ABOUT OUR JOB

The Denver Public Library (DPL) is a growing urban library system that serves the City & County of Denver. DPL sees more than 4 million visitors every year across its 27 locations, serves Denver’s most vulnerable communities through outreach and mobile services, hosts thousands of programs a year and manages a collection of more than 1.4 million physical and digital materials. We believe a strong library is vital for a strong community. DPL is committed to serving the evolving needs of Denverites through inspired programming, diverse collections, culturally-representative spaces and equitable policies & procedures.

The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library is a full service branch of the Denver Public Library as well as part of the Special Collections and Archives department at DPL. The library opened in 2003 and serves the Five Points neighborhood. The second and third floor of the library house the Special Collections which include a research library with collections focusing on the history of African Americans in Denver and the American West as well as a museum on the third floor. The mission of BCL is to “collect and preserve the history and culture of African Americans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West.” 

What You’d Do:
The Special Collections Administrator will lead the Special Collections and Archives team at Blair-Caldwell Library. The Special Collections unit at BCL includes a research library, archival collections, Western Legacies Museum and the Charles R. Cousins Gallery. This includes management of librarians, staff and volunteers who support these responsibility areas.

Specifically, the Special Collections Administrator will provide vision and leadership for the Blair-Caldwell Special Collections operations, including: 

• Provide oversight of the collection development for printed materials and archival collections.
• Develop and maintain a robust exhibit program for the museum. 
• Work with donors and community members to enhance the library’s Special Collections and increase community engagement. 
• Serve as coordinator and/or administrator for projects, initiatives, and grants related to operational responsibilities. Where applicable, seeks out grant funding for special projects to support the library’s and the department’s mission to promote special collections to our community and to ensure collection discoverability.
• Create positive experiences for library customers by leading the team in professional library work including reference service, programming and outreach. This may include evening and weekend shifts.

Additionally, the Special Collections Administrator will work across the Special Collections and Archives department, including:

• Coordinating digital collection operations by working with the digital collections librarian and staff to ensure our digital collections program is active, robust, and sustainable.
• Actively participate in the library's ongoing efforts to pursue racial justice through programming, collection development, and metadata remediation and enhancement.

This position is a part of the Special Collections and Archives leadership team and works with three fellow Senior Special Collections Librarians and the Special Collections and Archives Manager to create a cohesive and unified department. Additionally, you will work closely with the staff of the Blair-Caldwell branch library including their Senior Librarian.

ABOUT OUR TEAM

The Special Collections and Archives (SCA) unit at Denver Public Library comprises two archival repositories: Western History and Genealogy at the Central Library, and the African American Research Library at Blair-Caldwell Library. Our team of over twenty-five librarians, archivists and paraprofessionals are committed to exceptional access, preservation and customer service for our world class collections.

If you have a passion for African American history, regional and local history and if you are knowledgeable and curious about how libraries build and care for historical collections, this senior level Special Collections position may be for you! 

Do you have a passion for libraries, archives and museums? Are you passionate about public service? Do you have a strong sense of inquiry and excitement to share the story of our region’s history? Are you a team player with a strong track record of collaboration and problem solving?

For the Special Collections Administrator role, we’re looking for someone who have a vision and can create a plan for successful execution and has some or all of the following skills and experiences:

• Specialized knowledge and experience with African American museums, libraries and/or archives including work with donors and community members.
• Experience as a supervisor including working with volunteers and/or interns.
• Excellent organizational skills and an ability to manage multiple projects at once with an attention to detail and strong stakeholder communication.
• Strong customer service skills
• Experience and knowledge using archival content management systems 
• Ability to use workplace technology effectively including email, calendar, internet, video conferencing, searching databases, creating spreadsheets 
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, innovation and flexibility, including proposing process improvements and adapting to new processes
• Ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, positive attitude, cultural sensitivity and a sense of humor in working with customers, coworkers and community members

We know your time is valuable. Applicants who meet the following minimum requirements will be considered:

• An advanced degree in Library Science, Public History, Museum Studies, Archives Studies or other relevant field of study.
• Five (5) years of post-graduate work experience in a library, archives and/or museum.
• Previous supervision experience (may be in another field).