Total 6 job vacancies by Library of Congress

This position supervises the U.S. Special Acquisitions Section (USSA) in the U.S./Anglo Division of the Directorate of Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access (ABA). The section is responsible for the acquisition of all non-serial collection material from the United States, excluding books acquired through copyright deposit, Cataloging In Publication or routine government transfer. It acquires most of the special collection materials being added to the Library’s collection, as well as most of the items donated for addition to the collection and all high-profile donated collection materials. The incumbent of this position serves as Section Head and is responsible for managing the work, including acquisitions, and cataloging functions, of the section, overseeing the work of a staff of librarians and library technicians performing these functions, and performing administrative and human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. The incumbent serves under the administrative supervision of the division chief. The incumbent works highly independently, exercising considerable judgment, and carries out duties and responsibilities in accordance with broad overall guidelines and policies.

Supervises a group of employees performing work up to the GS-13 level. Provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the unit. Determines the human resources needed to accomplish the work of the unit, and independently plans, schedules, coordinates and carries out the unit's activities.

Performs the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations, including quality assurance, for staff members which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Observes workers' performance and demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Provides informal feedback and annual formal evaluations to employees. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters. Effects disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area. Reviews and approves or disapproves leave requests. 

Responsible for furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of diversity objectives and by adhering to non-discriminatory employment practices in regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability.  Specifically, initiates non-discriminatory practices for the area under his/her supervision in the following: (1) merit promotion of employees and recruitment and hiring of applicants; (2) fair treatment of all; (3) encouragement and recognition of employee achievements; (4) career development of employees; and (5) full utilization of their skills.

Serves as an expert in the organization, development, and implementation of multiple projects. Serves as a project leader, team leader, or chairperson for working groups, task forces, committees, etc. Coordinates the details involved in special projects of lasting importance. Utilizes critical judgment to determine scope, emphasis, approach, appropriate techniques, and manner of presentation. Develops technical standards or protocols applicable to a library function. Participates in planning the work of a unit, including formulating goals and objectives and identifying improvements in methods and procedures. May serve as COTR or administer service contracts.

Makes significant recommendations to change, interpret, or develop important or innovative policies, programs, approaches, or analysis methods. Assesses the availability of financial and human resources, and independently plans, schedules, coordinates and carries out activities related to the library acquisitions program. Assists in preparing and overseeing the acquisitions budget. Ensures the comprehensiveness and accessibility of library collections. Makes extensive unreviewed technical judgments regarding library operations. 

Ensures that invoices and credits for library materials are received, entered, cleared, and approved in accordance with Library procedures and statutory requirements (i.e., the Prompt Payment Act). Ensures that vendor complaints and/or statements concerning non-payment are investigated and resolved promptly by appropriate personnel and offices; ensures compliance with audit requirements.

Interprets and revises existing training policy and program guidance for use by others, including section, division, and/or directorate members. Independently plans, schedules, coordinates, and monitors the effectiveness of training operations.  

Performs various other duties as assigned.

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

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) seeks a Research Librarian to join its Resources, Science, and Industry Division, which supports the work of Congress in issue areas including earth sciences, natural resources, environmental policy, energy and minerals, agriculture and food, science, technology, transportation, and industry.

The Research Librarian will provide reference and research services to CRS policy analysts and congressional clients, focusing primarily on the areas of business, industry, and technology, including emerging technologies. Candidates with a Master of Library Science (MLS) or equivalent degree and background in issue areas including business, industry, and technology, including emerging technologies are encouraged to apply. Outstanding candidates will also have a background in data science and/or public policy.

CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS is a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill.

CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective and nonpartisan. Its highest priority is to ensure that Congress has immediate access to the nation's best thinking on public policy issues of interest to its Members and Committees.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that ensures the Service is well positioned to anticipate and meet the information and analytical research needs of a 21st-century Congress.

Research Librarian duties include:

Analyzes and solves research problems within designated policy research areas. Factors that affect the complexity of these problems include novelty, the difficulty in locating authoritative information, and the specialized nature of the subject area.

Responds to congressional and internal requests for information related to issues requiring in-depth knowledge of the context/background of the issue, and for information that is difficult to find and/or requires filtering/synthesis. Utilizes specialized knowledge to prepare responses to requests and develop and execute research methodologies for specialized topics.

Develops and maintains knowledge of research resources. Identifies, tests, and evaluates new, specialized research resources; performs market analyses on competing resources; and recommends specialized information resources and research materials for purchase or renewal.

Provides orientation and training/instruction to congressional clients, colleagues, and peers on research methods and research resources.

The Conservation Section is responsible for all work related to the assessment, stabilization, and conservation treatment of artifacts on paper and other substrates in the Library's special collections and works closely with all custodial divisional representatives to develop, establish, coordinate and carry out a comprehensive, Library-wide conservation program appropriate to the collections' needs. The incumbent serves as a Section Head and is responsible for work conducted in this section, which includes assessments, surveys, treatments, documentation, and housing of paper format collections and paper artifacts; preparation of collection items for exhibitions and loans; research into optimizing paper conservation treatment methods and protocols; participation in the division's intern program and other teaching and training programs; and creation of publications, reports, and guidelines.

As Section Head, reporting to the Chief of the Conservation Division, the incumbent manages and supervises staff at grade levels GS-09 through GS-12. Provides administrative and technical supervision needed for accomplishing the section's work. Performs administrative and human resources management tasks related to the staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system and ongoing informal discussions throughout the year. If needed, develops work improvement plans to improve productivity and/or the quality of conservation services. Ensures subordinates receive training to successfully perform and fully comply with Library of Congress regulations. Ensures personnel management in the organizational entity under supervision is accomplished without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. 

Plans, distributes, and reviews conservation activities undertaken by Paper Conservation Section staff. Oversees all section activities performed by staff and contractors, including conducting condition surveys of internal collections and individual items, technical analyses, developing treatment plans and selecting or designing and creating appropriate housings, conducting conservation treatment, documenting item condition and treatment, and preparing collections items for loan, exhibition, or short-term displays and other usage preparations for paper-based items such as broadsides, charts, drawings, graphic prints, manuscripts, maps, posters and sketches. 

Upon request by the Chief of the Conservation Division, designs centralized and mission-specific projects using established and/or proposed program objectives.  Manages divisional programs and projects with a focused, mission-specific scope. Identifies and implements needed actions concerning development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of preservation programs and projects. Submits program goals and reports monthly, quarterly, and annual results to the Division Chief.

Develops, establishes, and maintains professional relationships with librarians, curators, exhibition office staff, and other specialists to share resources and information to coordinate workflow, project planning and policy development in the Library. As a consultant, provides technical recommendations on the conservation and/or preservation of Library materials.

GS-13 Duties:

Develops specifications and mappings of data elements to ensure compliance with collections metadata standards and requirements. With a developed expertise in metadata technical standards and practices, plans and carries out work, resolving most conflicts that arise, integrates and coordinates work with other library areas. Participates in metadata migrations based on the requirements of existing and planned target systems. Assists senior staff in planning, transformation, and timely migration of data, including techniques for bulk transformation and ingest of data into library metadata systems. Evaluates and remediates metadata from commercial sources and automated processes; tests the resulting output and makes adjustments as necessary; and makes recommendations for data migration into target systems. Recommends specifications for automatic generation of metadata from incoming library content or associated metadata. 

Under the general direction of the section head who sets objectives and indicates available resources, the incumbent plans and manages metadata projects, applying standard project management methodologies. Performs data integrity testing. Develops and manages project plans for metadata migration and maintenance. Organizes, develops, and implements plans for specific projects and data sets. Develops and executes test plans. Assists in managing projects from conception through implementation applying best practices and library standards. Ensures clear and frequent communication with stakeholders and managers. 

Develops data structures and access strategies in alignment with business and mission requirements for review by senior staff. Participates in the research, evaluation, development, and implementation of appropriate metadata standards for description, inventory, access, retrieval, preservation, and management of the Library's collections, both analog and digital. Advises the section head on technical implications of implementing metadata standards. Participates in discussions on the description, organization, preservation, access and retrieval of the Library's collections. 

Contributes to oral and written reports and presentations on metadata systems and issues of concern to senior managers. Produces analyses and evaluations of metadata and related projects. Serves as liaison with internal stakeholders. Participates on Library teams working on metadata and library system projects. Assists in disseminating project team information to stakeholders through a variety of internal communication channels, and maintains project documentation. 

GS-14 Duties:

Independently develops, plans, and manages complex metadata projects, applying standard project management methodologies. Develops and manages project plans for metadata migration and maintenance. Organizes, develops, and implements plans for specific projects and data sets, devising modern technological approaches to transforming and ingesting data at scale. Manages projects from conception through implementation applying best practices. Ensures clear and frequent communication with stakeholders and managers across the Library and with external stakeholders nationally and internationally. Leads in planning the work of project teams, including the formulations of goals and objectives and identification of opportunities for improvement in methods, policies, and procedures. Manages a variety of functions simultaneously with flexibility to work with competing demands and deadlines. 

Serves as an expert in library metadata technical standards and usage of library metadata systems. Oversees the development of specifications and mappings of data elements to ensure the metadata comply with metadata policies and standards. Exercises considerable discretion and judgement concerning the interpretation and implementation of existing policy and makes analytical and technical decisions that form the basis for library policy on metadata by top management. Develops specifications and mappings for complex situations. Coordinates with units across the Library to identify data sets and develop metadata migration specifications based on the requirements of existing and planned target systems.

Plans and coordinates the development of data structures and access strategies in alignment with business and mission requirements. Manages the research, evaluation, development, and implementation of appropriate metadata standards for description, inventory, access, retrieval, preservation, and management of the Library's collections, both analog and digital. Applies expert knowledge of metadata standards to recommend solutions appropriate to Library situations and technical infrastructure. Advises Library managers on best practices and technical implications of implementing metadata standards. 

Prepares and delivers oral and written reports and presentations on metadata systems and issues of concern to senior managers and external stakeholders. 

This position is located in any of the divisions that come under the Directorate of Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access. It is a hybrid position that combines major duties from both the acquisitions specialist and the cataloger. There is a foreign language requirement for this position depending on the geographical area for which cataloging or acquisitions functions are being performed. 

The Head of Reference Services in the Hispanic Reading Room is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Section, supervising the staff, and serving as a lead reference in matters dealing with the countries, languages, and regions within the Section's geographic areas of responsibility. Under the guidance of the Division Chief, the incumbent assures the provision of timely and accurate reference service to the Congress and other Library patrons, directs the development and maintenance of the Library's collections pertaining to the region, facilitates access to these collections for scholars, researchers, and others worldwide, and manages the development of digital technology to advance the Section's goals. 

The incumbent plans and produces educational programs, exhibits, seminars, and colloquia to bring attention to research developments and collections of interest to scholars and the general public. The incumbent may be responsible for cultivating relations with potential donors, securing funds for new initiatives, acquiring new collections, and establishing new services. In addition, the incumbent may also be assigned to perform general administrative duties for the division and to serve in lieu of the chief as required. 

Supervises the work of the Section's staff. Plans the work of the Section, including formulating goals and objectives and identifying opportunities for improvements in methods and procedures. Supervises and participates in the preparation of reports, translations, bibliographies, exhibits, web pages and other information products of the Section.  Performs the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff members, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system.

Plans, establishes, and directs a library reference program to provide information about the region. Oversees all reference service provided by the section's staff. On assignment, supervises staffing of the division's reading room and administers the policies and regulations concerning security and access to the collections.  Collaborates with other Library staff and outside partners in the U.S. and abroad in developing and providing access to library resources through the web and by other means.

Makes significant recommendations to change, interpret, or develop important or innovative policies affecting the process and funding of acquisitions from and relating to the area of the section's responsibility.  Oversees staff making authoritative recommendations for the acquisition of material in all languages, formats, and subjects of relevance to the study of the region, including legal, audiovisual, and electronic items.

Plans and produces public programs, exhibits, seminars, and colloquia on the region, bringing attention to research developments and collections of interest to both scholars and the general public. Under the guidance of the Division Chief, may be responsible for cultivating relations with potential donors and securing funds for acquisitions, public programs, exhibits, and other activities related to the section's geographic area.

Reviews and analyzes major issues in information research and dissemination as they apply to providing information about the region. Provides highly specialized research for the use of Congressional clients, the courts, national security agencies and other researchers inside and outside the Library.

Performs various other duties as assigned.