Manager, Archival Accessioning

The New York Public Library•New York, NY

11d•$90,000 - $95,000•Onsite

About The Position

The mission of The New York Public Library is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities, and we rely on three great resources–our staff, our collections, and our physical and digital spaces–to provide opportunities for learning and growth. The research centers offer unparalleled opportunities to engage with in-depth and unique collections, inspirational reading rooms, exhibitions, programs, and a range of research services. Special Collections Processing (SCP) department promotes access to the Library’s most distinctive collections by describing and preparing rare and unique materials for discovery and use. Archival Processing (AP) is the team within SCP that supports access to archival collections and their preservation by arranging and describing archives and manuscripts, creating finding aids for research use, managing the ArchivesSpace Staff Interface, accessioning new acquisitions, remediating legacy archival description, and managing archival metadata across systems. The Manager, Archival Accessioning oversees all aspects of archival accessioning across the Research Libraries. They support access to archival collections by establishing immediate physical and intellectual control of new acquisitions and managing accessioning workflows in ArchivesSpace. Additionally, this role is responsible for supervising archival processing staff, including processing small collections at the point of accessioning, and ensuring daily operations align with institutional priorities and national best practices. While based at the Library Services Center (LSC) in Long Island City, Queens, the Manager works across the organization to accession archival acquisitions and backlog collections in all formats, including audio and moving image recordings and born-digital media. The Manager supports new archival acquisitions, collaborating with Curators, Special Collections Acquisitions Operations, and Collection Management staff for site visits and collection packing.

Requirements

ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or a Master's degree with successful completion of archival training
5+ years of experience in an archives or manuscripts repository working with collections of personal papers and organizational records for collections of varying size, complexity, format, and condition
3+ years experience supervising staff and managing projects
Experience accessioning archival collections in all formats (analog, digital, and audio and moving image), and a strong background in archival processing and theory
Experience with efficient and extensible approaches for accessioning, appraisal, and processing of archival collections
Experience developing and conducting staff training in archival systems and standards
Knowledge of current issues and emerging trends in archives, including the SAA endorsed Archival Accessioning Best Practices and OCLC’s Total Cost of Stewardship
Strong organizational and project management skills
Demonstrated knowledge of current standards for archival description, cataloging, and archival metadata (DACS, EAD, MARC 21, RDA, DCRM, LCSH, LCNAF, AAT, TGM)
Strong working knowledge of descriptive tools and systems (ArchivesSpace, FTK, OCLC Connexion, Sierra, RDA Toolkit, MARCEdit)
Familiarity with scripting and querying languages such as SQL and Python
Experience managing and versioning documentation, particularly in GitHub
Experience with project management tools including Trello, AirTable, and JIRA
Strong interpersonal and communication skills: ability to listen actively, speak, and write clearly
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
4-6 full-time direct reports
Conducting project management and staff trainings

Responsibilities

Supervise processing staff and manage archival accessioning for both new acquisitions and backlog collections, ensuring alignment with national standards and curatorial processing priorities
Establish physical, legal, and intellectual control of incoming archival acquisitions
Migrate all archival accessioning workflows into ArchivesSpace, and oversee accessioning functionality in the ArchivesSpace Staff Interface
Develop and maintain documentation for archival accessioning in ArchivesSpace on AP’s public GitHub documentation site
Work in collaboration with Collection Management to facilitate location management and physical storage for all new and backlog archival acquisitions
Work in collaboration with Conservation to identify and remediate materials that require custom housing or conservation treatment
Create and manage systems for tracking and reporting accessioning metrics
Coordinate and participate in site visits and pre-custodial appraisal activities in collaboration with Curators and the Senior Manager, Special Collections Acquisitions Operations
Represent NYPL on committees in professional organizations, and actively contribute to the field by participation in these professional organizations
Perform other related duties as assigned