Archivist/Librarian

About Adler Planetarium

Adler Planetarium brings people closer to the cosmos and to one another. For nearly a century, it has built connections through public engagement, school and neighborhood partnerships, research collaboration, citizen science, and outreach.

Each year, the museum welcomes more than half a million visitors and reaches many more through youth STEAM initiatives, skywatching programs, online citizen science, and community-focused events. Its work helps people of all ages and abilities build confidence to explore, think critically, and solve problems creatively.

Role Overview

Adler Planetarium is hiring an Archivist/Librarian for its Chicago Museum Campus. This full-time union role sits with the Adler Planetarium Workers United, AFSCME Council 31, and is responsible for the museum’s library, institutional archives, and related archival collections. The position also drives the use, development, and promotion of these materials across public programming, special events, social media, and digital initiatives.

Key Duties

• Set up, maintain, and improve library procedures and operating guidelines.
• Administer the library holdings database.
• Handle purchasing and accessioning of new materials.
• Carry out copy cataloging and original cataloging for rare and contemporary books.
• Prepare finding aids and related reference tools through research and writing.
• Oversee conservation projects carried out by external conservators and coordinate the work of interns and volunteers supporting library and archive collections.
• Use archival collections to deepen knowledge of Adler’s institutional history.
• Partner with the IT team on digital access management and records retention policies for institutional archives.
• Accession, process, and manage both physical and digital archival holdings.
• Organize audiovisual archives and build pathways for public and internal access.
• Work with the Curator & Director of Collections to support research on the history of astronomy and assist internal and visiting researchers.
• Schedule, track, and manage research appointments for archival and rare book materials.
• Review and oversee copyright and image reproduction requests.
• Lead and contribute to outreach efforts using library and archival materials, including social media, evening programs, and museum floor activities.
• Help create and implement exhibits on the museum floor and online, including the Adler’s Google Arts & Culture presence.
• Coordinate the creation and distribution of publications.
• Apply for grant support when needed.

Schedule and Work Setup

The standard schedule is 35 hours per week, generally from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The role includes flextime and a telecommuting arrangement of 2 days per week remote and 3 days per week on-site at the museum.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $52,000 to $60,000 per year.

• 35-hour workweek
• Up to 15 vacation days per year at the start of employment
• 3 sick days available on the hire date, with the ability to accrue up to 6.5 days per year
• 7 Adler-paid holidays
• 4 personal holidays, prorated for new hires starting after January 1
• Flexible work arrangements
• Paid family bereavement leave and jury duty leave
• Paid parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Healthcare, dependent care, and commuter flexible spending accounts
• Adler-paid short-term disability insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Employer match is fully vested immediately
• Eligibility to enroll in the retirement plan starting on the hire date
• Employee assistance program with support for emotional, legal, and financial concerns
• Face-to-face, phone, and web-based support services
• Free subscription to the Calm Premium app
• Employee loan program
• Discounted onsite parking
• Free entry to Chicago-area museums and cultural institutions

What the Role Needs

The Archivist/Librarian reports to the Curator & Director of Collections and works with collections staff and other departments to build and carry out a comprehensive institutional archival retention strategy. The role also supports care of the rare books collection, strengthens the Adler’s collections, and contributes to cross-department projects.

The ideal candidate communicates clearly, solves problems creatively, collaborates well in a small team, and is comfortable working across the organization. Public speaking and direct engagement with staff and visitors are important parts of the job.

Required Qualifications

• MLS or MLIS from an ALA-accredited library school with concentration in rare books, archives, or special collections.
• At least 2 years of experience as a librarian and/or archivist in a rare book library, archive, or special collections setting.
• Working knowledge of MARC, the Library of Congress Classification System, and OCLC.
• Experience cataloging rare books, library materials, and archival materials using digital databases.
• Experience digitizing archival collections and creating finding aids and reference guides.
• Familiarity with museum, library, and archival content standards, controlled vocabularies, and data structure standards, including formats such as AACR2 or DACS.
• Experience planning and delivering large-scale digitization and digital access projects, including scanning and metadata creation.

Preferred Qualifications

• MLS or MLIS with additional coursework in history, art history, museum studies, history of science, or a related subject.
• 5 years of experience in archives, rare book libraries, or special collections, along with expertise in the history of science or astronomy.
• Experience doing historical research with library holdings.
• Experience using controlled vocabularies such as LOC Authorities and structure standards such as EAD and MARC.
• Experience with Axiell collections databases.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Adler Planetarium is committed to equal employment opportunity and considers all qualified applicants without regard to protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.

Applicants who need a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process may contact the Human Resources Department at recruiting@adlerplanetarium.org with the request details and contact information. Requests are reviewed individually.

Employment Details

This is a full-time union position based onsite in Chicago, IL with a hybrid schedule that includes two remote days each week.