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Assistant/Associate Museum Librarian, Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, NY

The Thomas J. Watson Library in The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pleased to announce an opening for the position of Assistant/Associate Museum Librarian, Reader Services. This full-time position is a special opportunity to contribute to the success of an innovative and productive art library at a world-class museum while learning and applying new skills.

This position is the lead librarian for Nolen Library and has the key management and leadership role in Nolen programs and services. Responsibilities include managing all services provided by Nolen and monitoring, training and coordinating the work of Watson library staff who have regularly scheduled shifts in Nolen. This position also trains and manages ten volunteers, and working with Education colleagues, co-manages a large team of volunteer story time readers. Last year there were more than 17,500 attendees for Storytime. This position is the coordinator for 15 to 20 programs a year, independently and in collaboration with staff in the Education department, including Met festivals, educator events, family programs, and library instruction programs to outside high schools and college students groups. In additional to primary operational responsibility for Nolen Library, this position provides scheduled reference service in Watson Library, and participates in Watson Library’s mission to provide research collections and services to Met staff and to an increasing number of outside researchers.

This position reports to Florence and Herbert Irving Associate Chief Librarian. The schedule is Sunday-Thursday, with some flexibility required depending upon program scheduling.

Please submit a cover letter stating your interest and your CV, addressed to the search committee, to [log in to unmask].

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILIES & DUTIES:

·         Coordinates all Nolen Library activities including proposing new services, programs and innovations then implementing those that are approved

·         Trains and coordinates service of library staff working in Nolen Library; leads team meetings, provides updates, and monitors and ensures high quality and effective service

·         Acts as liaison to Education Department the Volunteer office and to other colleagues and constituencies

·         Oversees and continuously updates Nolen’s policies, procedures, and competencies and maintains documentation

·         Takes the lead and coordinates the hiring, training, and management of Nolen Library’s volunteers, interns, and externs

·         Coordinates the selection of library materials, print and electronic, for all ages and material types

·         Oversees Nolen Library’s local circulation and technical services

·         Provides administrative oversight for Nolen Library’s physical space; coordinates with other staff to maintain facilities, technologies, and supplies

·         Works collaboratively with Education staff to manage Storytime and to develop additional programming initiatives

·         Coordinates Nolen Library instruction programs for internal and visiting groups

·         Manages Nolen Library internal and external communications in print, online, and through signage

·         Develop strategic directions for Nolen Library alignment with Watson Library’s and The Met’s strategic directions

·         Manage Nolen Library scheduling and statistics; compile and prepare reports, data and other written work

·         Works with other library staff to assess and integrate Watson and Nolen library services and develop new or innovative methods of service delivery

·         Monitors the children’s and general book collection and identifies material for conservation, replacement, or withdrawal

·         Provides reference and information services to patrons of varied ages, abilities and skill levels

·         Provides scheduled reference service in Watson library and serves as a member of an instruction team

·         Continues professional development by attending workshops and seminars and by participation in relevant professional organizations

 

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience and Skills:

·         Commitment to providing excellent and proactive reference service

·         Familiarity with children’s literature and experience working with children and young adults

·         Three years of professional experience in a library or similar setting demonstrating progressively responsible management experience, including supervision of staff

·         Proven ability to train, instruct, supervise, and manage

·         Ability to work with people of all ages including Met staff, volunteers, and the general public, among them children, teens, parents/caregivers

·         Strong knowledge of library related technology including various hardware, software digital platforms, Integrated Library Systems (Sierra provided by Innovative Interfaces preferred), website, web and mobile applications, databases and social media

·         Must be flexible to include occasional Saturdays and evenings

·         Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment

·         Demonstrated project development and management skills

·         Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to library staff, museum colleagues and to a diverse library constituency

·         Effective written and oral communication skills

·         Knowledge of current library and technology trends

 

Knowledge and Education:

·         MLS from an ALA-accredited program.

·         General knowledge of and interest in the history of art; graduate degree in art history or related field preferred

·         Knowledge of children’s literature and youth services

·         Library experience with an emphasis on reference

 

The Thomas J. Watson Library is the central research library of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Reflecting the depth and scope of the Museum’s collection, the library collects scholarly material from the art of early antiquity to contemporary art. Like the Museum, the library’s holdings are encyclopedic and global in nature and provide a broad range of research materials on Ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Asian, Islamic European and American art. In addition to its extensive collection of monographs, exhibition catalogs and rare books, the library includes 150,000 auction and sale catalogs dating from the eighteenth century to the present day. Watson Library’s staff of thirty eight adds nearly 20,000 volumes a year, manages a large collection of electronic resources, and continues to build its digital collections, now comprising over one million pages of online content.

The Museum’s library system includes The Robert Goldwater Library, covering the art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas; Nolen Library, providing materials for all ages on the history of art and also curriculum related material for teachers; The Lehman Collection Library, a collection on European painting and decorative arts; The Joyce F. Menschel Library in the Department of Photographs; The Onassis Library in the Department of Greek and Roman Art; The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library; and the Cloisters Library for medieval art and related topics. The Museum’s departmental libraries contribute to combined holdings of more than one million volumes, a collection unrivaled in depth and coverage for the history of art on a global scale.

See https://www.metmuseum.org to learn more about the Museum’s libraries, including access policies and hours, and to connect to the libraries’ catalog, Watsonline.