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Visitor Services Associate

The Rosenbach, a dynamic Center City museum and rare books library, is seeking a Visitor Services Associate or “VSA.” This is a part-time position that reports to the Rosenbach’s Manager of Advancement. The VSA welcomes visitors to the museum, processes admissions and shop sales, registers visitors for programs and events, and supports the Development Department.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualified candidates must be organized, outgoing and energetic with excellent customer service, communication and computer skills. One year of customer service experience is essential. Experience with QuickBooks is ideal, but other PC-based point-of-service systems acceptable. Experience working or a desire to work in a museum setting is desired. Retail experience and an interest/background in art and literature is a plus.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Communicate the various experiences available to museum visitors including tours, programs and memberships
  • Process admissions and sales
  • Track reservations and registrations in Raiser’s Edge for programs, reading groups, and events
  • Prepare museum for visitation at beginning of day and close at end of day
  • Maintain organization and appearance of lobby area, including concierge desk, coat room, restroom area and brochure rack
  • Schedule volunteer guides’ tours and breaks
  • Answer phone and route calls to proper staff
  • Generate reports of daily admissions
  • Reconcile and “close out” registers daily
  • Other tasks as assigned by supervisor, including staffing special events and professional errands

This is a part-time position, working between 6 and 14 hours per week. Typically the hours are Tuesday 11:30-5:30 and Sunday 11:30-6:30. Working weekend hours is required for this position.

To Apply: Please e-mail cover letter and resume with “Visitor Services” in the subject to: [email protected]


Museum Curator

 

The Rosenbach is a private not for profit organization whose mission is to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and creativity by engaging broad audiences in exhibitions, programs, and research based on its remarkable and expanding collections. The Rosenbach was founded in 1954 by Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach (1876-1952) and his brother, Philip (1863-1953). Renowned dealers in books, manuscripts, and fine art, the brothers played a central role in the development of private libraries that later became our nation’s most important public collections of rare books, such as the Folger and Huntington Libraries. The brothers’ own personal collection, now the core of the Rosenbach, features treasures the brothers were unable to part with, including the only surviving copy of Benjamin Franklin’s first Poor Richard Almanac and the manuscript of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Our collection is continuously growing, including the addition of the papers of poet Marianne Moore, and Bram Stoker’s notes for Dracula.

The Rosenbach brothers’ 1865 townhouse at 2010 Delancey Place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features an official marker placed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in recognition of the enduring legacy of the Rosenbach brothers. Since 2003, the newly renovated adjacent townhouse offers spaces for public programs, exhibitions, and full access to both buildings.

In December 2013, the Rosenbach became affiliated with the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, bringing together two of the world’s preeminent collections of rare books, manuscripts, Americana and art.

Duties

With colleagues, provide general care, management, and interpretation of the collections at the Rosenbach and, occasionally, at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Specific areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to development and execution of exhibitions and other collections-based projects; working with the Director of Collections in matters of collection development; conducting research on the permanent collection and potential acquisitions; assisting relevant staff with collections-related grant proposals and other fundraising; collaborating with registrar to maintain and develop objects catalog and day-to-day oversight of period room installations. Communicate about installations and collections as required with staff and guides. Assist the public by answering collections-based inquiries. Be involved in the activities of relevant regional and national professional organizations. Contribute to the collections department’s web presence on the Rosenbach website and blog. Work with special collections colleagues at the Free Library of Philadelphia on exhibitions and other projects.

Perform all duties according to best practices for museums and libraries, with reference to the Rosenbach’s policies and procedures, and with the goal of fulfilling the Rosenbach’s mission.

Outline of Responsibilities

Exhibitions
  • Oversee the development, scheduling, and installation of changing-exhibition components of the Rosenbach’s period house and library.
  • Work with other Collections staff to select topics and schedule temporary exhibitions.
  • Develop and execute temporary exhibitions at Rosenbach and Free Library based on original research, including label copy, layout etc.; oversees designers, installers, printers, and other consulting professionals, oversees exhibition budgets, and assists with fundraising.
  • Work with other Collections staff in preparation, installation, and deinstallation of exhibitions and displays in galleries and period rooms.
  • Assist Education department as needed with programs and publications related to exhibitions; present public tours, programs, and guide education as required.
Collections Information, Management. and Development
  • Work with Registrar to add to and refine object cataloging (using PastPerfect Museum software).
  • Perform research on under-researched areas of the collection to improve catalog records and object files.
  • Update room-book entries using PastPerfect Museum database reports as needed.
  • Write and circulate updates on newly installed objects and rooms to staff and guides through established channels.
  • Answer collections-based inquiries as assigned.
  • Assist Director of Collections with cultivation, research, and processing of potential gifts to the collection.
  • Assist Director of Collections with research required to support potential purchases for the collection.
  • Provide support for Rosenbach Library staff in special projects related to care and storage of library collections.
  • Assist Collections and other staff in movement of objects within the museum
  • Assist as needed with processing and packing loans.
  • Act as courier of objects outside the museum as assigned.
  • With Registrar and Facilities Manager, maintain temperature/humidity data on collections spaces, using HOBO datalogger system
  • Work with Rosenbach Facilities staff to schedule and document routine care and maintenance of storage areas and period house.
  • Work with Director of Collections and Collections staff to develop and implement budgets for collections activities; assist Development staff with collections-related grants and fundraising.
  • With oversight of Marketing staff, contribute to the presence of the collections on the Rosenbach’s web site and contribute to the Rosenbach’s blog and other social media.
Miscellaneous
  • Assist Director of Collections and Rosenbach Librarian with general Collections projects and routine departmental work.
  • Attend professional conferences and training opportunities to enhance knowledge of best practices in both museology and specific subject areas within the collection.
  • Assist other departments with collections-oriented tasks and information.
  • With other staff, attend and staff institutional functions as required.
  • Other duties as assigned by the Director of Collections or the Director.

Skills and Experience

  • At least an MA in an academic area pertaining to an area of the Rosenbach’s collections (e.g., English Literature, American History, Art History, European History, etc.: see our Collections Overview for a detailed list of collections areas) or Museum Studies
  • At least 3 years of curatorial work in a museum environment with exhibition experience
  • Rank will be determined by educational background and level of experience
  • A good relationship with audiences, both in person and through the written word
  • Detail-oriented, creative, disciplined, visionary, with a good sense of humor
  • Our collection spans from antiquity to Modernism. We seek a self-starter, who is also a team player; an intellectual generalist and quick learner, who can work across time periods and media, but who also has a depth of expertise in at least one of the areas in our collections. Be willing and able to work with consulting curators and artists who aid us in interpreting our collections. Reading knowledge in a foreign language is helpful.

This full-time position has a Full Benefit Package: Health, dental, life, and disability insurances; flex benefits and retirement plan; generous leave time allowance.

To Apply: Please e-mail cover letter and resume with “Museum Curator” in the subject to: [email protected]

For more information contact:

Christine Kowalski
Manager of Human Resources
Email: [email protected] (Attachments in Microsoft Word, please)
The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Minorities are encouraged to apply.
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