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Curator, Moving Image and Recorded Sound - Schomburg Center

**Application Deadline:** 14 November 2025

**Department:** Research Libraries

**Employment Type:** Full Time

**Location:** Schomburg Center

**Reporting To:** Crystal Moten

**Compensation:** $110,000 - $115,000 / year

Description

Overview

The New York Public Library seeks a dynamic individual to curate and manage the audio and moving image collections and staff in the Moving Image & Recorded Sound Division at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

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 interpretation of materials focused on African American, African, and African Diaspora experiences, featuring diverse programming and a collection of over 11 million items that illuminates the richness of global Black history and culture. A research library of The New York Public Library and seeded by the collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg nearly a century ago, the Schomburg Center provides free access to materials documenting Black life locally, nationally, and internationally.

The Moving Image and Recorded Sound (MIRS) Division collects and preserves audio and moving image (AMI) material related to global black experiences. The Division is central to the NYPL’s and Schomburg Center’s mission to advance knowledge and inspire lifelong learning by the strength of its collections but also by the compelling nature of AMI materials, which give movement and voice to the major historical, artistic and cultural moments of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Curator will oversee and manage the Division’s collections and staff with the focus on making the materials accessible for the public. This work includes long-term planning and grant writing as well as collaboration with colleagues across the NYPL related to collection acquisition, processing access, preservation, and exhibition. The Curator works closely with the other Schomburg Curators. The position reports directly to the Associate Director of Special Collections and works under the leadership of the Director.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

**Own** :

+ The development, management, preservation, and interpretation of the collections in the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division at the Schomburg Center

+ Relationships with various communities, including academic, performing arts, and technological communities, among others

+ The cultivation of collectors and donors of new material, and representing the Division and the Library at various functions

**Teach** :

+ The holdings and mission of the Schomburg Center at conferences, external programs, and other forms of professional development

+ Schomburg colleagues, as well as colleagues across NYPL through thoughtful instruction opportunities for teachers and students; Mentor MIRS staff and build capacity through coaching and professional development

Learn:

+ The breadth and depth of the Division’s nearly 400 collections of approximately 5,000 square feet, in a variety of formats, which captures the gestures and sounds of major historical, artistic and cultural moments and influencers

+ How the holdings in the MIRS collections connect to, augment, and are in dialogue with holdings in the other 4 research Divisions of the Schomburg Center

**Improve** :

+ Access to the collection by: regularly reviewing and assessing the collection; preparing and updating finding aids; promoting scholarly and educational use of the collection; and developing strategies for digital preservation and digital public access

Some expectations for this role are that within:

**1 month** , this person will:

+ Become oriented to the NYPL and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

+ Understand the Division’s responsibilities and the range of services it provides, both internally and externally

+ Begin building knowledge of the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division collection holdings and related collection systems

**3 months** , this person will:

+ Work collaboratively with the Associate Director of Special Collections, the Associate Director of Research Services, and Human Resources to determine hiring needs and manage the hiring process for public services staff members within the Division.

+ Be familiar with the key departments with which the Division collaborates

+ Oversee collection development responsibilities

**6 months and beyond** , this person will:

+ Provide strategic recommendations for the growth and strengthening of the Division, as it relates to new acquisitions, interpretation, and access

+ Establish and maintain relationships with key department collaborators throughout the institution

+ Assist in outreach endeavors and promote the Division’s holdings

+ Keep abreast of current trends in scholarship and the field of Film and Media Studies

Responsibilities

+ Know and advocate for the Schomburg Center’s AMI collections

+ Promote use of the AMI collections by presenting at conferences, publishing, and collaboratively curating exhibitions and programming

+ Manage the staff to ensure access to collections for researchers as well as the work of the Library, including exhibitions, events and publications

+ Oversee ongoing AMI collection processing, digitization, and maintenance

+ Remain current with evolving AMI processing and description standards in consultation with NYPL’s archival, metadata, preservation, conservation, cataloging and digitization units

+ Write and manage grant funded archival projects in collaboration with Schomburg and NYPL colleagues

+ Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of operations; oversee short and long-term divisional planning; administer the budget; hire and supervise staff

+ Serve on relevant committees, task forces, and working groups

+ Support the Schomburg Center’s collection development strategies, public services, policies and procedures and special projects

+ Perform other duties associated with the Schomburg Center as required by the Associate Director and/or Director

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

+ Accredited Master’s degree in library, archival, or information studies; or Master's degree in audio and/or moving image preservation; or Master’s degree in liberal arts or humanities

+ Subject area expertise or educational background in any of the following: African American History/Studies/Film and Media

Required Experience

+ 5-7 years experience managing a film or media archive or collections

+ 3+ years experience managing staff

+ Successfully demonstrates professional experience related to acquisitions, donor relations, and an understanding of provenance and copyright

Required Skills

+ Demonstrable working knowledge of African American history and culture

+ A strong understanding of film and media studies, particularly as it relates to African American history and culture

+ A strong background in AMI special collections, including an understanding of formats, arrangement and description, as well as a familiarity with current approaches to processing and digitizing

+ Technical skills in film and other AMI material preservation and management

+ Demonstrable managerial experience

+ Strong writing and communication skills

+ Successfully demonstrated initiative, accuracy, attention to detail, judgment, analytic and organizations

+ Ability to work well independently and collaboratively in a team environment

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

The Curator will supervise 4-6 team members

More...

Core Values

_All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:_

+ Be **Helpful** to patrons and colleagues

+ Be **Resourceful** in solving problems

+ Be **Curious** in all aspects of your work

+ Be **Welcoming** and **Inclusive**

Work Environment

+ Core work will take place in the Schomburg Center but will require travel within NYC

+ Public research library setting

Physical Duties

+ Daily use of a computer

+ Lifting and moving of archival boxes and materials up to 40 lbs

Pre-Placement** **Physical Required?

No

Union/Non Union

Non-Union

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

35 hours to be scheduled Monday-Saturday

_This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed._

_The New York Public Library_** **_Salary Statement_

At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such, including, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidate's specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies.

Union Salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement(s).