About Me

From as early as I can remember, I've always loved a project. Whether I was hunkered down in my closet, shining a flashlight on flipbook animations, or making code keys with my friends so we could encrypt our secret notes; I've always been up to something. I began my career in writing and producing roles on documentary and commercial films and for museum exhibitions. Once I earned my graduate degree in Library and Information Studies, my path turned toward oral history projects, metadata management, and community archiving initiatives. Over the past fifteen years, I have learned to recruit and lead teams to accomplish extraordinary work in these areas. Trust and respect are at the center of my relationships with colleagues and form the foundation of everything that we have built together.

Today, I serve as the City University of New York’s University Archivist, leading a special 3-year project to explore and unify the university’s network of archives across its 26 campuses. Our project is raising the visibility of CUNY’s far-reaching role in New York City history. 

Previous to my role at CUNY, I worked for the Queens Public Library in New York City where I served as the founding Director of the Queens Memory Project, a community-led archiving program and the Coordinator of the library's Metadata Services division, responsible for archival digitization and the creation and management of metadata for the library's physical and digital collections. I hold an Interdisciplinary Humanities bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a master's degree from Queens College in Library and Information Studies with a concentration in Archives and Cultural Heritage. 

I currently serve on the Oral History Association Archives Caucus' Metadata Working Group and as an advisory board member for New York State Historical Records, Urban Archive, and The Municipal Art Society of New York’s Enduring Culture Initiative. My cultural heritage consulting clients include Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY), The Frick Collection, The Wildlife Conservation Fund, the Skowhegan History House, UCL Qatar, The Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, the Internet Archive, and the Leo Baeck Institute.

Connect with me on LinkedIn for updates on my work or reach out to say: hello@nataliemilbrodt.nyc