The Dorothy B Porter Fellowship

Details
Organization: The Free Black Women’s Library
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Position Type: Fellowship/Part-Time
Reports to: Creative Director & Operations Manager
Fellowship Dates: 1/2027 - 12/27
Compensation: 23K

The Dorothy B Porter Fellowship at The Free Black Women’s Library is a one year fellowship that offers hands-on training, mentorship, and professional development within the fields of library management, community engagement, public programming and cultural curation.
We pay tribute to Black librarian icon and muse Dorothy B Porter by providing a unique paid position that sits at the intersection of library sciences, care culture and Black Feminist Ethics. 

Roles & Responsibilities
The Dorothy B Porter Fellow will 

• Manage the day to day operations, specialty programs and mutual aid initiatives of The Free Black Women’s Library
• Conduct and gather research on books written by Black women & Black non-binary authors from all over the world
• Organize, maintain and digitize The Free Black Women’s Library book collection and archives. 
• Participate in creating public programs and establishing partnerships and collaborations with local organizations, collectives and businesses on behalf of The Free Black Women’s Library
• Assist in the exploration and development of The Free Black Women’s Library as a creative space for collective study, radical artmaking, mutual aid, Black Feminist praxis, nontraditional education, and social connections.
• Manage digital communications and expand The Free Black Women’s Library’s potential and reach through social media content creation and visual branding. 
• Work closely with the Operations Manager and a small team of dedicated volunteers and interns.
  
  The Dotty Fellow is also welcome to create a library project based in their special interest, area of research or field of study. 

This is a deeply interactive multidisciplinary role for a Black Feminist scholar, librarian or cultural worker who has a background or active interest in Library Sciences, Black Women’s Studies, Social Art, Community Engagement, Cultural Anthropology or any other related field.
The Dotty will help shape the library as a community resource and book space for research, critical conversation, artmaking, and collective learning.
Applicants must be a well organized, detail oriented self starter who is comfortable interacting with the wide variety of patrons that the library serves in person and online.
A desire to engage with the library’s core mission and purpose is essential, please familiarize yourself with our work before applying.

We are looking for a curious, thoughtful, and highly communicative emerging scholar,  librarian, artist or cultural worker looking to be a key figure in our growth and possibility.

It is advised that applicants be local to New York City, and authorized to work within the United States, and able to commit to working all library open hours. (Wednesdays, Thursdays Saturdays, Sundays, a total of approximately 21 hours per week) for the duration of the fellowship. (46 weeks total)

Experience with libraries, reading groups, public programming, social media management, newsletters, event production, literary arts, community organizing, or cultural communications is helpful. As well as experience with cataloging, metadata, special collections, archives, or having a curatorial practice. 

The ideal candidate will have
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, most especially the ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible way.
- Strong research and critical thinking skills.
- An ability to identify and aggregate books, reviews, commentary, and other resources of relevance to the library and its community.
- A proficiency in composing emails, book blurbs & captions (without the use of AI).
- Ability to move independently and with a small team.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
- Comfort working in a flexible, hands-on environment where responsibilities may shift according to program and community needs.
- A love of books, collectivism, radical imagining and Black Feminist world building.

Please send the following materials in PDF format to thedottyfellow@gmail.com by 11.01.26.

• A resume or CV
• A 1-page cover letter that includes: a statement describing your interest in this fellowship, libraries, cultural work, community or third spaces, the experience you bring to the position, your personal goals and understanding of The Free Black Women’s Library’s mission & purpose.
• Additional application materials welcome (but not required) writing samples, creative portfolios, zines, book lists, social art projects or anything that feels relevant to the position/placement. 
• Names and contact information for three professional references 

Applications will be reviewed by The Free Black Women’s Library Advisory Board and finalists will be invited to meet for a round of interviews in November.
The Dotty Fellow will be notified in December and begin in January 2027.
Due to the massive amount of interest in this position we will not be able to respond to every inquiry or submission.
Thank you for your interest!!