Collection Technician

Department: Collections

Employment Type: Part Time

Location: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Reporting To: Deborah Straussman

Compensation: $35.00 / hour

Description

Overview

The New York Public Library's (NYPL) collections are among the most important, unique, and comprehensive ever assembled for the free use of the public. The Research Libraries collections are wide-ranging, including archives, rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, prints, drawings, artwork, and audio and moving image recordings. The Library is committed to employing expert staff to formulate and implement responsible collection management and preservation plans covering the lifecycle of research collection materials. Collection Management is seeking hourly Collection Technicians to join a pool of temporary staff to assist short-term projects. Projects might include collection moves, cleaning of collection items, framing/unframing, and packing or housing items.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of Collection Management Department staff, the Collection Management Technician will perform:

• Collection moves: Safely move collection items from one shelf/cart/room to another, utilizing knowledge of how to handle a variety of cultural heritage materials. Quantities can vary from small (1 cart/shelf) to the contents of a large room, and include housed and unhoused collection items.

• Surface clean collection items: Vacuum/dust collections prior to moving items to new storage areas.

• Framing/Unframing: Unframe newly acquired items that will be stored unframed.

• Installation/deinstallation: Install or deinstall paintings or other framed works, or 3-D objects in NYPL Research Library locations to support collection management initiatives.

• Packing: Create custom boxes, folders or other temporary housing to safely transport oversized collection items between Research Centers as part of collection moves.

• Housing: Create folders/boxes to store items on shelves, sizing housing appropriately.

• Inventories/Checklists : Create or check item inventories of collection items; update collection-related spreadsheets or databases.

• Staging: Remove items from storage and assemble on carts/tables

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

• High School diploma or its equivalent

Required Experience

• Work experience handling collection items in a library, museum, gallery or other cultural institution.

Required Skills

• Experience handling a variety of cultural heritage materials safely

• Framing, preparation, and installation/deinstallation

• Experience with creating custom packing/housing for objects; knowledge of archival packing/housing materials

• Attention to detail

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with Collection Management, Registration activities

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 setting

• Public library setting

Physical Duties

• Lifting up to 40 lbs. Required

• Repetitive movements

• May require travel within NYC

• Some exposure to dust

Pre-Placement Physical Required?

No

Union/Non Union

Non-Union

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

Schedule

• As needed on a project basis; limited to 19 hours/week

• Projects may be located in Manhattan (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Library for the Performing Arts, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) or NYPL’s facility in Long Island City, Queens

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).