Reference Librarian

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Researcher Engagement & General Collection Division, General & International Collections Directorate, and Researcher & Collections Services Service Unit.

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.

Ability to provide reference and research services.** Ability to use integrated library systems, applications, or other information technologies.

** Ability to develop and manage library collections.** Ability to engage and perform outreach activities.** Ability to communicate in writing. Ability to provide consultation or liaison duties.

Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing Major Duties:

Enables access, discovery, dissemination, and use of collections and resources, current and historical, analog and digital, for all users, in the humanities, social sciences, or history.

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.

Assists 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 – either humanities, social sciences, or history.

Assists other staff in determining the quality and usefulness of collection materials in the humanities, social sciences, or history.

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.

The position description number for this position is 447805. 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 persons selected for this position.