Senior Manager, Rare Materials Cataloging

Overview

The New York Public Library’s (NYPL) Special Collections Processing (SCP) department is seeking a proven and collaborative Senior Manager for Rare Materials Cataloging to strengthen and expand its current operations devoted to rare and special format materials. The Senior Manager will provide vision, leadership, and oversight for the cataloging and description of materials held and acquired by the curatorial divisions at the Stephen

A. Schwarzman Building, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Library for the Performing Arts.

Working within SCP and across NYPL, the Senior Manager of Rare Materials Cataloging is responsible for ensuring the accurate and appropriate bibliographical description of the Library’s Special Collections material including rare books, manuscripts, broadsides, pamphlets, serials, maps, photographs, prints, illustrations, designs, artwork, three‑dimensional models, realia, audio and moving images, and related items that are not components of archival collections. The Senior Manager provides leadership for the Library’s standards for the description of rare materials and special formats held in the Research Libraries, develops and documents project workflows for processing and accessioning new acquisitions and existing backlog, and coordinates the enhancement of metadata in collaboration with the Metadata Services manager.

The position will also perform cataloging of complex rare materials according to national and local cataloging standards and procedures, supervise staff cataloging rare materials and special formats, and assist in training other catalogers  collaboration with Book Ops Cataloging, SCP managers, and key partners in curatorial and public services, this position will draft and maintain NYPL’s Special Collections Cataloging Manual.

While based at the Library Services Center (LSC) in Long Island City, Queens, the Senior Manager works across the organization to establish and deepen collaborative relationships that unify and strengthen rare materials cataloging and the Library’s stewardship efforts.

• The planning, coordination, and effective management of the unit’s day‑to‑day operations to ensure accuracy, foster collaboration, and advance description priorities and institutional goals

• Best practices by developing, maintaining, and communicating standards for cataloging rare materials and special formats, fostering a community that values problem‑solving, collaboration, and innovation
• Stakeholders by informing them of ongoing developments and strategic plans, while also developing new strategies for staff engagement and communication

• The full scope of NYPL’s research collections to develop a deep understanding of the materials acquired and the challenges in addressing outstanding backlogs
• From ongoing developments in bibliographic description, proposing new methods and approaches to keep NYPL at the forefront of the field

• How teams work together by clarifying policies, optimizing processes, and strengthening channels for communication and staff engagement
• Upon the departmental structure and reporting lines by evaluating them and proposing short‑ and long‑term changes
• Workflow effectiveness by assessing, establishing, and measuring outcomes that draw on emerging technologies and align with best practices

• Meet with department staff, partners in Book Ops, and curatorial staff to assess the effectiveness of cataloging workflows, prioritization, and department structure

• Understand gaps in policies and cataloging procedures and develop a preliminary plan for aligning stakeholders around a shared vision
• Develop improved methods of communication with curatorial and public service partners
• Develop and share cataloging project queues for the next 2‑3 years that reflect curatorial and institutional priorities, in collaboration with the Associate Director for Special Collections Processing

• Develop and document a plan to address rare materials and special format cataloging long‑term and near‑term goals,…