Summary
The Library of Congress shares its vast collections of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and priceless artifacts to cultivate curiosity and spark imagination. We engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. We seek highly talented professionals to join a vibrant and collaborative community. Your work here will have lasting impact on the Library and its users well into the future.
Duties
This position serves as a Librarian in the Acquisitions & Bibliographic Access Directorate (ABA), Discovery and Preservation Services (DPS), at the Library of Congress (LOC). As the Librarian, you will: Catalog a variety of materials in an automated cataloging environment where the bibliographic characteristics of the material are relatively easy to determine, and cataloging decisions are made within established standards. Search entries in automated and manual catalogs. Assign headings to catalog entries. Select and assign classification numbers. Establish personal and corporate names and uniform titles for inclusion in the name authority file. Establish and recommends subject headings for inclusion in the subject authority file and classification schedule. Create and revise bibliographic records, authority records, and classification schedules. Perform content designation of bibliographic and authority records. Perform research in the cataloger's reference collection, online databases, the world wide web, and the collections of the Library. Recommend resolutions to problems and inconsistencies in the cataloging process. Provide services and deal with materials that are non-technical in nature, of limited technical complexity, or easily acquired. Coordinate proper purchasing information, correct bibliographic identification, and correct coding in the information system. Contact dealers, subscription agents, vendors, overseas offices, government agencies, and/or exchange partners to coordinate the order process. Consult acquisitions reference material to determine whether recommended item is appropriate for purchase, copyright claim, exchange, gift, loan, or other type of acquisition. Examine recommendations for acquisition to identify processing and custodial requirements and to identify acquisition of out-of-scope materials. Maintain liaison with recommending officials and subject specialists to understand their needs. Consult acquisitions reference material to determine whether recommended item is appropriate for purchase. Review and approve invoices for payment for all formats of material. Determine availability of funds. Obtain, analyze, and organize information using standard reference tools and established techniques and practices. Analyze and organize standard subject data to determine its relationship to the existing collections, for preferred access points and the need for additional access points. Analyze material to determine subject content. Apply standard rules, guidelines, and reference tools and established techniques and practices. Participate in formulating plans for changes and improvements to cataloging-related issues. Use standard methods, techniques, concepts, and principles to perform assignments related to collection development support, with review by supervisor, senior staff and/or recommending officers. Assist in examination of incoming shipments to select items appropriate for the collections, in accordance with established guidelines. Assist in examination of recommendations for acquisition to identify processing and custodial requirements, and to ensure conformity with established guidelines. Participate in formulating plans for changes and improvements to collection development policies. Work to maintain personal contacts and cooperative work relationships in order to provide or exchange information. Consult with the supervisor and cataloging policy staff to recommend changes and additions in descriptive and subject cataloging rules. Offer suggestions and advice to the supervisor on operational and technical problems. Collaborate with the supervisor and other staff in planning and implementing team activities including workflow procedures, team priorities, cataloging projects of an experimental nature, goal setting and strategies for meeting team production goals. Assist others inside and outside the Library with language, subject and cataloging problems. Perform other duties as assigned. The position description number for this position is 457104. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area. The incumbent of this position will work a Flexitime work schedule. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.
How you will be evaluated
The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection. You may preview questions for this vacancy.