Visiting Assistant Professor - School of Information

Pratt Institute School of Information is a graduate school based in Manhattan enrolling more than 400 students across master’s programs in Library & Information Science, Information Experience Design, Data Analytics & Visualization, and Museums & Digital Culture.

The School of Information seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor to teach the following course, offered January 25, 2027 to May 14, 2027, in the evenings, in-person at the Pratt Manhattan Center at 144 W. 14th Street.

This foundational course introduces students to core archival functions, including appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, description, reference, access, and outreach. Students will explore fundamental archival concepts, terminology, values, and ethics while examining diverse types of repositories. The course traces the history and evolution of the archival profession and addresses current debates shaping archival practice, with a particular focus on archival arrangement and description.

Emphasizing hands‑on learning, students will arrange and describe a small collection, working with Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS), and creating a finding aid in Archives Space. The course also highlights how societal values, cultural understanding, and technological advances influence contemporary approaches to organizing and describing archival materials, including efforts to address historical inequities and partner with diverse communities, preparing students with the integrated theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for professional archival practice.

Advanced seminar on archival appraisal and acquisition theory and practice, examining how collecting decisions shape collective memory and social documentation in analog and digital contexts. Emphasizes institutional and community influences, power dynamics, and strategies for more inclusive and equitable collecting through critique of historical appraisal biases.

This course focuses on the process, practices, and tools for designing engaging, understandable, and technically feasible digital products. Students will learn about and apply advanced techniques and tools relevant to the entire product design lifecycle, including identifying, investigating, and validating design problems, as well as crafting, designing, and testing digital solutions. Students will also learn how to visualize and effectively communicate design insights to various stakeholders.

A user experience (UX) design system is a version-controlled collection of reusable user interface patterns and a set of associated guidelines, principles, and standards. A UX design system allows design teams to efficiently create consistent experiences across a range of digital products. Combining concepts from systems thinking, pattern languages, and atomic design, in this course students will learn how to analyze, use, and create a UX design system.

Topics will also include coding and designing for accessibility, creating and using brand and voice guidelines, and design system governance policies and processes.

The course explores the specialized skills and knowledge needed to design and develop library programs, services, and resources for infants and young children (0-8 years). The course will follow the literacy continuum, from language development through to independent reading writing, with a special focus on the first three years of life, early literacy, and the role of family and community. This course will interest students who want to work with young people in different contexts and need specialized knowledge of early childhood, the social dynamic of families, and the early education environment.

The candidate should have a master’s degree in a relevant field and have an aptitude for teaching. For questions about the course, please email Assistant Dean, Jonathan Williams at jwill
100.

The School of Information at Pratt Institute is a graduate school based in Manhattan enrolling 350 students across masters programs in Library & Information Science, Information Experience Design, Data Analytics & Visualization, and Museums and Digital Culture.

All of our courses are offered in-person in Manhattan at 144 W. 14th St.

Total compensation per class is $7,000 - $8,000. This is a UFCT Local 1460 union position.

Deadline for application is Monday, October 19, 2026.