The Organization:

Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the collection, preservation, and study of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.

A research library of the New York Public Library, one of the largest public library systems in the world, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 10 million items, and has illuminated the richness of black history, arts, and experience worldwide for nearly a century.

The Center is committed to maximizing free and public access to its one-of-a-kind collections, exhibitions, educational activities, and much of its programming.

The Role:

Location:  New York City

Reports to:  Director, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, NYPL

Managerial/  Supervisory Responsibilities:  The Associate Director manages (directly and indirectly) all staff associated with research services.

Position Summary:

The Schomburg Center seeks a service-oriented and collaborative librarian, who is committed to providing expertise and leadership to the Research Services team in:

• creating a seamless standard of public service in the Library and its reading rooms;
• promoting and enhancing library resources;
• and supporting the development and implementation of programs and services to meet the research and learning needs of the Library’s users.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, the Associate Director (AD) for Research Services will provide leadership and vision to a dedicated team of library professionals.

They will regularly collaborate with the Associate Director of Collections and other members of the senior leadership team, external stakeholders, and other departments and colleagues within the Schomburg Center and across The New York Public Library to ensure that system-wide goals are accomplished.

The successful candidate will be a dynamic, collaborative, experienced and proven leader who ensures that Library public research, reference and technical services operations address the needs of Schomburg’s patrons to the highest standards. They will possess strong management skills and be responsible for creating an environment that fosters collaboration, teamwork, problem-solving, a seamless user experience, and excellent customer service.

Key Responsibilities:

The Associate Director of Research Services will provide leadership and expertise for all aspects of Schomburg’s public service, research, reference and user experience including, but not limited to:

• Developing and articulating the strategic vision and direction of the department, that ensures consistent best practices in public and technical services across multiple research services reading rooms, teams and departments.
• Overseeing day-to-day operations and special projects, establishing priorities, and coordinating work within the department and across both the Schomburg and the NYPL.
• Fostering a positive, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all Library users, and ensuring that users receive welcoming and efficient service.
• Engaging with diverse stakeholders, including funders, scholars, and visitors about Schomburg general collections and research resources.
• Managing the Library’s service points, including reference and reading room operations, remote and in-person reference, and patron scanning services.
• Coordinating and scheduling reference desk coverage and optimizing staffing, users & physical space with appropriate Library staff.
• Compiling and analyzing data and statistics that provide public service metrics across divisions, and supporting a clear understanding of research use of the collection, in order to evolve services appropriately, ensuring proper public service coverage and workflows across Schomburg research access points and departments.
• Identifying, and implementing new technologies and tools that support and improve user experiences.
• Understanding copyright and intellectual property issues relating to archives and special collections and answering complex reference questions regarding collection access, permissions, and copyright.
• Following emerging trends and innovations to stay updated with the latest developments in library science, public service methodologies, and digital tools.
• Collaborating with other senior team members to contribute to the Schomburg’s evolving education, exhibition and public outreach initiatives, including both new and recurring legacy initiatives.
• Leading a team of experienced professionals, and identifying professional development and training needs for all public and technical service staff.
• Identifying and assisting with grants and funding opportunities related to public research services capacity building.
• Collaborating with, providing leadership to, and serving on NYPL-wide teams and committees.
• Participating in activities of professional organizations.
• Other related duties and special projects assigned by the Director.

Priorities for this leader in their first six months will include:

• Learning the systems that are currently being utilized for public service across Schomburg.
• Meeting with colleagues at Schomburg and other centers to understand needs, challenges and opportunities for collaboration.
• Developing a cadence of meetings and convenings of direct reports to understand and address opportunities for best practice, development and innovation.
• Identifying existing pain points and providing potential recommendations to the Director on how evolve and improve an model for public research services, including capacity needs and strategic recommendations.

The Person:

Required Experience:

• Strong experience with general reference collections in a research library setting.
• Successfully demonstrated commitment to providing consistent high-quality public service.
• Broad knowledge of African American and African Diaspora history and culture preferred.
• Experience leading a team through organizational change.
• Ability and and extensive, proven track record of successfully leading, managing and mentoring complex teams.
• Proven ability to foster and maintain collaborative relationships with a variety of individuals, across divisions and departments.
• Flexible, reliable, and proactive, with strong critical thinking capabilities.
• Excellent problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills with the ability to effectively execute multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate effectively at all levels of an organization and with the public.

Required Skills:

• Commitment to the Schomburg Center’s mission and focus
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Successfully demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, identify and assess problems and decisively implement appropriate solutions or recommendations
• Ability to effectively collaborate and execute priorities
• Ability to apply judgment, discretion, professionalism and initiative
• Flexibility, reliability, punctuality and attention to detail

Education:

• ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies or equivalent experience and education

Compensation: 

•       For this role, the base salary range is $130,000-$140,000

The New York Public Library Salary Statement:

At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such, including, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidate's specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies.

**

NYPL 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

**

This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed.

**

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact:

Tory Clarke

Partner, Bridge Partners

tory.clarke@bridgepartnersllc.com

Apply online here

Submit specified application materials to tory.clarke@bridgepartnersllc.com.