activities as needed
  • Support the fellowship program by reviewing applications
  • Support the exhibition program as needed
  •  Engage with the Special Collections Processing and other units on priorities to   increase discovery and access to collections
  • Collaborate with Collection Management staff on best practices for collection storage and other collection management initiatives 

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Required Education & Experience

  •  ALA-accredited master's degree in library and information science or archival science, or advanced degree in humanities field and relevant experience with special collections
  • Minimum of seven years professional experience working with readers and special collections materials in research library context; minimum three years of supervisory experience

Required Skills 

  • Demonstrated commitment to public service and a thorough understanding of the role of special collections within a public library system
  • Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse range of humanities scholars, students, and independent researchers with varying levels of experience
  • Demonstrated understanding of the ways a research library's special collections facilitate scholarship, and of the diverse and changing ways that researchers, artists, educators, and students use physical and digital collections
  • Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with curators, librarians,, staff and external constituencies in the collaborative planning, coordination, and implementation of new services or programs
  • Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain close and productive working relationships with colleagues and constituents in an environment where consultation, flexibility, collaboration, and cooperation are essential
  • Experience with instruction, program development and implementation, and public speaking
  • Current understanding of themes, debates, and trends in the field of special collections, especially archives, manuscripts, and rare books
  • Demonstrated commitment to continuing professional education and the encouragement of professional development in others
  • Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:  

  • Record of publications or conference participation that foregrounds candidate's professional experience in special collections research 

Benefits

Please Note: Effective August 2, 2021, absent a qualifying exception for medical or religious reasons, newly hired employees of the New York Public Library must present proof of receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination and may not begin employment at the Library until 14 days after their receipt of their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or 14 days after their first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  Newly hired employees who need additional time to receive their vaccination prior to their start date may request an adjournment of their start date with their hiring manager.  The Library will consider such requests on a case by case basis, depending upon the Library's operational needs, among other factors.  The Library will further consider exemptions for prospective employees who cannot become vaccinated due to a qualifying medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief or practice.  Candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment and who seek a medical or religious exemption to the Library's vaccination policy will be provided with additional instructions at the time of the conditional offer.

Core Values
All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:

  • Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
  • Be Resourceful in solving problems 
  • Be Curious in all aspects of your work
  • Be Welcoming and Inclusive

Physical Duties

  • Ability to lift moderately heavy boxes and books and move items to and from shelves
  • Ability to tolerate moderate levels of dust generated during normal activities and movement of objects

Physical Required? No

Union/Non Union Non-Union

FLSA Status Exempt

Schedule 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday 9-5 Evenings and Saturdays as required. Division is open Tuesday through Saturday, typically 11 AM to 5 PM. 

Compensation $80,000 – $85,000 / year

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. 

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