This position is located in the History & Genealogy Section, Researcher Engagement and General Collections, General & International Collections Directorate, Researcher And Collections Services. 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. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
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 communicate in writing.** Ability to develop and manage library collections. Ability to provide consultation or liaison duties. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.
The genealogy and local history librarian is responsible for building the collections of the de facto national library; facilitating research and reference instruction and support onsite and virtually; and coordinating library engagement and interaction with a large and diverse array of users and communities. The librarian helps balance new collections acquisitions with responsible stewardship of existing collections while building a more diverse and inclusive record for future generations. In the provision of reference and research services, the librarian utilizes traditional in-person methods in reading rooms and emerging technologies including social media and digital scholarship to assist researchers and other audiences in the use of library resources. The librarian serves as the division’s primary liaison with researchers, visitors, and communities of practice, raising awareness of our genealogy and local history collections and resources and making them accessible to all. In this position, the librarian enables access, discovery, dissemination, and use of genealogy and local history 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. The librarian 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 genealogy and local history 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; and assists users with specialized collections under the direction of senior staff and seeks assistance for locating materials that are not readily accessible. The librarian also provides in-person and telephone reference services in a reading room setting and through reference desk rotation. They utilize technologies such as Ask-a-Librarian, email, chat, social media, and video conferencing to provide research and reference services related to genealogy. They increase 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, and assists senior librarians in revising or updating research materials. The librarian orients users and explains procedures and regulations governing use and handling of materials in the collection. They coordinate the acquisition of items of limited technical complexity, or those easily acquired, through the online acquisition process; examine recommendations to identify processing and custodial requirements and to identify out-of-scope materials; and maintain 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; and assists with different audiences to achieve a variety of outcomes. The librarian assists with research facilitation, book discussions, tours, workshops, orientation sessions, author talks, workshops, consultations, displays, tutorials, and other means of engagement, especially as it relates to genealogy and local history. They assist in developing content for traditional print outlets and social media platforms.