Curator of Maps

SUMMARY: The Newberry Library currently seeks a Curator of Maps to develop, interpret, promote, preserve, and manage the Newberry’s world-class collection of historic maps. Reporting to the Roger and Julie Baskes Vice President for Collections and Library Services, the Curator of Maps also will build audiences through teaching, technology, new services, digitization, and collaborations.

At the same time, the Newberry is seeking a new Director of the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography—for more information, please see the separate job posting through our employment website at https://www.newberry.org/employment. The Curator of Maps and Director of the Smith Center will collaborate closely. 

About the Newberry Map Collection

A world-renowned research library, the Newberry is home to over 600,000 maps and a center for cartographic scholarship that has been serving scholars and teachers for 50 years. The collection includes c. 500 original manuscript maps, including 30 portolan charts and atlases from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; the Cartes Marines Manuscript Map Collection of 120 maps of French possessions around the world (ca. 1675-1725); the Roger S. Baskes Collection of atlases, maps in books, geographies, and travel guides; extensive holdings in nineteenth and twentieth century general, national, state, and county atlases; the Franco Novacco Map Collection of over 700 maps printed in Italy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; maps of the Americas with particular strengths in local history, the West, Midwest and Chicago; railroad maps and automobile road maps, including the archives of Rand McNally, H. M. Gousha, and General Drafting Co.; manuscript and printed accounts by individual travelers; voyages of exploration and discovery; reports of official, scientific, and commercial expeditions; guidebooks; popular travel accounts; and travel ephemera.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Curatorial  

• Articulates and implements a vision that deploys the extraordinary range and depth of the Newberry’s map collection to foster current approaches to digital mapping and scholarship;
• Attains in-depth knowledge of the manuscript, print, and ephemeral cartographic collections including their history, strengths, and areas for future development;
• Acquires antiquarian and rare materials in accordance with relevant collection development policies and current collecting priorities, as well as comprehensive current cartographic scholarship;
• Collaborates with other Newberry curators on acquisitions and collection development policies, directions, and strategies; 
• Takes primary responsibility for collection management and gift workflow for maps, atlases, travel guides, and travel ephemera;
• Collaborates with processing staff to set priorities and appropriate standards of description;
• Builds and maintains relationships with the book and auction trade and curators at institutions with comparable collections, and;
• Works with Newberry Development staff on grant and gift proposals for acquiring, digitizing, and processing cartographic materials.

Instruction, Outreach, and Teaching 

• Collaborates with the Director of the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography on new and existing initiatives, including setting priorities for map digitization to support their use by scholars and teachers;
• Collaborates with Newberry colleagues in other divisions and departments, including Digital Initiatives and Services, Research and Academic Programs, and Communications;
• Provides in-depth reference and research support for library patrons using maps across the disciplines;
• Participates in the exhibition program by organizing or contributing to the organization of exhibitions, and;
• Identifies and cultivates existing and potential donors.

Scholarly, Professional, and Library  

• Participates in scholarly and professional organizations and represents the Newberry at relevant meetings and conferences;
• Participates in the scholarly life of the Newberry, including attending and contributing to discussion at Fellows’ seminars and weekly colloquia and writing collection evaluations for fellowship applications,and;
• Performs other tasks or activities as needed for the achievement of Newberry Library goals.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from an ALA-accredited institution or international equivalent and advanced degree in a relevant discipline, or a PhD in a relevant discipline with substantial curatorial experience in a research library;
• Three to five years of experience with a map collection in a research library;
• Management experience preferred, including project management, supervising personnel, and overseeing budgets;
• Excellent knowledge of map bibliography and production, cartographic history and scholarship;
• Experience with best practices and technologies for creating digital maps and facilitating digital scholarship and teaching based on historical maps;
• Reading knowledge of two languages (Dutch, French, German, Latin, or Spanish preferred);
• Experience with reference, instruction, outreach, exhibitions, and digital humanities;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively, and;
• Demonstrated ability to work with varieties of academic communities and public audiences

SCHEDULE: This is a full-time, exempt position, working 35 hours per week, with normal hours generally from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Incumbent may work evening and weekend hours, as needed.

BENEFITS: The Newberry offers a comprehensive benefits package including a variety of health, dental, and vision insurances; generous paid time off (vacation time, sick leave, personal days, and paid holidays); a 403(B) retirement plan with an employer match; employer-provided basic life and long-term disability insurance; and much more.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume in a single PDF document to jobs@newberry.org. Please include “FirstName LastName – Map Curator” in the email’s subject line. The PDF document should be titled in the format of lastname_firstname.pdf. Applications sent without a resume and cover letter will not be considered. Please, no phone calls.

Applications will be reviewed beginning February 18, 2022 on a rolling basis, and the review will continue until the position is filled.