Program Coordinator, Chicago Public Library Foundation

Full time, 37.5 hours per week January 2026-September 2027

Salary: $75,000

Location: Hybrid. Position will be based at Harold Washington Library Center and will work remote as needed. Program coordinator will be expected to travel to CPL branches throughout the city for programming.

Summary: 

The CPL Foundation is seeking to hire a second program coordinator, for a two-year term (2026-2027), who will work directly with CPL’s Civic, Cultural, and Literary Engagement team and the Archives & Special Collections Division.

General Description

In 2020, the Chicago Public Library (CPL) established the new Archives & Special Collections Division (ASC) to connect the work of the archival and exhibit units more fully to support more holistic work around processing, digitization, and activation. The Division includes the Vivian G. Harsh Collection at Woodson Regional Library, the Northside Neighborhood History Collection at Sulzer Regional Library, the Special Collections at Harold Washington Library Center, and a system-wide Exhibits Unit. The Division’s mission is to “collect, describe, catalog, preserve, and provide access to digital and physical collections and exhibitions in order to foster primary source literacy, community engagement, and support a more accurate reflection of Chicago history for generations to come.”

In 2023, CPL was awarded a four-year, $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to activate and preserve the rich African American archival resources housed across the Division. The Mellon grant will support the processing and digitization of archival collections, programming in CPL’s branches, research microgrants for public scholarship, and educational guides for middle and high school educators. The CPL Foundation is seeking to hire a second program coordinator, for a two-year term (2026-2027), who will work directly with CPL’s Civic, Cultural, and Literary Engagement team and the Archives & Special Collections Division. This role will assist in facilitating public programs across CPL’s 81 branches and develop methods for collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data for branch programming. The expectation is for the coordinator to attend program activations in order to effectively collect experiential data from CPL patrons and staff.

This role will provide some administrative support to the co-PI in their work with the curriculum advisory committee during year 3, assist in planning a curriculum convening for educators in year 4, and create survey instruments to collect data related to the curriculum convening. The curriculum convening will be for educators who wish to use CPL’s newly processed and digitized archival collections under the Illinois TEAACH Act.

Tasks and Duties
The core functions of the position will be to:

• Assist in facilitating branch programs across Chicago Public Library locations.
• Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data for branch programming and the curriculum convening—this includes designing and disseminating surveys, conducting user interviews, and recording observational experiences.
• Develop quarterly reports about branch programming.
• Provide administrative support to Co-PI in year 3 for the curriculum committee meetings, such as taking minutes and communicating with committee members on project deadlines.
• Assist with the planning and logistics of the curriculum convening in year 4.
• Collaborate with internal and external community partners regarding public programming and the curriculum convening.
• Build and nurture relationships with people, organizations, and institutions throughout Chicago to ensure that their members are well-informed about the Mellon project.
• Present at community events where a promotional or pop-up event related to the Mellon project.
• Develop flyers, signage, and other promotional materials to market public programs and curriculum convening.
• Meets regularly with the ASC Division Chief and Head of the Civic, Cultural, and Literary Engagement team on program activations.
• Responds to oral and written requests for information on the project as needed.

Minimum Requirements
This individual will believe in culturally relevant practices and have competency in the following skill sets:

• Bachelor's degree in education, African American Studies or relevant fields or a master's degree in African American studies, Library and Information Science or a relevant field.
• 2-4 years of experience supporting programs in cultural heritage and/or scholarly environments.
• 2-4 years of experience collecting and organizing quantitative and qualitative data.
• Experience working on projects or collections related to African American history, Chicago’s Black history, and/or related topics.
• Experience building and managing professional relationships.
• Experience planning and facilitating online webinars, workshops, and other convenings.
• Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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• Candidates who have previously worked in collecting and analyzing program data are highly preferred.

Application deadline: January 12, 2026