Reference and Research Specialist (Storytelling)

How You’ll Contribute

The Storytelling team works to expand the organization’s impact through journalism, photography, film/video, web content, mapping, and data visualization. As one of the largest funders to individual storytellers in this work, it also identifies key grantmaking, and fellowship opportunities with creative talent. Much of the team's programmatic activity is focused on identifying and building capacity for the next generation of diverse storytellers.

National Geographic Society’s Special Collections chronicle 135 years of Society history through historical documents, maps, oral histories, audio and video recordings, photographs, artifacts, and media assets from our current Explorer-led science, storytelling, and education programs. Special Collections shares the story of National Geographic Society's past and present by expertly managing its unique archival, media, and information resources. We seek to create a more inclusive narrative by inspiring users to engage with and build on these materials.

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Reference and Research, the Reference and Research Specialist assists with inquiries about Special Collections materials, evaluates Special Collections audiences, and supports access and education about Special Collection materials. A focus of this position will be to coordinate discovery and access to Special Collections assets. As noted below, we engage in inclusive hiring practices and welcome all applicants who are interested in this position. Educational degrees and experiences in Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) institutions are not required, and we welcome any applicant with relatable experiences and knowledge.

This role is anticipated to be a fixed-term engagement, ending March 31, 2026.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include:

Reference and Research Services Support (80%)

• Support the Senior Manager of Reference and Research in responding to staff and third party research and reference requests in a timely and professional manner, especially related to the use of digital assets for commercial, educational, and personal use. 

• Support colleagues and facilitate requests using dynamic workflow management tools like Airtable. 

• Promote and facilitate the use of borrowing and interlibrary loan services. Provide administrative support to the program, including the circulation of loaned books.

• Collaborate with Reference and Research program members to develop self-serve resources for Special Collections audiences, including research guides and training materials. 

• Contribute to documentation and analysis of centralized reference services, supporting use by Special Collections staff and creating monthly reports in coordination with the Senior Manager of Reference and Research. 

Audience Analysis and Evaluation (15%)

• In coordination with Special Collections staff, support the collection and analysis of the  demographics, behavior, and preferences of core user groups.

• Determine potential strategies for improving user experience and growing Special Collections’ audiences in collaboration with Research and Reference program team members. 

• Support the development of user surveys, interviews, and focus groups.

Other (5%)

• Other duties as assigned

Educational Background

Bachelor’s Degree preferred

Minimum Years and Type of Experience

3+ years of progressive responsibility in Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) or related institutions with demonstrated experience providing information and resources to a diverse clientele. 

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

• Broad knowledge of National Geographic history, organization, and mission.

• Strong customer service focus, with well-rounded analytical and prioritization skills.

• Fluency with digital platforms that support asynchronous collaboration and data collection.

• Experience supporting discovery and access.

• Demonstrated commitment to open and equitable access and ethical stewardship of information.

• Effective written and verbal communications skills. Must have attention to detail.

 

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with digital asset management systems, archival and library cataloging systems or datab