Position: Legal Reference Librarian
Location: Library of Congress
Salary: $72,750 to $94,581

Full vacancy announcement available on USAJOBS.

Summary
This position is located in the Public Services Division, Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library.

The position description number for this position is 011004.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

Responds to United States, foreign, comparative, and international legal and legislative reference inquiries from Members of Congress, congressional committees, the White House, federal courts, Government agencies, libraries, the bar, and the general public. Inquiries may be received by telephone, in person, in writing, and by electronic means. Locates information, often of a specialized or technical nature, from a wide variety of published and unpublished legal and legislative information sources and electronic databases. Conducts legal and legislative research, and produces written responses to United States federal and state, foreign, comparative, and international legal and legislative reference inquiries requiring tailored responses. Prepares reports, bibliographies, letters, memoranda, finding aids, informational brochures, research guides and other written products. Gathers information from a wide variety of sources, both automated and in print or other media. Facilitates services to readers, analyzes information, and disseminates it in answer to requests. Advises researchers on research methodologies.

Uses knowledge of legal and legislative information sources in other Library of Congress service units, and law libraries and research institutions outside of the Library of Congress. As assigned, compiles information packages for clientele.

Analyzes and organizes specialized information, and evaluates and prioritizes work. Assesses new or unusual circumstances and develops variations in approach, and/or solutions for incomplete or conflicting information. Identifies, examines, and evaluates major publications and trends in the law. Analyzes, evaluates, organizes, compiles, and disseminates legal and legislative information and materials in various media.

Directs users to the proper specialists, resources, or services within the Law Library and other areas of the Library of Congress. Clarifies vague requests for legal and legislative information through the use of proper and/or specialized bibliographic and research tools. Meets with clients to analyze and clarify questions and requirements. May assist clients with specialized collections, using knowledge of these collections and the clients who require them. May develop an expertise in a field of law or legal and/or legislative research methodology.

Surveys and evaluates print and electronic collections to identify currency issues. Identifies, recommends and resolves collection processing issues relating to assigned areas/ subjects / jurisdictions of the Reading Room collections. Recommends alternative titles to and the removal of titles from assigned portions of the Law Library reference collections. Searches acquisitions lists for new titles and other materials in various formats for the Reading Room’s collection as requested.

Provides online and in-person instruction to Law Library users and staff on the content, nature, and use of Law Library print and electronic resources, as well as legal research methodologies. Assists in the development of instructional offerings that educate users on legal research sources and strategies. Delivers orientations to groups and individuals on Law Library operations and services, and conducts briefings on the U.S. legal system, and functions and inter-relationships of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government under the U.S. constitutional scheme. These orientations and briefings may be delivered to Members of Congress; their staffs; U.S. federal and state jurists and attorneys; legal scholars; representatives of U.S. federal and state, foreign, and international governments; dignitaries; and students.

Reviews collections on a continual basis and exercises care to ensure collection material is properly handled and kept secure to avoid loss or damage. Reviews a variety of foreign and domestic sources for information about available materials. Contributes to digital collection development and management projects, such as web archiving and/or compiling and organizing web-sites based on current public policy issues. Determines permissibility of copying materials based on the preservation needs of the material.

Maintains liaison or communicates with individuals both within and outside the organization Professional contacts are with library patrons, supervisors, library staff, other national libraries, library and information networks, information centers, experts in government agencies, associations, the private sector, and/or research groups. Motivates and influences clientele to fully utilize programs and services. Meets with researcher, analyzes questions and requirements; suggests search strategies; and evaluates resources from the general, special and/or reference collections regardless of format.

Travel Required – Not required