Summary
This position is located in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Special Collections Directorate, Researcher and Collections Services.
The position description number for this position is 005423.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule.
This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
This job is open to
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
Provides personalized reference services to varied constituents, including Members of Congress and their staffs, utilizing his/her subject expertise, as well as broad knowledge of databases, information sources, and reference services both within and outside the Library. Determines and assists reference needs in person as well as through other means of communication, including providing information on the most likely sources pertinent to the inquiries of scholars; on the extent, nature, subject matter, content, research potentialities, and availability of material in the division; on the most efficient methods of searching for information; on related holdings in other libraries; and on any special conditions of use. Bears a share of responsibility for the security of the division's rare and special materials including the supervision and observation of readers, and supervising the use of materials under his/her custody outside the Reading Room. Determines whether rare books can be photographed without damage and recommends various options. In the fields of his/her expertise frequently serves as the place of last resort for scholars, librarians in other institutions, the Congress, and general library patrons, who have, often without success, sought information at other institutions and from a variety of published and unpublished sources. In connection with these services, the incumbent keeps abreast of research in progress and of published material and demonstrates intimate knowledge of the collections for which he/she is responsible.
Oversees the growth of the division's collections in his/her areas of specialization, developing guidelines for their continued growth. Examines incoming catalogs and special offers to make recommendations for additions to the collections. Prepares memoranda of recommendation, letters of solicitation, and other documents related to acquisitions. Develops new and ongoing professional relationships with prospective donors. Selects materials for the division's collections from incoming receipts by purchase, gift, exchange, transfer, etc., as well as making recommendations for classes of material inappropriate for retention. In his/her work with the general collection, identifies materials suitable for transfer to the division's custody. Works closely with the Conservation Office to develop plans for the care and treatment of the books in his/her subject area. Consults with conservators on preservation matters and makes recommendations about form of treatment, taking into account the resources available to the Division, the importance of individual items, and various available options. Ensures collection security and preservation of all Library collections.
Serves as a consultant to scholars using the Library's collections and to persons planning special observances in subject fields and on the collections in which he/she has specialized knowledge. In order to make the division's collections better known to scholars, to facilitate their development, and to encourage their use, prepares exhibits on the division's subject collections for which he/she has specialized knowledge, developing an organizing theme for an exhibit, selecting materials, preparing a description for items shown, and writing publicity releases in accordance with Library guidelines, and materials accompanying the exhibition in print form or on the web. Collaborates with other Library staff and outside partners in developing and providing access to library resources through the web and other means. Prepares talks for personal delivery before scholarly and general audiences, both in the Library and at other locations. Through publications, correspondence, and personal contacts informs the interested public of the Library's resources and services in the fields of his/her expertise, in so doing seeking cooperation in enriching the Library's collections and assuring that the resources of the division are exploited by scholars to the fullest extent possible In these presentations and programs works closely with the Publishing Office and other Library units to meet mission and program goals. Participates in professional associations and scholarly enterprises in the fields of his/her specialization and maintains close liaison with learned societies, foundations, research centers, and interested groups and individuals engaged in planning and promoting individual and cooperative projects concerning his/her areas of assignment.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
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.
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 American history, culture and literature.**
Ability to communicate in writing.**
Ability to provide outreach, consultation and liaison services.**
Knowledge of collection development principles and techniques.
Knowledge of curatorial, conservation and preservation principles for rare and valuable library materials.
Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
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.
How You Will Be Evaluated
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 8.5, at: Merit Selection Plan
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
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.