Three Positions: Washington, D.C.

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Position: Research Analyst
Location: Blank Rome LLP (remote, must reside in state with an office)
Posted: AALL
Salary: $70,000-85,000

About Us: Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 16 offices and nearly 750 attorneys who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Rome’s culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. Our commitment to our core values and dedication to providing a supportive and inclusive work environment, allows the firm to attract and retain the brightest in the industry.

Job Overview: The Research Analyst provides extensive legal and non-legal research and reference services to attorneys, paralegals, and all levels of staff through use of the firm’s various information resources. The Research Analyst position is a demanding role in a fast-paced environment and requires excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, creative problem solving, and the ability to prioritize tasks and meet tight deadlines. The Research Analyst demonstrates initiative, eagerness to learn, strong intellectual curiosity and willingness to take ownership of key projects.

This role has a remote working arrangement. Potential candidates must reside within one of the 10 states in which we have a physical office. In this role, you will report to the Competitive Intelligence Manager.

Essential Functions

  • Conduct high-level legal and business research for attorneys and staff using print and online resources.
  • Use judgment to identify issues, research strategy, and best resources to provide accurate, cost effective, and timely research.
  • Conduct due diligence on plaintiffs, experts, defendants, and corporate entities.
  • Develop expertise in multiple practice areas and jurisdictions.
  • Provide current awareness services including litigation, case, legislative, and news to support attorney client matters.
  • Evaluate business and legal publications or products.
  • Assist with research orientations, training, outreach and marketing of services with a focus on relationship-building and service excellence.
  • Responsible for balancing workload by monitoring incoming requests, assessing time constraints, and estimating research time needed.
  • Collaborate with researchers or other departments on complex assignments.
  • Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

The above essential functions represent the general nature and level of responsibilities for this position and is not intended to be an all-inclusive list. The firm may modify and amend any job description at any time in its sole discretion.

Skills/Qualifications

  • 3+ years of experience with research services/systems in a Library setting in the legal industry.
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; MSLIS or other relevant advanced degree preferred.
  • Advanced knowledge of legal and business databases, including Lexis, Westlaw, ALM, Bloomberg Law, CCH, CNS CasePortal, D&B Hoovers, Hein Online, Intelligize, Lex Machina, MergerMarket, NewsDesk, Pitchbook, S&P Capital IQ, ServiceNow, TLOxp, and Worldcheck.
  • Experience with print and online research using industry specific tools.
  • Understanding of copyright and information-gathering ethics.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
  • Experience with PowerBI a plus.
  • Willing to learn and stay current on the most effective research methods and strategies.
  • Proficient in web-based conference call/web-sharing applications.
  • Active involvement in relevant professional organizations.

General Expectations

  • Promote positive work habits, including effective and timely communication, teamwork, and demonstrating respect for colleagues.
  • Contribute to providing the highest quality of service to internal and external clients.
  • Take appropriate initiative and ownership of job responsibilities while ensuring the assignments/job duties are performed successfully and on time.
  • Understand and abide by firm policies and embrace firm values.
  • Ability to maintain regular attendance and work regularly scheduled hours.
  • Ability to sit for long periods of time, type, and handle light lifting (files, copy paper, etc.) in a professional office environment.
  • Comply with safe work practices including compliance with the firm’s COVID-19 policies and safety measures.

Position: Reference Librarian (Hispanic Reading Room)
Location: Library of Congress
Posted: USA Jobs
Salary: $69,923-90,898

Summary: This position is located in the Latin American, Caribbean & European Division, General & International Collections Directorate, Researcher And Collections Services. Position description number for this position is 447805. The incumbent of this position will work a flexitime work schedule. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

Duties:

  • Enables access, discovery, dissemination, and use of collections and resources, current and historical, analog and digital, for all users. Provides support for the identification and selection of sources for those engaged in routine research, and maintains connections and life-long learning opportunities for casual users through the discovery and use of the Library’s resources.
  • Provides reference and instruction to individual researchers and groups where needs are relatively easy to determine from standard research interviews, in-person or virtually, and the bibliographic source materials are of limited technical complexity. Identifies domestic and international analog and digital resources in a field of specialty to address user needs that are easily determined from interviews or written requests. Develops knowledge of resources in other institutions to provide informed referrals. Provides support of limited technical complexity in evolving forms of digital scholarship. Assists users with specialized collections under the direction of senior staff and seeks assistance for locating materials that are not readily accessible.
  • Provides in-person and telephone reference services in a reading room setting and through reference desk rotation. Utilizes technologies such as Ask-a-Librarian, email, chat, social media, and video conferencing to provide research and reference services. Responds orally or in writing to inquiries related to assigned field of responsibility. Increases access to and convenience of online resources and services by assisting in preparing research guides, collection guides, and finding aids on specific topics of recognized research interest and demand using standard search strategies. Assists senior librarians in revising or updating research materials.
  • Assist with reviewing a wide variety of brochures, catalogs, journals, and other sources for new items and sources for possible acquisition in order to develop collections in areas of subject or geographic responsibility.
  • Assists other staff in determining the quality and usefulness of collection materials. Assists in developing strategies for the organization, storage, preservation, and service of materials. Monitors the condition of collection materials to ensure adherence to established preservation standards and specifications.
  • Orients users and explains procedures and regulations governing use and handling of materials in the collection. Coordinates the acquisition of items of limited technical complexity, or those easily acquired, through the online acquisition process. Examines recommendations to identify processing and custodial requirements and to identify out-of-scope materials. Maintains liaison with other recommending officers and subject specialists to coordinate acquisition of materials within and across divisions.
  • Under the direction of senior staff, the incumbent liaises with current and potential researchers and users. Collaborates with others to develop, promote, facilitate, present and evaluate programs to meet the expressed and anticipated needs of researchers and other user communities. Assists with different audiences to achieve a variety of outcomes.
  • Assists with research facilitation, book discussions, tours, workshops, orientation sessions, author talks, workshops, consultations, displays, tutorials, and other means of engagement. Assists in developing content for traditional print outlets and social media platforms.
  • Collaborates with the Library’s programs for congressional outreach, visitor engagement, educational outreach, and exhibitions, and with other collections-based programs. Represents and attends workshops, conferences, seminars, or meetings in librarianship and other relevant fields for the purpose of professional development.

Other Significant Facts:

  • Foreign language facility is required for this position in the geographical area for which reference cataloging, acquisitions, or other engagement functions are performed.
  • Must be able to speak, listen, read, and write in at least one of the foreign languages of the geographical area for which reference, acquisitions, or other engagement functions are being performed.
  • Must be able to speak, listen, read, and write fluently in English.
  • Must be able to communicate intended meaning in straightforward, everyday conversations and routine, work-related interactions.
  • Must be able to adequately understand straightforward spoken language on everyday topics, including routine work-related matters.
  • Must be able to adequately understand straightforward written material on everyday topics, including routine work-related matters.
  • Must be able to adequately write straightforward documents and participate in everyday exchanges for routine work requirements and most correspondence.

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. 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.

  • Ability to provide reference and research services.**
  • Ability to develop and manage library collections.**
  • Knowledge of a Latin American, Caribbean or Iberian language.**
  • Ability to use integrated library applications, systems, or other information technologies.**
  • Ability to provide in person and electronic consultation or liaison duties.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

Position: Chief, Collections Digitization Division
Location: Library of Congress
Posted: USA Jobs
Salary: $167,603-195,200

Summary: This position is located in the Collections Digitization Division, Digital Services Directorate, Discovery and Preservation Services. The position description number for this position is 462381. 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 supervisory, non-bargaining unit position.

Duties:

  • Contributes effectively to senior management strategies and decisions with agency-wide implications regarding collections digitization operations, policies, standards, and systems.  Supports the Library’s mission and implements and accomplishes strategic and operational goals pertaining to highly visible collections digitization initiatives.  Serves as an authority on behalf of the agency regarding digitization of cultural heritage materials.
  • Oversees the enterprise-wide implementation of systems related to digitization that serve multiple organizational levels.  Ensures that current and future CDD systems and services are aligned with the agency’s plans and infrastructure. Effects the integration of programs and services and manages the development of solutions. Directs and coordinates the evaluation of mission goals, plans, programs, and business processes to implement new solutions and provide support for the agency’s mission and goals. Utilizes the latest library and digitization technology trends and best practices to sustain and improve the effectiveness of the mission.  Coordinates mission goals and activities with other units inside and outside the agency for a successful and mutually acceptable outcome.
  • Exercises library and digitization methods, practices and techniques to meet the changing needs of all clienteles.  Serves as an expert for the division’s digitization efforts.  Participates in agency, Federal, national, and international committees, task forces, and groups relative to national and Library of Congress digitization policy and technology planning.  Oversees the assessment and analysis of the digital conversion systems and processes available within LCSG.  Oversees continuous reviews of digitization programs, ensuring technology is updated as needed.
  • Supervises a group of employees performing work up to the GS-14 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 and demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff and clearly communicates these through the formal employee performance management system. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignment and develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters. Effects minor disciplinary measures, such as warnings and reprimands, recommending other action in more serious cases.
  • Plans and manages agency-wide projects using Library management procedures, tools, templates, activities, and infrastructure to ensure alignment with internal agency business practices and with government-wide regulations and policies.  Negotiates with senior level officials to create buy-in for Directorate positions on key agency-wide initiatives.  Formulates and administers communication plans for projects in coordination with Library senior management.  Monitors and evaluates project deliverables and solutions.  Works with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that proposed conversion projects are thoroughly assessed for technical feasibility and resource impacts.  Promotes cooperation with technical experts both inside and outside of the Library.
  • Provides expert advice in the monitoring and evaluation of digital conversion contract work, including third party agreements, to ensure consistency with FADGI guidelines. Ensures that contract technical requirements are met and that all activities are performed in compliance with the terms of the contract. Oversees and/or evaluates contractor feasibility studies and technical assessment reports. Oversees acquisition strategies for conversion services and for the equipment needed to support the needs of the Library.  Participates in evaluation teams reviewing internal and external proposals involving digital conversion, including third party agreements. 

The Supervisor leads his/her staff toward meeting the Library’s vision, mission, and goals by acting decisively, leveraging diversity and inclusiveness, demonstrating flexibility and resilience, fostering continuous improvement and innovation, and fostering integrity and honesty. To view the Library’s Supervisory Core Competencies click here.

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. 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. 

  • Ability to provide management and oversight of a collections digitization program.**
  • Ability to supervise and lead a diverse workforce.**
  • Knowledge of integrated library systems, library applications, and other information technologies.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.