Overview
With a research 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. Its research centers provide opportunities for engagement with in-depth and unique collections, inspirational reading rooms, exhibitions, programs, and a range of research services. The Library seeks a dynamic, engaged, and collaborative professional to serve as the Curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. In this exciting opportunity, the curator will provide leadership for the development, interpretation and promotion of the Middle Eastern and Islamic studies collection at the New York Public Library, working with colleagues in the Library’s Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division; Wallach Division of Art, Print, and Photographs; the Spencer Collection, and the General Research and Reference Division.

The New York Public Library offers extensive interdisciplinary collections on and from the Middle East, ranging from the Ancient Near East to the most recent current events across multiple countries and diverse cultures. During the early twentieth-century, the Library was one of a handful of research institutions collecting in these areas, making it one of the outstanding centers for the study of Arabic history and culture to this day. The collection is also rich in Persian, Turkish, Armenian, and early Semitic language materials. Islam is especially well covered in both Eastern and Western languages and includes materials on the Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools of Islam as well as the history of Islamic groups, including the Kharijites, Sunnīs and Shī‘as among others. 

The Library has extensive special collections, with more than 400 Islamic manuscripts and more than 3,000 Persian, Indian-Islamic, Turkish, and Arabic miniatures. The  collection also features preeminent early maps of the region; rare books of poetry, law, and religion; illustrated volumes of 18th- and 19th-century travel accounts and archaeological expeditions; as well as materials documenting the full range of artistic human expression from classic Islamic architecture to contemporary works by today’s painters and photographers. The Library also seeks to build on its collection documenting diasporic communities from the Middle East and the Islamic world in North America, particularly in New York City. 

Based within the Collections and Research Services department, which is responsible for establishing a unified strategic vision for NYPL’s Research Collections, the Curator will work collaboratively with staff across the Research Libraries to develop and promote the collections and the delivery of research services that help position the Library as a vital resource to support learning, creativity, and scholarship.

• The Curator will provide strong and effective subject expertise and leadership in the development and promotion of the Library's Middle Eastern and Islamic collections, serving as the primary spokesperson for the collections, and undertaking activities that advance expanded use and other strategic goals.
• In support of teaching, learning, and scholarship, the Curator will contextualize the collections through instruction, outreach to academic communities, exhibitions, publications, facilitating digital humanities and other scholarly projects, and collaborating on the development of public programming and educational resources. 
• The Curator will maintain and strengthen existing institutional partnerships and identify and initiate opportunities to collaborate on new approaches to building collections, promoting their use to both a national and international audience. 
• The Curator will work to broaden and deepen the collections in line with the Library’s commitment to its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access goals, helping the Library to invest in collections documenting underrepresented communities, but also surfacing hidden aspects of our collections. 

Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Associate Director for Collection Development, priorities for the position include:

• Drawing on an understanding of the collection’s historical strengths, its use, and scholarly trends, the curator will plan for, communicate, and implement strategies to build and shape the collections, including the management of approval plans and selecting contemporary materials in Arabic, actively collaborating on special collection acquisitions, and advising on the selection of electronic resources. The curator will also develop the Library’s collection of materials published by diasporic communities from the Middle East and the Islamic world in North America and particularly in New York City. 
• The Curator will actively collaborate with colleagues in the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books and the Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs to serve and promote the Library’s special collections related to the Middle East to educational and scholarly communities
• Actively engage with researchers by providing consultative services in collaboration with public service staff; cultivating strong relationships with the academic community through classes, outreach, public programming, and strategic partnerships
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize materials for digitization initiatives and help facilitate the use of digital collections
• Collaborate with Development staff on fundraising activities to support the needs of the collection, fellowships for researchers, and new initiatives
• Keep abreast of the changing needs of researchers in the field, as well as emerging trends in research libraries, higher education, and history and social science scholarship in general
• Provide oversight for the processing and preservation needs of the Middle Eastern collections, liaising with staff in BookOps, Preservation and Special Collections Processing, and the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Divisions
• Collaborate with the Library’s peers in ReCAP (Columbia, Harvard, and Princeton), MaRLI (NYU and Columbia), and the CUNY system to ensure that we are collecting the full spectrum of materials needed by our users and making them broadly available
• Establish a record of participation in and contributions to the profession by serving on committees and representing the Library at professional organizations, conferences, and various public meetings

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Experience

• An MLS from an ALA-accredited program with appropriate subject and language expertise, or a relevant graduate degree focussing on Middle Eastern or Islamic studies with experience in a research library or museum setting
• Two years of relevant professional experience in an academic or research library, or museum 
• Demonstrated understanding of the information needs of researchers in Middle Eastern studies, including the ways research methods and scholarship are evolving
• Knowledge of collection development in an academic or research library, including familiarity with core print and e-resources relevant to the Middle East
• Knowledge of initiatives and trends related to research in international and area studies fields and to the evolving scholarly communication landscape, including knowledge of the publishing industry in these regions.

Required Skills

• Fluency in Arabic, reading knowledge of other Islamicate languages (such as Persian, Turkish, or Urdu) preferred.
• Record of professional engagement and contribution, such as research, publication, and involvement in pertinent professional and scholarly organizations
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across Library departments and across institutions
• Strong commitment to excellent public service

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with special collections
• Familiarity with curation of exhibitions and public programing
• Experience selecting materials for digitization

More...

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

• Limited physical effort is required
• May require travel within NYC

Physical Required?
No

Union/Non Union
Non-Union

FLSA Status
Exempt

Schedule

• 35 hours per week, Monday - Friday 9am- 5pm

Apply online here