Head, Law Library Reading Room

Summary

This position is located in the Public Services Division, Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library.

The position description number for this position is 463536.

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

This is a supervisory, non-bargaining unit position.

Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

INTERNAL EMPLOYEES - CONSIDERATION UNDER THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT IS LIMITED TO THE PERMANENT AND INDEFINITE STAFF OF THE LAW LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, DUE TO BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS. TEMPORARY NOT-TO-EXCEED (NTE) AND INDEFINITE NOT-TO-EXCEED (NTE) EMPLOYEES ARE INELIGIBLE TO APPLY. (EMPLOYEES MUST MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY AT THE TIME OF SELECTION.)

Duties

This position serves as the Head of the Law Library Reading Room, which is located in the Public Services Division of the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. Reporting directly to the Chief, the Head of the Law Library Reading Room is responsible for its daily operations relating to legal and legislative information services. The incumbent manages requests for and responses to legal and legislative information that are received in and provided by and through the Law Library Reading Room and through electronic communications, and supervises professional librarians and technicians who are responsible for providing these services.

Serves as supervisor for a group of employees performing work up to and including the GS-12 level. Provides supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the Law Library Reading Room. Performs the administrative and human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. Develops guidelines and performance expectations for staff members that are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Observes workers’ performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. 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 disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area. Reviews and approves or disapproves leave requests and tracks time and attendance. Ensures subordinates are trained and fully comply with safety regulations. Coordinates the documentation of time and attendance of reading room staff.

Serves as the Law Library Reading Room senior duty and operations officer responsible for coordinating and resolving operational and service issues. Establishes policies, directs reading room work, supervises and manages tasks, and ensures the high quality of service provided. Serves as arbiter of policies and regulations concerning the reading room. Coordinates the collection and reporting of reading room statistics. Provides technical expertise in a specific subject area or on operational procedures. Coordinates daily activity and operations between the reading room staff and other Law Library divisions and staff. Identifies objectives based on an analysis of interrelated issues of effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of substantive mission-oriented programs.

Plans, establishes, and directs the division’s legal reference program. Coordinates staff efforts related to reference services. Develops, implements, and evaluates reference and public service policies, procedures, and publications. Implements new reference services and techniques to improve and expand services. Receives, routes, and controls written reference inquiries directed to the reference librarians and, as appropriate, reviews replies for responsiveness and quality. Creates, reviews, and approves templates, macros, FAQs, and form letters for use in replying to a variety of standard inquiries.

Performs information searches of a highly complex nature, using familiarity with in-house resources and primary source materials in other libraries, museums, historical societies, and academic institutions. Identifies, examines, and analyzes major publications, electronic resources, and trends in field of expertise for their validity, relevance to research goals, and use in preparing in-depth and highly complex research. Draws upon an expert and authoritative knowledge of collections, resources, and other experts in the field of inquiry. Prepares definitive and highly complex responses to inquiries and requests, reports, and research papers, utilizing an expert-level depth and breadth of subject area knowledge and position as a recognized expert or source of information on a given subject or subjects.

Serves as an expert in the organization, development, and implementation of multiple projects. Serves as a project leader, or chairperson for working groups, task forces, teams, and/or committees which have been assigned responsibility for specific legal and legislative projects, programs, and related information service development and enhancement projects.

Provides legal and legislative reference and research advice, and instructional service to individuals and groups who use the Law Library. Promotes the Law Library programs and services, providing information on how to fully, efficiently and effectively utilize programs and services.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Conditions of Employment

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 the following link:

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.

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.

Ability to supervise, motivate, and lead a diverse workforce.**

Ability to conduct legal information research and provide legal reference and research services.**

Ability to lead, plan, coordinate, and manage projects and programs.

Ability to interact collaboratively with a diverse group of people.

Ability to communicate in writing.

Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

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. All who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply.

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

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.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see:

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. In addition, per Library of Congress Regulation 9-532, an appointee or internal selectee is subject to a one-year supervisory probationary period if this is their first supervisory/managerial position at the Library of Congress. 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.

The selected applicant may be required to file a financial disclosure statement with the House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 95-521, Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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.

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 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.

You may for this vacancy.

Required Documents

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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.