Special Collections Reading Room Assistant

The-Morgan-Library-; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Morgan Library & Museum in New York invites applications for a full-time Reading Room Assistant. The role facilitates researcher access to the Morgan’s special and reference collections, while ensuring the safety and security of the holdings.

The successful candidate will retrieve, reshelve, and organize materials for readers and staff, provide handling guidelines for rare items, perform reference desk duties, and handle data entry, reporting to the Head of Reader Services and collaborating

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; humanities background preferred with focus on rare books and manuscripts.
• ALA-accredited Master’s degree in library/archival/information studies or equivalent is a plus.
• 2–3 years experience in a special collections reading room or related setting.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills with diverse users.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite; familiarity with ILMS systems.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate researcher access to the Morgan’s special and reference collections.
• Retrieve, reshelve, and organize materials for readers and staff.
• Provide handling instructions for rare materials and ensure proper handling.
• Perform reference desk duties and data entry as needed.
• Report to the Head of Reader Services and collaborate with colleagues across the Morgan.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Physical stamina

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in library/archival/information studies

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Voyager/FOLIO ILMS

Job description

The Morgan Library & Museum in New York invites applications for a full-time Reading Room Assistant. The role facilitates researcher access to the Morgan’s special and reference collections, while ensuring the safety and security of the holdings.

The successful candidate will retrieve, reshelve, and organize materials for readers and staff, provide handling guidelines for rare items, perform reference desk duties, and handle data entry, reporting to the Head of Reader Services and collaborating