Copyright is a form of legal protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) to authors of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other works. The United States Copyright Office, located within the Library of Congress and under the direction of the Register of Copyrights, administers the Copyright Law; advises Congress and government agencies on legal and policy matters; provides international representation on copyright issues; administers the national copyright registration system; provides collections materials to the Library through voluntary registration and mandatory deposit programs; records documents relating to copyright chain of title; administers statutory license provisions of the law, including collecting and distributing royalties; maintains the world’s largest database of copyright public records; and provides information and reference services to the public.
The Office of Public Information and Education is responsible for providing information to the public and to the copyright community regarding U.S. copyright law and Copyright Office services. Staff of the Office of Public Information and Education respond to inquiries from the public, create and distribute Copyright Office publications, plan and execute a variety of educational activities, engage in outreach with diverse audiences via social media, and maintain the Copyright Office’s website.
The position is Communications Officer and reports to the Supervisory Communications Officer in the Outreach Section of the Office of Public Information and Education. The Communications Officer implements various outreach programs and efforts directed to audiences external to the Copyright Office including the general public, specialized audiences, students, and political and executive branch officials. The incumbent provides public information in various settings and uses electronic resources to promote the Copyright Office’s mission.
While performing daily activities, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring proper handling and security of all Library and Copyright Office materials. The position description number for this position is 373776. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. This position has promotion potential to GS-13.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Summary
Copyright is a form of legal protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) to authors of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other works. The United States Copyright Office, located within the Library of Congress and under the direction of the Register of Copyrights, administers the Copyright Law; advises Congress and government agencies on legal and policy matters; provides international representation on copyright issues; administers the national copyright registration system; provides collections materials to the Library through voluntary registration and mandatory deposit programs; records documents relating to copyright chain of title; administers statutory license provisions of the law, including collecting and distributing royalties; maintains the world’s largest database of copyright public records; and provides information and reference services to the public.
The Office of Public Information and Education is responsible for providing information to the public and to the copyright community regarding U.S. copyright law and Copyright Office services. Staff of the Office of Public Information and Education respond to inquiries from the public, create and distribute Copyright Office publications, plan and execute a variety of educational activities, engage in outreach with diverse audiences via social media, and maintain the Copyright Office’s website.
The position is Communications Officer and reports to the Supervisory Communications Officer in the Outreach Section of the Office of Public Information and Education. The Communications Officer implements various outreach programs and efforts directed to audiences external to the Copyright Office including the general public, specialized audiences, students, and political and executive branch officials. The incumbent provides public information in various settings and uses electronic resources to promote the Copyright Office’s mission.
While performing daily activities, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring proper handling and security of all Library and Copyright Office materials. The position description number for this position is 373776. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. This position has promotion potential to GS-13.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Implements and executes various operations of the Outreach and Education Section. Plans and implements a comprehensive public affairs program to improve the understanding of the Copyright Office’s programs among the general public, and specialized groups and organizations.
Utilizing analytical skills, and in collaboration with Office and Copyright management, analyzes data to determine areas to concentrate public affairs efforts. Identifies and assesses options and alternatives, making the final decision on multiple operational details, while working with Office and Copyright management on larger issues, which may include overall strategic direction and budgetary issues.
Researches the needs of the public and the copyright community to develop targeted outreach content and methods. Uses various methods and techniques in achieving communication goals such as exhibits, website postings, blogs, and other social media.
Analyzes the effectiveness and efficiency of the public affairs program, (including on-line programs) in achieving improved understanding of the Copyright Office’s mission and programs.
Researches and selects copyright industry organizations, publishers, trade and professional associations, and other groups to target for web presentations and articles, on-line interactive interviews and learning events, question and answer sessions, blog posts, and other social media and website postings.
Arranges and conducts workshops, seminars and other meetings, both conventional and web-based, with various organizations to enhance understanding of Copyright Office programs and services, stimulating interest and awareness, identifying concerns, and motivating participating groups to communicate information about Copyright Office services to employees and constituents.
Arranges and conducts special tours of the Copyright Office for visitors, dignitaries, and groups, and participates in public and professional meetings, workshops, and exhibitions, etc., by answering questions and/or representing the Copyright Office.
Refers requestors to information located on the Copyright Office website, and to other sources of information outside the Copyright Office, such as other units of the Library of Congress, the Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Customs, the Copyright Royalty Judges, other federal and state agencies, and organizations that deal in copyright related matters.
Utilizes various electronic and other sources, with a goal of determining applicability to the Copyright Office’s mission to sustain an on-going communications dialog with various audiences interested in Copyright issues, researches and maintains a current knowledge of trends, including public acceptance and utilization of various components of online outreach.
Identifies and proposes ways for persons interested in Copyright to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community. As technologies evolve, identifies trends and recommends adoption of new techniques and methods and abandoning those no longer useful.
Writes proposals, reports, training programs, social media postings, web content, and other materials supporting projects. Uses excellent judgment in all aspects of the position, including understanding the delicate balance between disclosure and discretion when working with persons and entities outside the Copyright Office.
Based on feedback from the public, internal sources, and personal observation recommends new forms of information for distribution to the public in new ways.
May draft requests for proposals and monitor staff and contractors assisting with new public affairs initiatives. May serve as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for contracts procured in connection with the initiative.
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 Write/Communicate in Writing.**
Ability to Plan, Prioritize, Organize, and/or Execute Education/Outreach Initiatives.**
Ability to Research, Analyze, Evaluate, and Make Recommendations to Improve Program Effectiveness.**
Knowledge of Public Affairs Programs & Web Communication Strategies.
Knowledge of Copyright Office Mission, Priorities, and Communications Goals and Objectives.
Ability to utilize Computer Technology/Software Applications.
Ability to Develop and Maintain Relationships, Interact Collaboratively, and Convey Information Through Briefings, Consultations, and Other Presentations.
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 the minimum step of the grade.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly 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 ADA@loc.gov. 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 certificate of disability must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and may be issued by a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, a Disability Services or Career Services Office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The date of certification must be within three (3) years of the vacancy closing date and must be submitted with your application. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. 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.
The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period.
A “Not to Exceed“ (NTE) status is used to identify an appointment with a specific ending date. However, the Library has the right to separate a NTE employee at any time due to either performance issues or budget constraints.
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 here 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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. To preview questions please click here.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent). Disabled applicants claiming Selective Placement eligibility must submit proof of disability and a certification of job readiness. If Selective Placement is applicable to you, you will not be considered without submitting this documentation.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position. You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps. Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress. Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements. Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement. (1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement. (2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS. (3) You may follow the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions within the online application, which will provide the necessary cover sheets for each of your documents so that they will be correctly submitted. The fax number will be available on the cover sheet. Please note that each cover sheet and corresponding document must be faxed separately. Be certain to review your complete fax transmittal confirmation to ensure that all pages have been received. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. Likewise, if sending them by fax, be sure and include both of them behind the respective fax cover sheet and send them as one fax. If you send them individually with the same cover sheet, the last one sent will overwrite the first one. Finally, if you upload a document, e.g. your undergraduate transcript, do not also fax that same document (or fax another undergraduate transcript), because whichever one you send last will be the only one that is visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date. Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement. If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Ave. SE
LM-107
Washington, District of Columbia 20540
United States
Next steps
Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent). Disabled applicants claiming Selective Placement eligibility must submit proof of disability and a certification of job readiness. If Selective Placement is applicable to you, you will not be considered without submitting this documentation.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position. You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps. Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress. Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements. Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement. (1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement. (2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS. (3) You may follow the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions within the online application, which will provide the necessary cover sheets for each of your documents so that they will be correctly submitted. The fax number will be available on the cover sheet. Please note that each cover sheet and corresponding document must be faxed separately. Be certain to review your complete fax transmittal confirmation to ensure that all pages have been received. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. Likewise, if sending them by fax, be sure and include both of them behind the respective fax cover sheet and send them as one fax. If you send them individually with the same cover sheet, the last one sent will overwrite the first one. Finally, if you upload a document, e.g. your undergraduate transcript, do not also fax that same document (or fax another undergraduate transcript), because whichever one you send last will be the only one that is visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date. Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement. If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Ave. SE
LM-107
Washington, District of Columbia 20540
United States
Next steps
Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
