The New York Public Library
Aaron and Clara Greenhut Rabinowitz Director of Preservation Services
3111 Thomson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101-3006
Hybrid · Full-time · $175k–$185k (as posted)
First seen by offpeak October 6, 2026
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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.
The Collections and Research Services division, which includes Preservation, Special Collections Processing, Digital Collections Operations, Collection Development, and Access & Research Services, operates as a highly integrated, cross-functional management team. This group also partners with staff at the research centers to manage the ongoing development and processing of our exceptional research collections, advance unified discovery and expanded access with our partners in Digital, both in-person and online, and ensure stewardship of the collections at every stage of the collections lifecycle.
NYPL seeks a proven, strategic, and highly collaborative leader to oversee the operations and services of the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation department, which includes the Barbara Goldsmith Conservation Lab, one of the leading conservation labs in the country, and Collection Management, including Registrar services. The Preservation Services Director is responsible for unifying and aligning staff around the Library’s preservation program and policies, best practices, and strategic preservation initiatives, building a culture of collaboration with staff at the research centers, Exhibitions, BookOps, Facilities, Capital Planning, and with ReCAP and its partner institutions to ensure that the research collections are accessible and stored and cared for properly for current and future generations.
Some expectations for this role are that within:
1 month, this person will:
- Meet their team, understand the department structure and the Library’s strategic initiatives, staff goals, the scope of grants and projects underway, and key dependencies and partnerships with other departments
- Meet key partners in the Research Centers, Exhibitions, BookOps, Facilities, Security, and Capital Planning
- Understand the scope of the Digital Collections Operations team, which oversees all reformatting operations and the implementation of the digital preservation strategy
- Launch work on key strategic initiatives, beginning with development of an updated preservation policy for both internal and external audiences through a collaborative process with NYPL stakeholders
- Gain a better understanding of gaps in resources, workflows, and systems to support the Library’s strategic initiatives, prioritizing the partnership with the Director of Digital Collections Operations to develop a plan for new digitization-at-scale workflows
- Understand the extent and condition of the Library’s current storage spaces
- Develop a long-term roadmap for the preservation and care of the research collections
- Align the Preservation department’s organization structure and capacity to support the Library’s strategic initiatives
- Build and maintain strong partnerships within Collections and Research Services and with stakeholders across the Library as well as external partners
- Shapes and effectively communicates preservation policies, standards and best practices for all collection formats
- Launches and leads, as part of the Library’s 5-year Strategic Plan, the initiative to develop a preservation policy for both internal and external audiences engaging stakeholders from the research centers and across the Library
- Develops a 10-year collections storage master plan that identifies spaces that need to be decommissioned, requirements for storage room improvements, standards to guide capital projects, and forecasts for future physical and digital storage needs
- Oversees collections emergency preparedness and disaster recovery planning ensuring staff training, compliance, and alignment with Library-wide policies and practices
- In partnership with the Director for Special Collections Services and other stakeholders, contributes to an updated and dynamic Total Cost of Stewardship model
- Supports the Exhibitions and Outgoing Loan programs by optimizing workflows and ensuring the safe, legal, and organized processing and movement of collections
- Develops improved workflows for collections control and movement of special collections between research locations, balancing risks with access and workflow efficiencies
- Lead the development and implementation of collections control and condition review processes to support the Library’s ambitious digitization strategy
- Contributes to the development and implementation of the Library’s digital preservation strategy
- Manages budgets and grants, coordinates the Library’s fine art insurance, and contributes to fundraising initiatives
- Develops and supports staff to achieve excellence, fostering inclusion and professional growth, including training opportunities for early-career practitioners
- Effectively manages organizational change, strengthening a collaborative team environment by aligning people and processes to deliver the best possible services
- Represents NYPL at various local, national and consortial conferences and committees related to preservation
- Performs other related duties as required
Required Education, Experience & Skills
Required Education & Certifications- ALA-accredited MLS and substantial research library experience or Master’s degree and relevant, substantial experience
- 10+ years of experience in an academic or research library setting, with increasingly responsible managerial responsibilities in preservation
- 7+ years of successful people management experience
- Successfully demonstrated experience in the preservation of research library materials in all formats, including experience with conservation practices, assessing storage environments, disaster recovery procedures, and the preservation of digital materials and special collections
- Demonstrated success in strategic planning, policy and procedures development, resource management, and problem-solving within collaborative team-oriented environments
- Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and setting clear performance goals
- Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
- Knowledge of current issues and evolving trends in preservation practices and technical standards
- Proven leadership in project management, negotiation, and influencing stakeholders to achieve organizational goals and objectives
- Demonstrated ability to align cross-functional stakeholders and foster a culture of productive teamwork
- Demonstrated experience in analyzing workflows and systems and implementing organizational change to improve operational efficiency
- Currently manages two direct reports, overseeing approximately 27 staff, which may increase due to grant projects
More...
Core ValuesAll 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
- Office. The director is based at the Library Services Center in Long Island City Queens, and travels regularly between the research centers.
- Hybrid schedule: 3 days required in the office, 2 days remote
- N/A
No
Union/Non Union
Non-Union
FLSA Status
Exempt
Schedule M-F, 9-5, 35 hours
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).