Job Listing
 🔗RFP Archival Assessment – The Amsterdam News

  • Consultant
  • Part Time
  • New York, NY
  • Up to $40,000 USD / Year
  • Applications have closed
  • Job Summary: We are seeking an experienced archivist or archival team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of historical materials housed in the New York Amsterdam News Headquarters.
  • Job Qualifications:

    The consultant should have experience in:
    – African American cultural heritage
    – Large-scale archival surveys
    – Community-centered archival practice

    Ideal candidates will have:
    – Demonstrated experience in African American archival collections
    – Degree in archival studies, library science, or equivalent professional experience
    – Sensitivity to culturally responsive and community-based archival practices
    – Capacity to work onsite in Harlem over a 6-12-month period

    Applicants identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and/or those with lived experience or scholarly expertise in Black history are strongly encouraged to apply.

  • How to Apply:

    Proposals should include:
    1. Cover letter (max 2 pages)
    2. Description of qualifications and relevant experience
    3. Project methodology and proposed timeline
    4. Budget estimate
    5. CV/resume(s) of project personnel
    6. Two references from similar projects
    7. (Optional) Work samples or portfolio

    Submission Instructions
    Please submit all materials via email as a single PDF attachment by September 15, 2025 to:

    Emily R. Kahn
    Executive Director
    New York Preservation Archive Project
    📧 ekahn@nypap.org
    📞 212-988-8379

  • Physical Demands / Work Environment: Accessing the archives requires climbing multiple flights of stairs. There is no elevator. 
  • Contact Name: Emily Kahn
  • Application Email: ekahn@nypap.org
  • Application URL: https://www.nypap.org/request-for-proposals-archival-assessment-new-york-amsterdam-news-headquarters-harlem-ny/
  • Application Phone #: 212-988-8379
  • Application Address: 174 E 80th St, New York, NY 10075

Website The New York Preservation Archive Project

The New York Preservation Archive Project is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, celebrating, and educating the public about the history of historic preservation in New York City. Recognizing the instructive and inspirational importance of this history to the continued health, success and growth of preservation in our City, the Archive Project hopes to bring these stories to light through public programs, oral histories, and providing public access to information. The Archive Project is devoted to celebrating neglected narratives of New York historic preservation using the archives that hold these stories.

Overview
The New York Preservation Archive Project (NYPAP), on behalf of The Amsterdam News Educational Foundation with AYON Studio and Jerome Haferd Studio, is seeking proposals from qualified archival consultants or teams to conduct a comprehensive archival assessment of the holdings located within the historic New York Amsterdam News Headquarters at 2340 Frederick Douglass Blvd., New York, NY.

Project Background
The Amsterdam News Educational Foundation is currently in the planning phase of revitalizing its historic headquarters. This includes assessing and preserving the building’s structure and contents. The collection includes materials documenting Black culture in Harlem and beyond from the early-1900s to the present, including:

The site houses:
– Historic bound and unbound editions of The Amsterdam News
– Original photographs (published and unpublished)
– Research materials, documents, and archival files
– Period furniture and architectural drawings
– Photographic plates and artifacts stored across multiple floors

– Books, manuscripts, microfilm, and other ephemera

The collection reflects over a century of Black life, culture, and civil rights activism and demands urgent assessment to ensure long-term preservation and access.

Scope of Work
The selected archival consultant/team will:
– Survey all archival holdings across the four-story building
– Identify and categorize material types and formats
– Assess current storage conditions and recommend preservation strategies
– Determine conservation needs for key items
– Propose long-term and short-term storage, digitization, and access strategies

– Create a prioritization list for preserving items and, in keeping with the idea of reimagining The Amsterdam News’ historic Harlem headquarters, provide guidance on usage and/or deaccessioning of items where needed (e.g. file cabinets, chairs, desks, etc.)
– Collaborate with The Amsterdam News Educational Foundation,  NYPAP,  AYON Studio, and Jerome Haferd Studio  throughout the project

Deliverables
– A comprehensive written Archival Assessment Report outlining:
– Inventory summary and condition report
– Recommendations for conservation, housing, and digitization
– A roadmap for long-term access and institutional partnerships
– Project work plan and timeline
– Participation in at minimum monthly check-in meetings (virtual or in-person) lasting up to an hour

Budget:

Up to $40,000 for consultant fees (anticipated $40–$50/hour for up to 1,000 hours)