Job opening: Librarian (Law)
Salary: $117 962 - 153 354 per year
Published at: Jul 15 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
See QUALIFICATIONS and EDUCATION for important information about this position.
Serves as Senior Law Librarian. Provides technical guidance and expert advice on comprehensive legal and legislative reference services to the legal staff members in the Office of the General Counsel, as well as SSA's administrative research and legal staff.
See DUTIES for additional responsibilities of this position.
Duties
Utilizes extensive legal research ability and special bibliographical competence in law and legislative services.
Provides guidance, direction and oversight in one or more of the following functions: a major library system, programs, e.g., cataloging, acquisitions and collections development and maintenance, reference and research and Digital Library services.
Provides comprehensive, reference, research, advisory, evaluative, consultative and instructional services to individuals and groups.
Responds to a range of complex inquiries, including those in new or highly specialized fields of knowledge, those regarding historical materials that are difficult to identify or locate and information involving rapidly evolving terminology.
Responds orally or in writing to inquiries related to assigned field of responsibility.
Exercises considerable judgment and discretion when interpreting and applying guidelines, including deviating from or extending traditional methods, techniques and practices or identifying areas for improvement in established methods and procedures.
Plans and manages all functions of a large, diverse legal research collection.
Provides extensive legal and legislative reference services utilizing a variety of highly complex technical and specialized databases and other diverse sources.
Recommends acquisition and budget modifications by reviewing all new and renewal contracts for publications and library services, for consistency in specifications and customer requirements.
Requirements
- All application materials must be received by the closing date. All application forms submitted become the property of SSA Human Resources. Requests for copies of application documents will not be accepted.
- Applicants must be in good standing. Applicants must have a fully successful rating of record. Official Personnel Folders will not be reviewed.
- See QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, REQUIRED DOCUMENTS and HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED sections for more information about this position.
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS for this GS-13 Librarian (Law) position are based on:
(1) an Individual Occupational Requirement for the federal GS-1410 series, including
(2) additional experience and/or education specific to the Librarian (Law) specialty AND
(3) at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience
(1) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR):
A. One (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 combination of college-level education, training and experience that totals at least 5 years. To qualify on this basis, you must establish conclusively that your education, training and experience provides knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles and techniques of professional librarianship, knowledge of literature resources and knowledge and abilities essential for providing effective library and information services.
(2) ADDITIONALLY, for this Librarian (Law) position, your education or experience must include or be supplemented by one of the following:
A. Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university that meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree and includes at least 24 semester hours in law or legal studies - OR --
B. Successful completion of at least 24 semester hours of legal study in an accredited law school - OR --
C. At least 4 years of law library experience of such nature and level to provide a knowledge of the basic principles, theories, practices, techniques, terminology and expressions of law librarianship; an understanding of the standard methods, procedures and techniques of research and analysis 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 law or legal studies (as specified in A above) or legal training (as specified in B above) - OR --
D. A time-equivalent combination of experience as described in C above with education as described in A above or B above.
(3) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least 52 weeks of *Specialized Experience as described below. Specialized Experience must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-12 OR if your experience was gained in another federal pay scale or outside of federal service it must demonstrate performance of duties at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to a federal position at or above GS-12.
*SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of conducting time-sensitive research of legal information / legal sources in a legal research library (such as in a law firm, law school, court or other government organization or the legal department of a large business or organization) and conducting market research for purchasing (or recommending the purchase of) electronic legal resources.
If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it.
Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.
Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe.
An affirmative response to the online questionnaire is not sufficient to demonstrate experience.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (e.g., Individual Occupational Requirement, including additional Law Librarian education/experience AND Specialized Experience) must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Federal applicants for promotion must have at least 52 weeks at GS-12 or other federal equivalent.
Time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing of the announcement.
Information on this job series can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1400/librarian-series-1410/
Education
This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Librarian positions, including additional education/experience required for the Law Librarian specialty. (See QUALIFICATIONS)
You must meet and demonstrate both requirements and submit documents that fully support your claim (even if you already hold a federal 1410 series position).
Remember to submit transcripts for ALL college-level education, e.g., your bachelor's degree, as well as transcripts for all graduate study.
TRANSCRIPTS -- submit copes of your full transcripts, showing your name, the name of the school, the program in which you were enrolled, the relevant courses completed, and degree conferred. Highlight courses in library science and/or legal studies to ensure they're given appropriate consideration.
Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. CHECK YOUR UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT TO CONFIRM IT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION. You must upload your transcripts as part of your application. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail.
If you attended more than one college or university, submit transcripts for all schools attended.
If you are demonstrating a combination of education, training and experience, be very specific about how that combination meets the full qualification requirements.
TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE LEGIBLE, or you may not receive credit for completed courses.
DO NOT SUBMIT A DIPLOMA IN LIEU OF A FULL TRANSCRIPT THAT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION.
If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of your appointment.
Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation 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 a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or that full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Contacts
- Address DCBFM - OFLM
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
US
- Name: OPE Staffing DCBFM
- Phone: 410-965-1234
- Email: [email protected]
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