Job Description

Manager, Visual Materials Cataloging

Application Deadline: 25 October 2026

Department: Collections

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Library Services Center

Reporting To: Ryan Mendenhall

Compensation: $85,000 - $95,000 / year

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 Description 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

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

• ALA-accredited MLS / MLIS or advanced degree in a related field, such as Museum Studies or Art History, with relevant, substantial research library experience in special collections

Required Experience

• 5+ years experience cataloging visual materials in a research or academic library, museum, or other setting
• 3+ years experience managing complex cataloging projects, coordinating staff, timelines, workflows, and resources to meet institutional goals
• Experience working with born-digital photographs and visual materials
• Demonstrated experience cataloging photographic and visual materials according to established descriptive and encoding standards
• Experience with creating metadata crosswalks and migrating metadata between systems
• Training or experience in preservation and collections documentation, such as participation in workshops, courses, or practical application in professional settings
• Experience in working collaboratively with varied groups in a complex organization

Required Skills

• Strong original cataloging skills for visual materials at the item and collection level, applying standards such as RDA, DCRM, DACS, and MARC
• Familiarity with visual materials standards like DCRM(G), VRA-Core, CCO, BIBFRAME ARM ontology, and CIDOC-CRM
• Demonstrated engagement with the history of photography, art, and/or printmaking; the study of the humanities; special collections librarianship; and/or the preservation of works on paper
• Proven research, analytical, organizational, planning, and time-management skills including demonstrated initiative, attention to detail, judgment, and ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate with stakeholders across a large, complex organization
• Ability to work with materials in one or more languages in addition to English (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese, Spanish, etc.)
• Awareness of emerging trends in the fields of cataloging, metadata, and linked data, including BIBFRAME, XML standards, RDF, reparative description, and linked open data projects like Wikidata

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

• Up to two full-time union staff direct reports
• Project management, staff development, performance evaluations, and coaching

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

• Office
• Based onsite in the Library Services Center, but also works onsite at all NYPL Research Centers as necessary

Physical Duties

• Lifting and/or moving items up to 40 lbs.
• Requires travel within NYC

Pre-Placement Physical Required?

No

Union/Non Union

Non-Union

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

35 hrs/wk, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, onsite

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).