Summary
The position is located in the Collections Management Division in the Discovery and Preservation Services. Incumbent is responsible for a variety of activities in support of collections inventory control and tracking, both behind-the-scenes activities, e.g. problem resolution, quality control, searching collections storage areas for items not readily found or for which a problem might be present, support of the inventory program; and direct public service, e.g. staffing a circulation station.
Clarification from the agency
Anyone may apply - By law, employment at most U.S. Government agencies, including the Library of Congress, is limited to U.S. citizens. However, non-citizens may be hired, provided that other legal requirements are met and the Library determines there are no qualified U.S. citizens available for the position.
Duties
This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT.
The first cutoff for receipt of applications under this announcement will be 11:59 p.m. EST on December 15, 2023.
Position description number 060957.
Salary range indicated reflects locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
This position will work a Flextime work schedule.
Bargaining Unit AFSCME Local 2477 position.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Incumbent must possess an in-depth knowledge of the collections, thorough familiarity with the databases employed by the Library (both manual and automated), thorough understanding of LC cataloging and classification practices, and excellent interpersonal skills, frequently serving as the first line of contact for account holders, including Members of Congress and their staff, Library staff, other libraries, special borrowers and others.
Conducts searches in order to identify and resolve problems with library materials generated by collections integrity programs, including the Collections Holding and Inventory Improvement Project, the transfer of collections from Capitol Hill to off-site storage locations, special projects and the review of incoming materials. Problem resolution may entail searching collections storage and processing areas for items that are not readily found primarily because of labeling, cataloging or other problems impacting retrieval. Identifies and searches for requested items that are vague or not readily found, using an extensive knowledge of bibliographic tools and procedures.
Serves as an expert in the full range of reference and bibliographic tools, both manual and online, e.g., the LC ILS and other automated files, the card shelflist, the Official Catalog, national bibliographies to identify vague or fragmentary entries. Identifies and notes errors in the LC ILS record which may require editing of the entry. Uses a sound knowledge of the flow of materials through the processing channels of LC, and traces materials which may be at any stage of the processing cycle. Reviews and verifies holdings information in the Shelflist and other available databases, both manual and online. Notifies appropriate personnel of mistakes found on Shelflist cards. Reviews items forwarded to the Section and/or on the shelves that are mislabeled, mis-cataloged, and/or in need of further investigation. Identifies and processes superseded volumes which have been revised, recompiled or replaced by later dated volumes or editions. Determines items in need of preservation treatment such as boxing, rebinding, and re-housing using established guidelines and procedures.
Incumbent conducts search requests that contain inaccurate or incomplete information. Searches and identifies bibliographic records in the online catalog for items in the Library's collection that are being prepared for circulation. Creates holdings and/or item records where none are already present.
Assigns custodial locations when creating new records for materials. Updates existing cataloging records to correct item-specific errors such as call number and location data. Links the barcode on the physical item to the bibliographic record to create an inventory record for that specific item. Searches and identifies patrons in the Library's circulation module in preparation for charging material or updating records. Through inventory control and circulation, checks out books to the public and Library staff according to the Library's regulations and security procedures, and creates inventory records as necessary.
Completes complex searches to identify the relationship of the piece in hand to the collection as a whole. Receives items referred by staff reviewing new, rebound and relabeled materials coming into the general collections in which a potential problem has been identified. Resolves problems by performing such activities as comparing the accuracy of the label and spine markings on the book in hand with information in the LC ILS Item and Holdings records. Where a discrepancy is found to exist, does the necessary searching/problem resolution to identify what the problem is and what the solution(s) may be. When assigned to material preparation for off-site storage, creates complete inventory records, resolves bibliographic problems, supplements or corrects existing cataloging, and provides quality assurance for junior staff and/or contract staff. Updates the item status in the LC ILS record to complete processing of incoming materials.
The position description number for this position is 060957.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
The incumbent of this position will work a fixed work schedule, Monday-Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm.
This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
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 drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.
Qualifications
Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.
Knowledge of library processes and procedures to identify, analyze and correct problems with library materials.**
Knowledge of library processes and procedures to perform circulation duties in a library setting.**
Ability to use integrated library systems, databases, and other computer software applications.**
Ability to provide effective customer service.
Ability to work in a team environment interacting collaboratively with others.
Ability to plan work and meet deadlines.
Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section X.D, at: https://loc.gov/static/portals/careers/documents/LCD-9-420.1%E2%80%93Merit-Selection-Plan_LC-Rules-and-Regulations.pdf. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).
Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position.
You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps.
Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress.
Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements.
Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement.
(1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement.
(2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date.
Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement.
If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
Next steps
Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.
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