Manager, Archival Accessioning

(June 24, 2026)

Position Title - Manager, Archival Accessioning

Supervisor Title (All entry and mid-level position supervisors should be qualified, professional archivists.) - Senior Manager, Archival Processing

Position Type - Full-time, permanent

Benefits - Yes

Salary Range - $96,000 - $105,000

Overview

The mission of The New York Public Library is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities, and we rely on three great resources–our staff, our collections, and our physical and digital spaces–to provide opportunities for learning and growth. The research centers offer unparalleled opportunities to engage with in-depth and unique collections, inspirational reading rooms, exhibitions, programs, and a range of research services.

Special Collections Processing (SCP) department promotes access to the Library’s most distinctive collections by describing and preparing rare and unique materials for discovery and use. Archival Processing (AP) is the team within SCP that supports access to archival collections and their preservation by arranging and describing archives and manuscripts, creating finding aids for research use, managing the ArchivesSpace Staff Interface, accessioning new acquisitions, remediating legacy archival description, and managing archival metadata across systems.

The Manager, Archival Accessioning oversees all aspects of archival accessioning across the Research Libraries. They support access to archival collections by establishing immediate physical and intellectual control of new acquisitions and managing accessioning workflows in ArchivesSpace. Additionally, this role is responsible for supervising archival processing staff, including processing small collections at the point of accessioning, and ensuring daily operations align with institutional priorities and national best practices.

While based at the Library Services Center (LSC) in Long Island City, Queens, the Manager works across the organization to accession archival acquisitions and backlog collections in all formats, including audio and moving image recordings and born-digital media. The Manager supports new archival acquisitions, collaborating with Curators, Special Collections Acquisitions Operations, and Collection Management staff for site visits and collection packing.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

Own:

The day-to-today accessioning operations to support archival processing priorities and institutional goals for collections access

The management of accessioning workflows and metadata in ArchivesSpace

Teach:

Train staff and stakeholders in accessioning best practices, standards, workflows, and the use of the ArchivesSpace accessioning module

Learn:

The range of special collections at NYPL and the needs of each curatorial unit to ensure that accessioning and processing workflows and policies align with each center’s priorities

Improve:

Accessioning workflows to support archival description, including for audio and moving image and born-digital materials

Training on archival standards and systems to ensure all staff understand the integral and essential function accessioning has in processing workflows

Some expectations for this role are that within:

1 month, this person will:

Understand the scope of work in AP and the integral role of accessioning in that work

Meet acquisitions and curatorial staff to learn the scope and scale of new archival acquisitions and backlog projects

3 months, this person will:

Meet with the managers in each department in Collections and Research Services to determine shared workflows and the ways in which each collaborates with AP

Visit each research center and meet key curatorial partners and other stakeholders

Meet with AP’s partners in Digital and participate in planning conversations for an ArchiveSpace upgrade and data migration

Begin work on updating accessioning documentation and workflows in alignment with the Society of American Archivists’ Accessioning Best Practices

Lead efforts to transition all archival accessioning activities into ArchivesSpace

Work as an active partner with the Senior Manager to identify and manage accessioning and processing priorities

6 months and beyond, this person will:

Create and document new workflows to support migration of all archival accessioning activities into the ArchivesSpace staff interface

Establish workflows for processing collections under five linear feet at the point of accessioning

Identify and contribute recommendations for improved accessioning workflows, collaboration, and projects to Collections and Research Services teams and curatorial partners

Develop training for public service staff, curators, and other stakeholders in using ArchivesSpace to identify collection locations and to search accessioning data

Collaborate with Digital Archives on workflows to transfer, accession, and image born-digital materials, and with Audio and Moving Preservation to support digitization priorities in alignment with the archival processing queue and curatorial priorities

Responsibilities:

Supervise processing staff and manage archival accessioning for both new acquisitions and backlog collections, ensuring alignment with national standards and curatorial processing priorities

Establish physical, legal, and intellectual control of incoming archival acquisitions

Migrate all archival accessioning workflows into ArchivesSpace, and oversee accessioning functionality in the ArchivesSpace Staff Interface

Develop and maintain documentation for archival accessioning in ArchivesSpace on AP’s public GitHub documentation site

Work in collaboration with Collection Management to facilitate location management and physical storage for all new and backlog archival acquisitions

Work in collaboration with Conservation to identify and remediate materials that require custom housing or conservation treatment

Create and manage systems for tracking and reporting accessioning metrics

Coordinate and participate in site visits and pre-custodial appraisal activities in collaboration with Curators and the Senior Manager, Special Collections Acquisitions Operations

Represent NYPL on committees in professional organizations, and actively contribute to the field by participation in these professional organizations

Perform other related duties as assigned

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications:

ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or a Master's degree with successful completion of archival training

Required Experience:

5+ years of experience in an archives or manuscripts repository working with collections of personal papers and organizational records for collections of varying size, complexity, format, and condition

3+ years experience supervising staff and managing projects

Experience accessioning archival collections in all formats (analog, digital, and audio and moving image), and a strong background in archival processing and theory

Experience with efficient and extensible approaches for accessioning, appraisal, and processing of archival collections

Experience developing and conducting staff training in archival systems and standards

Required Skills

Knowledge of current issues and emerging trends in archives, including the SAA endorsed Archival Accessioning Best Practices and OCLC’s Total Cost of Stewardship

Strong organizational and project management skills

Demonstrated knowledge of current standards for archival description, cataloging, and archival metadata (DACS, EAD, MARC 21, RDA, DCRM, LCSH, LCNAF, AAT, TGM)

Strong working knowledge of descriptive tools and systems (ArchivesSpace, FTK, OCLC Connexion, Sierra, RDA Toolkit, MARCEdit)

Familiarity with scripting and querying languages such as SQL and Python

Experience managing and versioning documentation, particularly in GitHub

Experience with project management tools including Trello, AirTable, and JIRA

Strong interpersonal and communication skills: ability to listen actively, speak, and write clearly

Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:

4-6 full-time direct reports

Conducting project management and staff trainings

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:

Fully onsite

Office

Travel for site visits and to other Research Library Centers

Physical Duties:

Packing, re-housing, movement, and shelving of archival collections

Ability to lift 40 pounds

Pre-Placement Physical Required?

No

Union/Non Union

Non-Union

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

35 hours scheduled Monday- Friday between 9:00am - 6:00pm; fully onsite

Schedule subject to change

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).

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org.

https://nypl.pinpointhq.com/postings/5afac253-ea9b-47a4-9ec7-8994b28756ac