Curator or Associate Curator of Maps & Geography

Applications should be submitted by Monday, March 30, 2026 by 12:00 pm ET via the following form: https://tally.so/r/NpAL90 Applications that are received through idealist and not via the online form will not be considered.

The Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library seeks to hire a Curator or Associate Curator of Maps & Geography. This position will play a leading role in advancing the Center’s broad public agenda around the study of maps, space and place, and historical geography, and will hold key responsibilities for the stewardship, growth, and interpretation of the Center’s collections.

Position Overview

This position builds on the Center’s long-standing strengths in geographic collections and discovery, while marking a strategic shift toward multi-disciplinary public research through the emerging Center for the Study of Maps & Geography: a hub for research, convening, fellowships, and collaborative inquiry that situates maps and geographic thinking at the center of humanities and social science scholarship embedded within a public institution.

The Curator/Associate Curator will sit on the Leventhal Center’s leadership team, and will work to develop resources and programs oriented towards researchers, scholars, specialists, policymakers, and partners to advance the Center’s key mission of fostering critical public-facing dialogue on geography, history, social studies, and civic inquiry topics. The position reports to the President & Curator-at-Large.

The Curator/Associate Curator will take a lead role in collections development, research, and interpretation, with a broad remit encompassing historical geography across periods, regions, and thematic approaches. The role emphasizes original research, collaboration with scholars and community members, and the creative activation of collections through publications, exhibitions, programs, and partnerships.

While the position does not require advanced technical specialization in GIS or software development, the ideal candidate will have a strong working familiarity with digital humanities methods and projects as they relate to geography and geohumanities methodologies—such as digitization, georeferencing, spatial interpretation, metadata, and digital publication—and will collaborate closely with colleagues, partners, and contractors to oversee the Center’s extensive portfolio of digital tools.

Key Responsibilities

Center for the Study of Maps & Geography

• Play a formative role in shaping the vision, scope, and activities of the Center for the Study of Maps & Geography.
• Develop research initiatives, working groups, fellowships, symposia, and partnerships that support sustained scholarly engagement with maps and geography.
• Collaborate with senior staff to articulate the Center’s research identity to academic, civic-sector, and public audiences.
• Plan and implement cross-cutting initiatives that connect the Center for the Study of Maps & Geography to the two other emerging constituent centers: the Center for Learning and the Center for Civic Discovery.

Collections & Research

• Lead and support the development of the Leventhal Center’s geographic collections and align the Center’s collection work with partners at the Boston Public Library.
• Conduct and publish original scholarly and interpretive research grounded in the Center’s collections, with an emphasis on accessible, dynamic work that reaches a broad audience and reinterprets maps and geography beyond a narrow focus on library collections.
• Identify, cultivate, and manage research projects that position maps as central evidence for historical, social, and spatial inquiry.
• Support and develop fellowship programs and research support for specialists.
• Oversee acquisitions and collections development, in collaboration with the Curator-at-Large and curatorial staff at the Boston Public Library.

Digital Humanities

• Lead digital humanities projects that involve cartographic collections, including digital exhibitions, research portals, civic geospatial data infrastructure, and geographically-integrated digital publications.
• Scope and manage the necessary technical resources for maintaining and augmenting the Center’s existing portfolio of digital tools.
• Conceptualize, steward, and build resources for new digital geohumanities initiatives, including partnerships with allied institutions in the Boston region and internationally.

Education & Partnerships

• Working with the Center’s Education staff, develop a portfolio of resource and programs oriented towards university educators and students.
• Build relationships with scholars, cultural organizations, and community partners engaged in geographic and spatial work.

Administration & Leadership

• Supervise staff in the future Center for the Study of Maps & Geography.
• Develop resource opportunities to expand and build on the Center’s existing work.
• Serve as a key member of the Leventhal Center’s senior leadership team.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Advanced degree (PhD or equivalent) in geography, history, urban studies, American studies, environmental humanities, or a related field strongly preferred.
  • In exceptional circumstances, equivalent professional experience and a record of scholarly or curatorial achievement may substitute for an advanced degree.
• Demonstrated record of research, writing, or curatorial practice engaging maps or geographic materials as primary sources.
• Demonstrated ability to scope and execute on all phases of digital humanities projects, from conceptualization to distribution and engagement.
• Familiarity working with library, archive, or museum collections.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and with audiences ranging from scholars to the general public.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and demonstrated capability in editorial oversight of others’ written work.

Compensation & Position Details

This is a full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible position. The selected candidate will be expected to work in-person at the Central Library in Copley Square. At least one day of remote work on a standard schedule is guaranteed for all full-time permanent Leventhal Center staff, and additional remote flexibility may become possible as feasible, with supervisory approval.

The per annum wage for this position will range from $75,000–$105,000, depending on rank and experience. The position is eligible for a full suite of health benefits, including medical and dental coverage, commuter benefits, employer contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan, and paid time off.

There is no City of Boston residency requirement for this position. Leventhal Map & Education Center employees report to the independent Leventhal Map & Education Center and are not covered directly by human resource policies pertaining to the Boston Public Library or City of Boston municipal employees.

This position is subject to a CORI background check.

Desired Start Date

A candidate who can begin work by September 18, 2026 is desired.

About the Leventhal Center

The Leventhal Map & Education Center is an independent, self-governing nonprofit organization in a long-term strategic relationship with the Boston Public Library. The Center stewards a quarter million geographic objects in the Library’s collections, and works to make them freely available to the public for research, interpretation, and engagement. Our collections range from fifteenth-century atlases to modern-day geospatial data sets. The Center creates original exhibitions hosted in its gallery space at the Central Library in Copley Square and promotes education on topics that explore the relationship between people and places.

As a mission-driven organization, the Center endorses the following values:

• Commit to integrity, excellence, respect in all our relationships, and professional library ethics (including the ALA’s Code of Ethics and the ACRL Code of Ethics for Special Collections Librarians)
• Listen to and include community voices, especially those who have been less represented
• Increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization and our work with others
• Work to advance a more just and equitable society
• Keep our spaces and community services open, welcoming, and “free to all”

The Center places great value on an organizational culture in which staff members have the flexibility and openness to work with a diverse group of audiences, constituencies, and colleagues. Our work is committed to public service and to innovation that fosters positive change in the world.

To apply

Applicants should submit the following materials:

• A cover letter of no more than two pages (PDF, DOCX, or MD format)
• A CV or résumé (PDF, DOCX, or MD format)
• An attachment or link to a public-facing scholarly project in which you have taken a leading role. This may be a sole-authored work or team-based work; if it is the work of a project team, you should describe your responsibility within the project team. While work conducted within a scholarly or research institution is welcome and encouraged, you should not share a project that was intended solely for an academic readership.
• A list of 3 professional references, including telephone numbers and email. We will not contact references before notifying candidates in the final round.

Applications should be submitted by Monday, March 30, 2026 by 12:00 pm ET via the following form: https://tally.so/r/NpAL90 Applications that are received through idealist and not via the online form will not be considered.

Additional material will be requested from semifinalist candidates.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. For full consideration, please submit application materials by Monday, March 30, 2025 by 12:00 pm ET.

For more information

Contact info@leventhalmap.org for more questions about this job vacancy, or visit leventhalmap.org for more information about the Leventhal Center.

The position is eligible for a full suite of health benefits, including medical and dental coverage, commuter benefits, employer contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan, and paid time off.