Associate Director, Research Services - Schomburg Center

Department: Research Libraries

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Schomburg Center

Compensation: $130,000 - $140,000 / year

Description

To learn more about this opportunity and/or apply, please contact:
Tory Clarke
Partner, Bridge Partners
tory.clarke@bridgepartnersllc.com

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 regar