Library Technician

About the role

The Library of Congress shares its vast collections of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and priceless artifacts to cultivate curiosity and spark imagination. We engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity.

We seek highly talented professionals to join a vibrant and collaborative community. Your work here will have lasting impact on the Library and its users well into the future.

What you will do

• This position is located in African, Latin America and Western European Division.
• It is a hybrid position that combines the major technician duties for the functions of acquisitions, cataloging, and serials control.
• The duties include performing acquisitions searching, placing orders, receiving items, paying invoices, serials check-in, and any other activities needed to support the acquisitions of materials for the library.
• The duties also include those to support the function of performing cataloging for the library such as shelflisting, record creation, copy cataloging, database maintenance activities, and searching.
• Often there will be a foreign language requirement for this position depending on the geographical area for which functions are being performed.
• For example, staff processing and cataloging materials from South America need knowledge of the Spanish language.
• As the Library Technician, you will: Perform copy cataloging for a variety of materials and formats in an automated cataloging environment.
• Descriptively catalogs original materials where the bibliographic characteristics of the material are relatively easy to determine and cataloging decisions are made within established standards.
• Performs CIP verification independently.
• Completes cataloging data for publications initially cataloged as Cataloging in Publication (CIP) materials.
• Search entries in automated and manual catalogs.
• Assign headings to catalog entries.
• Complete routine authority work; consults with librarians for more complex headings; and refers problems to librarians.
• Select and assigns classification numbers.
• Perform content designation on newly created and updated bibliographic records.
• Perform database maintenance including modifications, updates, and corrections.
• Create and revises bibliographic records, including initial bibliographic control records (IBCRs).
• Resolve routine problems and inconsistencies in the cataloging process promptly and independently, involving librarians or the section head on only the more difficult problems.
• Under appropriate review, perform collection development tasks including examination of incoming shipments to select items appropriate for the collections.
• Independently performs all aspects of acquisition support work, which includes the acquisition of material by exchange, gift, approvals, Copyright, and the most complex order creation and invoice processing.
• For recommended materials to be acquired, searches reference sources which may include print, automated files, and internal and external databases.
• Process cancellations or adjustments to acquisition records.
• Assist in determining if material needs to be claimed and issues appropriate claims to suppliers.
• Sort and distributes items not destined for the collections.
• Identify items for the Duplicate Material Exchange Program (DMEP), for the National Agriculture Library, for the National Library of Medicine, for surplus, and for discard.
• Independently records receipts for all formats (e.g., bound and unbound serial and monograph ink prints, microforms, CD-ROMs, special formats) in an online environment.
• Communicate with a wide variety of patrons by telephone, letter, or electronic means regarding routine and non-routine questions on services to publishers and other specialized library services.
• Provides complex technical information in clear, straightforward language.
• Provide referrals to library and non-library services such as ISSN, Copyright.
• Postal Service, Patent and Trademark Office, etc., based on an extensive knowledge of these services and the differences among them.
• Is called on to deal with difficult patrons or callers, e.g., library donors.
• Prepare acquisition acknowledgment letters, etc. Determines the best way of formulating requests and selecting and presenting information.
• Efficiently search online databases, such as OCLC, RUN, or an integrated library system, to locate records to use for copy cataloging, or to identify duplicate records or previously processed records.
• Searches names, uniform titles, series, and subject access points on bibliographic records to verify their existence in the appropriate Library authority files.
• Perform special searches of various online catalogs to locate and/or verify bibliographic data for acquisitions functions.
• To identify the relationship of the piece in hand to the collection as a whole completes complex manual and computerized searches in multiple systems.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• The position description number for this position is 173746.
• The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
• The incumbent of this position will work a Flexitime 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.

Requirements

• 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.

How you will be evaluated

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. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• 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 at *** or email ***.
• FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

What to expect next

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.

Additional information

Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade. The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer.

Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see: Vetting Process This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email ***.

The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 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.

Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at *** or email ***.

FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement. The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans.

However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit. Are you a veteran?

Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214.

Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.