Manager, Visual Materials Cataloging

Job description

**Overview** For more than 125 years, The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been an essential provider of books, information, ideas, and education. With collections numbering more than 56 million items and serving more than 16 million patrons in person each year and millions more online, NYPL’s reach is both local and global. Our mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities. At our world-class research centers–including the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Library for the Performing Arts, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture–expert staff facilitate the work of our diverse communities, offering inspiring reading rooms, programs, exhibitions, fellowships, and a dynamic range of research services. Their work is supported by dedicated staff on the Collections and Research Services teams. We are proud to be the most public and widely used research library in the world. Located at the Library Services Center (LSC) in Long Island City, Queens, the Special Collections Processing (SCP) department under Collections and Research Services (CRS) preserves and promotes access to the Library’s most distinctive collections by accessioning, processing, and cataloging research materials. As a unit of SCP, Rare Materials Cataloging (RMC) ensures long-term stewardship and access to these rare and unique items by creating bibliographic records for inclusion in the Library’s research catalog. Working across NYPL in collaboration with curators and other key partners, the Manager of Visual Materials Cataloging is responsible for ensuring the accurate and appropriate bibliographical description of special collections visual materials, including photographs, prints, illustrations, designs, artwork, sculpture, objects, three-dimensional models, realia, and related items that are not components of archival collections. The Manager oversees the visual materials cataloging function, supporting consistent descriptive practices, effective workflows, and the advancement of cataloging priorities in alignment with institutional priorities and strategic goals. **Some expectations for this role are that within:** **1 month**, this person will: - Meet with relevant technical services teams at the Library Services Center, including BookOps Cataloging, to understand existing workflows, systems, and points of coordination - Meet with curatorial partners to understand visual materials collections and workflow needs - Develop an understanding of the Library’s visual materials collections, descriptive practices, and current cataloging priorities - Establish regular communication with the Senior Manager to clarify priorities, decision-making responsibilities, and expectations for visual materials cataloging **3 months**, this person will: - Complete an initial assessment of the current state of visual materials cataloging, including workflows, priorities, staffing capacity, and opportunities for improvement - Establish regular communication and consultation with curatorial partners and other key stakeholders - Develop an initial understanding of the most significant operational and strategic priorities for visual materials cataloging - Identify opportunities to clarify processes and improve collaboration and communication across teams involved in visual materials cataloging - Provide Senior Manager with initial observations and recommendations for priorities, skill development, and organizational structure needed to develop the visual materials cataloging function over time **6 months and beyond**, this person will: - Establish a clear and sustainable direction for the visual materials cataloging function in partnership with the Senior Manager and key stakeholders - Demonstrate progress toward addressing identified priorities and strengthening the Library's capacity to describe and provide access to visual materials - Develop recommendations for the future growth and organizational needs of the visual materials cataloging function, including staffing and capacity considerations - Build effective partnerships across technical services, curatorial, public services, and other areas of the Library to support shared priorities - Establish a framework for assessing progress and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement in the visual materials cataloging function **Responsibilities** - Perform and oversee original and copy cataloging for a wide range of visual materials, including photographs, prints, illustrations, designs, artwork, three-dimensional models, realia, and related items according to national and local cataloging standards - Plan, coordinate, and manage visual materials cataloging workflows based on institutional priorities and strategic goals - Develop and maintain departmental cataloging documentation in collaboration with the Senior Manager, BookOps Cataloging, and key partners in curatorial and public services - Participate in the development of institution-wide cataloging standards in collaboration with technical services, public services, and curatorial partners across the Research Centers and Library Services Center - Review and evaluate cataloging work to ensure accuracy, quality, consistency, and adherence to national and standards and local practices - Contribute to organizational and logistical tasks related to the receipt and accessioning of current acquisitions, and the ongoing maintenance, enhancement, and migration of bibliographic and descriptive data in NYPL’s ILS, Sierra, and other systems, including the creation and maintenance of authority records - Lead or contribute to strategic initiatives and projects that advance the description, discovery, and access of visual materials - Represent NYPL in relevant professional organizations, conferences, and collaborative projects related to visual materials description - Perform other duties as required