Duties

Summary

The Librarian (Law) position is responsible for providing in-depth, comprehensive legal and multidisciplinary research, collection maintenance and development, orientation and training in using Library resources and services, and has broad programmatic responsibilities for long-term projects that affect the overall effectiveness of the Department of Justice Libraries.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The following duties and responsibilities reflect requirements at the full performance level of the position (GS-13). At the GS-9, 11, and 12 levels, applicants will receive training, development, and/or increased supervision to eventually perform successfully at the full performance level of the position.

• Provides comprehensive legal and legislative reference services to customers.
• Solves complex problems that involve relationships among different library reference functions.
• Provides training and public awareness to customers regarding US Department of Justice legal and legislative library programs and services.
• Designs, configures, implements, and evaluates automated library systems to improve services.
• Creates and updates material for library websites, and ensures it adheres to all Department guidelines
• Advises and trains experienced librarians in new and emerging library technologies, references, or related information.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement, for up to 90 days, if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.

Qualifications

Position Requirements

All applicants applying for this position at any grade level (i.e. GS-9,11,12, and/or 13) must meet the education requirement and specialized knowledge requirement listed below.

Basic Requirement (All Applicants):
Applicants must meet the requirements specified in paragraphs A or B below.
A. Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate study in library science in an accredited college or university, in addition to completion of all work required for a bachelor's degree;
OR
B. A total of at least 5 years of a combination of college-level education, training, and experience. To qualify on this basis, the applicant must establish conclusively that the education, training, and experience provided a knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles, and techniques of professional librarianship; a knowledge of literature resources; and the knowledge and abilities essential for providing effective library and information services.

Specialized Knowledge Requirements: All Applicants
Applicants must possess specialized knowledge of law, and their education and experience must have included or been supplemented by the requirements specified in one of the paragraphs below.

A. A full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university that meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree that included at least 24 semester hours in law or law-related coursework.
OR
B. Completion of at least 24 semester hours of legal study in an accredited law school for positions primarily concerned with providing library services in law or legislative reference;
OR
C. Four years of pertinent experience of such nature and level to provide a knowledge of the basic principles, theories, practices, techniques, terminology and expressions of law or a related subject-matter field; an understanding of the standard methods, procedures, and techniques of research and analysis in the field of law; ability to acquire additional information about the field and related fields; and some knowledge of literature resources in the field. Such experience should be equivalent to that which would have been acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year curriculum in an accredited college or university with major study in appropriate subjects, or combination of subjects, as specified in (a) above; or legal training as specified in (b) above.ORD. Any time equivalent combination as described in (c) with education as described in (a) or (b) above.

In addition to the education and specialized knowledge requirements listed above, to qualify for the position of Librarian (Law), (GS-1410-9/11/12/13), you must possess the required specialized experience:

GS-09 Applicants
To Qualify for the GS-09 Librarian (Law) position, you must meet one of the following education and/or experience requirements below:

A. Education
2 full years of progressively higher graduate level education or master's in library science or equivalent graduate degree, e.g. LL.B. or J.D., related to the position.
OR
B. Specialized Experience
1 year equivalent to at least the GS-07. Specialized experience is defined by the following: 1) Providing library reference services; 2) Applying standard library reference tools and established techniques and practices; AND 3) Researching legal and/or litigation references to answer questions related to law.
OR
C. Combination of Education and Experience
A combination of education and experience as described in items A and B, computed as a percentage of requirements equal to 100%. To compute the combination of education and experience, use the following formula: Divide the total months of experience by 12. The divide the semester hours of graduate education beyond the FIRST year by 18. Finally, add the two percentages.

GS-11 Applicants
To Qualify for the GS-11 Librarian (Law) position, you must meet one of the following education and/or experience requirements below:

A Education
A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL. M., in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
B. Specialized Experience
1 year equivalent to at least the GS-09. Specialized experience is defined by the following: 1) Providing library reference services; 2) Preparing justifications for acquiring new or additional materials for a collection; AND 3) Preparing basic finding aids for written products describing legal and legislative research methodologies.
OR
C. Combination of Education and Experience
A combination of education and experience as described in items A and B, computed as a percentage of requirements equal to 100%. To compute the combination of education and experience, use the following formula: Divide the total months of experience by 12. The divide the semester hours of graduate education beyond the SECOND year by 18. Finally, add the two percentages.

GS-12 Applicants
To qualify for the GS-12, you must meet the specialized experience as described below:

A. Specialized Experience
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level performing the following duties: 1) Developing legal or law-related resources directories, in both paper and electronic format; 2) Providing instructional library services to individuals and groups; AND 3) Preparing justifications for acquiring new or additional materials for a collection.

GS-13 Applicants
To qualify for the GS-13, you must meet the specialized experience as described below:

A. Specialized Experience
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level performing the following duties: 1) Providing technical and program support for electronic library information systems and services; 2) Planning, scheduling, coordinating, and/or monitoring the operations of a law library; AND 3) Recommending solutions to fill gaps and update library collections to improve service to customers.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements for the grade level(s) you are applying to by the closing date of this announcement, 10/23/2020.
Your resume must support your responses to the questionnaire and qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

This position has an education requirement for all grade levels (GS-9, 11, 12, and 13). Please review the Basic Requirements and Specialized Knowledge requirements under the "Qualifications" section. Additionally, you may review the Office of Personnel Management's Basic Qualification Requirements at the link below:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1400/librarian-series-1410/

You must submit transcripts with your application. We accept unofficial transcripts with your initial application, however, you will need to provide official transcripts at a later stage in the application process.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :
Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be creditable toward your qualifications. Therefore, you should provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation .

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

General Employment Information:

• DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf
• Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov .
• Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Our policy can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/manual-and-procedures-providing-reasonable-accommodation
• Schedule A for Persons with Disabilities : Learn more at USAJOBS - Individuals with Disabilities .
Preference Eligible Veterans and Military Spouses : Please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details.
• Career Transition Assistance Programs (CTAP & ICTAP) : For more information visit: USAJOBS Career Transition Programs

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the job opportunity announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. The information you provide will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. Some announcements may use additional USA Hire assessment batteries and you will be notified if you're required to take an additional assessment.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

• Computer Skills
• Education and Training
• Law Librarianship
• Research & Analysis

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims.

For example, Veteran documents would be required only from applicants claiming Veteran's Preference. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of document descriptions below, to see which documents are required for your application.

ALL APPLICANTS : You must submit a detailed resume containing the following pieces of information for each job listed:

• official position title,
• employer name and contact information,
• start and end dates ( including month and year ),
• a detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
• your highest salary (or grade/step) achieved, and
• the number of hours worked per week (or indicate full-time).

If you're unsure about what to include in your resume, please review the USAJOBS Resume Writing Tutorial on YouTube. You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder , as this will ensure you're including everything that is required.

If you are claiming a Veterans Preference eligibility:

• When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
• If you are a V eteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more , you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
• If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information.
• For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets .

If you are a person with a severe disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A :

• You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation from your doctor or a licensed vocational rehabilitation professional. You can see sample letters here .
• For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site .

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP :

• You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
• If you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
• See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required :

• You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
• Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
• If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education.
• Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection, these may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.

More Info:
USAJOBS - What documents might I need to provide?
Application Manager Help - Documents

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 schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

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.