Specialist II - Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division, Schomburg Center

Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for

Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the

collection, preservation, and interpretation of materials focused on African American, African,

and African Diaspora experiences. The Center features diverse programming and a collection of over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history and culture. A research library of The New York Public Library and seeded by the collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the Schomburg Center provides free access to materials documenting Black life locally, nationally, and internationally.

The Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division (MIRS, pronounced “meers”) collects and

preserves audio and moving image (AMI) materials related to the experiences of people of

African descent. The division has amassed approximately 400 collections, nearly 5,000 square

feet, in a variety of formats, which captures the gestures and sounds of major historical, artistic,

and cultural figures and moments. While the strength is the Black American holdings, there

is considerable Caribbean and African representation in the collection.

MIRS seeks a detail oriented and organized Specialist II who will be responsible for assisting with the Division’s reference and collection support. The specialist interfaces with the public and the research community while offering support to other divisions at the Schomburg Center. In addition to the public facing services, the specialist will provide collection maintenance support to the division and assist its Curator with exhibitions at the Schomburg Center, New York Public Library, and other venues.