Position: Preservation Technician
Location: Library of Congress
Salary: $50,643 – $65,831

Full vacancy announcement available on USAJOBS.

Summary

This position is located in in the Preservation Research and Testing Division, Preservation Directorate, Discovery And Preservation Services.
The position description number for this position is 317063.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Duties

This position reports to the Chief, Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD), Preservation Directorate. The Directorate is responsible for the long-term, uninterrupted access to the Library’s numerous and diverse collections through a variety of preservation programs. The incumbent provides assistance to PRTD programs and projects involving scientific analysis and research related to the preservation of collections; the development and maintenance of scientific reference collections; and the testing of housing and building materials used to exhibit, house, or store collections to ensure they meet current Library specifications.

Operates scientific, imaging, monitoring and other data-collection equipment to conduct capture of preservation and technical data on a variety of library materials and scientific reference samples using standard and customized test methods. Conducts post-processing of collected data and files for statistical and comparative analytics and use in reference databases.

Performs organization, arrangement, and description work on many scientific records or data files. Assesses the correctness of data and metadata and makes both minor and some major corrections as needed. Consults with senior staff on an as needed basis when correcting or significantly re-processing data or metadata.

Performs organization, arrangement, and description work on a number of physical and digital materials in scientific sample collections (such as the Center for Library Scientific Samples (CLASS) and the Center for Library Scientific Samples – Digital (CLASS-D).

Conducts basic and moderately complex testing and quality assurance procedures on a variety of materials to evaluate the materials considered to exhibit, house, or store collection materials using both well-defined and more general test methodologies and specifications. Compiles data and reports on testing results for review. Assists supervisor in developing new testing or quality assurance procedures. Performs routine maintenance and calibration of equipment according to specifications provided and maintains program documentation. Performs routine and difficult maintenance activities related to testing and quality assurance, including assisting with inventory control and management of computing and software systems. Assists supervisor in training staff on testing and quality assurance procedures.

Position: Library Technician (Collections)
Location: Library of Congress
Salary: $40,883 – $53,147

Full vacancy announcement available on USAJOBS.

Summary

The Collections Management Team, Geography and Map Division, Special Collections Directorate, Researcher and Collections Services is seeking a Library Technician. The incumbent services materials from the Division’s collections including the rarities vault. The technician is responsible for the daily file and retrieval of collections materials. The technician answers inquiries regarding the division’s collections, processing projects and procedures, and the status of materials in processing.

Duties

The technician resolves problems related to materials that are difficult to locate. In addition to a thorough knowledge of the division’s collections and processing procedures, the technician also has a comprehensive knowledge of phase conservation procedures and techniques performed in the division. Assists specialists and reference staff in aiding patrons, locating and preparing materials for exhibit and preparing finding aids. Notifies specialists, reference and cataloging team members of new and significant acquisitions and assists senior catalogers by performing preliminary cataloging of specific items and collections. Assists in the training of new technicians and temporary staff assigned to the team.

Follows extensive library rules, procedures, and operations, maintains the collections. Arranges, sorts, and re-shelves materials returned to the stacks according to shelflist order. Continually shelfreads in assigned area to ensure that each item is in proper shelflist order. Identifies and removes items suspected of containing errors in labeling and/or cataloging and forwards items for further determination of disposition. Withdraws materials in need of rebinding and re-labeling, forwarding them for appropriate correction. Effects shifts necessitated by growth of collection. Participates in the maintenance of and preservation of the collections by identifying items in need of preservation/conversation and performing established conservation procedures on items as needed.

Following extensive library rules, procedures, and operations, processes library collections. Distinguishes the type of material, and separates and properly distributes all types of library collection items for processing. Completes appropriate forms for accessioning, recording, and statistical reports. Using large bibliographic databases, receives and sorts materials into bound and unbound categories. Checks in materials. Prepares materials for digital conversion or binding. Attaches call numbers. Disposes of items not considered useful for library programs.

Under close supervision, retrieves information from cataloging databases using standard tools in accordance with well-defined procedures. Performs preliminary cataloging of selected materials. Consults the shelflist or the appropriate classification schedule to verify whether the class number assigned is consistent with the subject heading(s). Completes the subclassification, and establishes the elements of the location symbol to the point at which the call number for each item is unique or places it in conflict with neighboring items. Corrects or updates bibliographic data when needed. Inputs data, such as the completed call number or technician’s charge. Inputs records based on drafts prepared by cataloger. Adds copies to the shelflist file, transcribes the correct call number in the item, adds holdings to the file, and assigns copies to the reference or custodial collections. Records inventory records.

Following extensive library rules, procedures, and operations, retrieves materials in the collections. Applies judgment in retrieving materials. Receives call slips indicating call number, author, title, volume, etc., of materials requested by readers or staff. Draws upon knowledge of the classification system, an understanding of the peculiarities of the system of classification in a particular class, and the meaning of different shelf markers, locates material which may have special requirements such as being in a foreign language. Checks title, author, call number, etc. against call slip. Inserts call slip in the book and necessary routing or other slips as required, and dispatches the requested material. When information is incomplete or inaccurate, seeks assistance and verifies the call number and other indicia in order to locate the item. Performs interlibrary loan functions by searching guides and shelves for material going out on loan. Examines condition of material returned and re-shelves material appropriately.

Follows well-established procedures and specific instructions from the supervisor, and uses a variety of interrelated steps and procedures to order and process different types of library materials within budget guidelines, comparing prices and services offered by competing vendors. Prepares acquisition requests after reviewing vendors and price lists and ensuring the availability of the correct items. Processes incoming materials and verifies that the correct material has been received and is properly labeled. Prepares items for circulation/distribution.

The position description number for this position is 138278.
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.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Position: Lead Library Technician
Location: Library of Congress
Salary: $61,947 – $80,532

Full vacancy announcement available on USAJOBS.

Summary

Seeking a Lead Library Technician for the Collections Services Division, Global Legal Collection Research Directorate, Law Library. The incumbent is responsible for assisting Division supervisors and staff with the resolution of processing workflow problems and for providing input for the resolution of technical discrepancies arising from the implementation of the Library’s Integrated Library System (ILS) and its specific applications to Law Library workflow.

The incumbent must demonstrate an expert knowledge of the ILS and its modules (acquisitions; serials; cataloging; circulation; and on-line public access); so that they can act as an intermediary on behalf of the Law library collection needs for the Directorate. The incumbent must be able to deal effectively with a wide variety of staff and contractors, in order to plan and coordinate actions to correct or prevent errors, delays, or other complications involved in organizing and processing information.

Incumbent works with materials in all languages, and must be comfortable in working with materials in other alphabets and figures out how to identify and process these materials.

Makes decisions regarding collections maintenance issues for a unit. Applies in-depth knowledge to complex collections maintenance issues in the ILS. Maintains statistical reports of work performed.

Develops plans to expedite sorting, arranging, and shelving of special collections material such as legal Gazettes, computer disks or microform receipts.

Demonstrates initiative in recognizing and solving problems, inconsistencies, and errors in ILS bibliographic, holdings and item records. Maintains ILS records for current and retrospective materials, along with their associated advance sheets, supplementary pamphlets or pocket parts, to include suppression, masking and removing reference locations of material in the ILS. Identifies and processes superseded volumes which have been revised, recompiled or replaced by later dated volumes or editions. Performs primary collection security responsibilities. Including barcoding, inventorying, and status changing both new and retrospective material.

Takes part in ensuring that contractors or employees are directed to appropriate work for completion. Trains contractors and employees on various aspects of their job. Assist with review of staffs’ completed work and contract deliverables.

Identifies, investigates, searches, and resolves technical processing problems and discrepancies associated with implementation of the integrated library system modules.

Performs preliminary searching of non-duplicates, recording such information as title data, personal name, edition data, publisher, and place and date of publication. Completes complex searches to identify the relationship of the piece in hand to the collection as a whole, identifying variant editions, and slipping them with annotated slips to facilitate the cataloging process. Locates, identifies and resolves problems with library materials generated by ongoing inventory and collections improvement programs and special projects.

Monitors incoming serial and monographic receipts including supplements and loose-leaf updates from acquisition and cataloging units throughout the library. Takes responsibility for seeing that legal serials and journals are sorted and distributed for prompt identification, marking and distribution.

Accessions one or more special materials. Analyzes each item, interpreting the bibliographic data and determining individual(s) and/or organization(s) having responsibility for a publication, title, subtitle, author statements and other statements defining intellectual responsibility, edition statements, imprints, often from texts in unfamiliar languages. Collates loose issues of foreign legal reformatting into either microfilm or digital content. Processes all incoming microfilm or microfiche into the Law Library collection, following established procedures.

Takes part in ensuring that contractors or employees are directed to appropriate work for completion. Trains contractors and employees on various aspects of their job. Assist with review of contract deliverables.

Serves as an expert in the intricacies of the library’s many catalogs and retrieval tools. Performs the most difficult special search requests. Identifies items that are vague or not readily found in the library’s catalogs, publishers’ lists, or in other bibliographic lists.

Maintains an expert working knowledge of the current custodial and processing activities in the Law Library. Also remains alert to changing procedures throughout the library, as well as the location and availability of little-known special collections of processed or partially processed materials that may not be recorded in the principal catalogs of the Law library.

The position description number for this position is 311003.
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.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Position: Supervisory Library Technician
Location: Library of Congress
Salary: $61,947 – $80,532

Full vacancy announcement available on USAJOBS.

Summary

The position serves as a Supervisory Library Technician for the Collections Management and Retrieval Section in the Researcher and Reference Services Division (RRS).
This is a supervisory, non-bargaining unit position.
The position description number for this position is 237560.
The incumbent for this position will work a full-time fixed schedule of Monday-Thursday 12:00pm-8:30pm and Saturday 8:30am-5:00pm.

Duties

Supervises a group of employees performing work up to the GS-08 level. Provides administrative and technical supervision relative to the staff supervised. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, set and adjust short-term priorities, and prepare schedules for completion of work; Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees. Observes workers’ performance, demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques.

Oversees a staff of Constituent Support Technicians who communicate with a wide variety of patrons with routine and non-routine questions of a complex nature on issues associated with access to items from the Library’s collections. Supervises the staff addressing book-service matters in the general reading rooms. Oversees the resolution of a wide array of collections issues that cannot be addressed by the Constituent Support Technicians, as well as personnel related issues between staff and researchers, or among staff members. Manages requests received through various electronic and print methods, including receipt, response, tracking, and problem solving. Ensures requests are accurately answered in a timely manner. Personally and through subordinate staff, assists patrons with the use of the Library’s resources including the Library’s bibliographic reference sources. Provides training/orientation to researchers in the use of the Automated Call Slip, how to obtain items stored off-site, and follow-up to issues related to Automated Call Slip PIN numbers and other aspects of the system. Coordinates delivery and pick-up services of items requested in the reading rooms to various locations including the Kluge Center, study desks and study shelves.

Trains, monitors, and performs quality control for staff searching requests containing inaccurate and/or incomplete information. As part of the circulation process in the LC ILS, for items that have not previously been linked to an item record in the LC ILS, the necessary holdings and item records must be created. Provides technical assistance where linking is more complex or confusing to the Constituent Support Technicians.

Supervises the work of the day or evening/Saturday hours Constituent Support Technicians addressing requests that cannot be submitted directly by researchers, needing mediation. Primary among these mediated requests are requests for collections stored off-site. Also, oversees the advance reserve program and corresponds in writing with requestors on the results, or where particular issues arise that cannot be satisfactorily addressed by subordinate staff. Serves as an expert in the intricacies of the Library’s catalogs and retrieval tools and uses extensive knowledge of both online databases and manual files to satisfy unusual and complex requests for material from many of the Library’s collections. Establishes liaisons in various areas of processing to assist in successful resolution of collections-related problems.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

Position: Librarian (Systems)
Location: National Agricultural Library
Salary: $94,373 – $122,683

Full vacancy announcement available on USAJOBS.

Summary

This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Library (NAL), Data Production Division. The selectee is not required to report to a government office, however, the option to work in one of the Agency offices may be available.

In this position, you will provide expert technical advice, guidance, and coordination for NAL’s Library Services Platform (LSP).

Duties

• Serving as the LSP systems administrator and main technical lead, the incumbent directs and coordinates testing for new functionality and system upgrades.
• Evaluating current utilization of systems modules and workflows to recommend modifications to workflows and system configurations as needed to increase efficiency.
• Acting as liaison between vendor and library staff members to resolve complex problems.
• Maintaining group and user account management, catalog rules, collection, and UI (user interface) settings, and LSP global functions.
• Managing incoming data feeds including acquisitions and other data; complex bibliographic, holdings, and item data; and patron data.