The Folger Shakespeare Library knows that an exceptional staff is the backbone of any great organization. We hire exceptionally qualified individuals who are committed to the mission, vision, and values of our organization. Our recruitment process strives to be interactive, accessible, and responsive. Once employed, the Folger provides a generous compensation, leave, and benefits package, as well as many opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Job Description:

Nadia Sophie Seiler Rare Materials Residency

This residency honors the memory of Nadia Seiler, via the Nadia Sophie Seiler Memorial Fund, by creating professional experiences that reflect her curiosity, ambition, and interests, and it sets early career librarians on a secure path to permanent employment and leadership opportunities in the library and archives fields.

The Folger Shakespeare Library, located in Washington, DC, and the Yale Center for British Art, located in New Haven, Connecticut, are seeking an early career librarian for a one-year residency from July 2026 through May 2027. The Seiler Resident will spend July 2026 through December 2026 at the Folger Shakespeare Library (Folger) and from January 2027 through May 2027 at the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA). This is a unique opportunity to have exposure to two cataloging-forward institutions, a variety of workflows and material types, and mentors from both institutions who can provide unparalleled support to an early career cataloger or archivist.

Folger Shakespeare Library

Overview:

The Residency at the Folger Shakespeare Library focuses on cataloging approximately 350 engravings from the 18th and early 19th century. Known as the Uncatalogued Garrickiana Collection, this group of prints was going to have been Nadia Seiler’s next major project in the art collection. Even though they were acquired by Henry and Emily Folger themselves, they remained uncatalogued because a typed handlist prepared by the dealer in the 1920s was deemed better than nothing.

The Resident will be supervised by Erin Blake, Collections Management Systems Administrator and Senior Cataloger, and will be an integral part of the Collection Description Team. The Resident will become proficient in creating item-level records according to the Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Graphics) standard in OCLC Connexion and the Folger catalog. Working with Deborah J. Leslie, Senior Cataloger, they will learn how to revise and construct authority records and contribute them to the LC/NACO Authority file through the Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO).

Schedule:

The schedule for this role is Monday-Friday 8:45am-4:45pm. This position will occasionally take part in library activities outside regular business hours. This position will be primarily on-site with openness to hybrid modality. The selected candidate will need to be within a commutable distance to the D.C. office (DC, MD, VA) by their start date.

Compensation:

• The Resident will receive a salary of $5,800/month.

• An allowance of $2,000 to use towards housing and/or relocation expenses.

• An allowance of $5,000 for professional development courses, professional membership fees, research trips, and attendance at conferences. Possibilities include a course at Rare Book School or Archives * Records 2026.

• Total compensation also includes an extensive benefits plan with healthcare outlined at https://www.folger.edu/employee-benefits.

Training:

• The Resident will receive various trainings depending on their background, including basic training in printing technique identification, descriptive cataloging of prints, assignment of access points (name, genre/form, and topical), the Connexion cataloging client, and the TIND ILS.

• Participation in the Folger’s Practical Paleography sessions, learning how to read secretary hand.

• Mentorship between the Resident and various Folger Collection staff members, especially as they enter the post-Residency job market.

Duties:

• Performs complex copy and original cataloging of single-sheet prints using OCLC Connexion and the Folger’s TIND-based local integrated system.

• Establishes and revises name headings in the LC/NACO authority file according to NACO policies and Folger procedures.

• Creates and maintains documentation of related procedures under the direction of the senior catalogers.

• Participates in peer review of cataloging.

• Performs database maintenance as directed.

• Participates in training and career development activities both within and outside the Collection Description Team.

• Supports other projects or administrative duties as assigned, including occasional desk shifts in the Reading Room

• Present their project to on-site and virtual Residency stakeholders in December, in a “lunch and learn”-style 20-minute presentation.

Yale Center for British Art

Overview:

At the Yale Center for British Art, the Resident will have the principal processing role in a significant project and take the lead on a secondary project. The primary project at the YCBA will focus on the item level organization and description of the Michael Roemer letters. The Roemer letters will be described and cataloged in ArchivesSpace. The Resident’s archival description and cataloging will apply appropriate standards, including Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) and Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials Manuscripts (DCRM: MSS), in conjunction with subject and genre/form analysis and Library of Congress Classification (LCC).

The secondary project will come from the small collections of manuscript material that concern aspects of British art, society, and culture, primarily from the 19th and 20th century. These collections are wide-ranging and include artists’ letters and papers from all periods, ephemera, and archival collections. The Resident will be able to select a collection based on their interests.

The Resident will be fully integrated into the Archives Department and will be supervised by the Chief Archivist and receive instruction and mentorship on all archival description and cataloging activities. The Resident will also work closely with the Archivist and Archives Assistant and have ample opportunities to consult with various Center staff members.

Schedule:

The schedule for this role is Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm. This position will occasionally take part in library activities outside regular business hours. This position will be primarily on-site. The selected candidate will need to be within a commutable distance to the Center by their start date.

Compensation:

• The Resident will receive a salary of $5,000/month.

• A reimbursement allowance of $2,000 to use towards housing and/or relocation expenses.

• An allowance of $2,500 for professional development courses, professional membership fees, research trips, and attendance at conferences. Possibilities include attending the spring New England Archivists Annual Meeting and the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section annual conference.

• Total compensation includes comprehensive benefits, including healthcare, outlined at https://postdocs.yale.edu/postgrads/being-a-postgrad-at-yale/benefits

Training:

• Receives training and gains practical experience using archival and library applications such as ArchivesSpace.

• The Resident will be able to take advantage of the abundant variety of events and educational opportunities at the Center and throughout the Yale campus.

Duties:

• Applies descriptive standards (DCRM, DACS, or VRC), structural standards (MARC, MODS, METS or EAD, etc.), and controlled vocabularies (LCNAF or LCSH).

• Analyzes metadata problems, recommends policies, develops processes and best practices, and creates documentation.

• Engages with cataloging and technical services staff, other archivists, librarians, curators, and collection managers to meet their needs and the needs of YCBA users.

• Researches, plans, and executes special projects.

• Keeps abreast of national and international developments including new metadata standards, technologies, trends, and techniques.

• Present their project to on-site and virtual Residency stakeholders in May, in a “lunch and learn” style 20-minute presentation.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Recent master’s degree (2025 or 2026) from a program accredited by the American Library Association required.

• Coursework or experience in cataloging rare materials and archival descriptions strongly preferred.

• Experience interning or working within an archive or special collections environment preferred.

• Background in 18th, 19th, or 20th-century British art and culture (and an interest in Shakespeare!) an asset.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work with staff across the institutions.

• Ability to handle multiple tasks and priorities with accuracy, and to analyze and keep track of myriad details.

• Ability to follow and write detailed technical instructions.

• Experience bringing projects to a conclusion in a timely fashion.

• Ability to carefully handle fragile materials is necessary.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and with frequent interruptions.

• Proficient computer literacy skills required, and familiarity with library systems preferred.

Application Instructions

Please submit both a resume and cover letter to Erin Blake (eblake@folger.edu) by May 22nd at 4:45 PM ET.

In the cover letter, applicants should address why they are interested in working on the proposed projects and what skills and experiences make them a good fit for the Residency.

Interested individuals should submit their cover letter and resume. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. No phone calls please.

The Folger is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To learn more about our benefits, please click here.