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Library Technician (Collection Care Technician)

Legislative Branch
Library of Congress
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Library of Congress serves the Congress in fulfilling its duties and preserves and promotes knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people. It is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the world's largest library, with more than 158 million items in its physical collections (including books, manuscripts, prints, photos, film, video, and sound recordings) and over 37 million items online. Located primarily on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the Library is the home of the U.S. Copyright Office, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Law Library of Congress, and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

This position is located in the Preservation Directorate of Library Services and the Collections Conservation Section of the Binding and Collections Care Division. To assure long-term access to collections, the Library regularly labels, binds, repairs and provides custom protective enclosures for new acquisitions, at-risk materials, and fragile and damaged media in all formats. The incumbent works under the direction of the Head, Collections Care Section, performs repairs, and constructs housing and protective enclosures for the Library's collections.

The position description number for this position is 062252.

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

The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

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

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/20/2017 to 04/07/2017
Salary
$36,281 to - $47,171 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 05
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
1 vacancy
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Open
Service
Promotion potential
07
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Announcement number
VAR000042
Control number
466114900

This job is open to

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Duties

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The incumbent houses collections-level materials by hand using protective enclosures such as folders, envelopes, sleeves, folders, or polyester encapsulations. Uses an automated box-making system to construct custom-fitted enclosures for Library materials from the permanent research collections for which binding, repair, or other physical treatments are inappropriate. Places collection-level materials in alkaline file folders and manuscript boxes. Safely removes materials from acidic binders or containers and places them in appropriate protective enclosures.

Performs basic repairs to collection materials, including tipping-in or hinging-in of loose leaves and replacement pages; dry cleaning; tightening hinges; and repairing paper using heat-set tissue or Japanese paper. Humidifies and flattens materials as appropriate and constructs pockets to house material. Conducts treatment in a production environment by batching similar treatments.

Equipment used may include board shears, guillotine cutter, book presses, computers, mounting press, ultrasonic or heat-welding equipment, box-making machine, fume hood, pressure and spray equipment for deacidification preparation or sewing frames.

Develops and maintains a good working knowledge of computer operations and of designated computer software packages for word processing, database management, graphic design, statistical compilations, and bibliographic production.

Participates on Library committees and/or task forces and contributes to the Library-wide disaster preparedness and response efforts.

Under minimal supervision, prepares various simple, routine written materials in support of the unit or office, such as form letters or standard response forms. Prepares and/or drafts general correspondence in accord with established policies and procedures, and in accord with specific instructions from the supervisor.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

No additional requirements to those listed above.

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.

Knowledge of preservation techniques for library collection materials.**

Ability to plan, organize, and execute work within specified deadlines.**

Ability to use computerized search tools, databases, and other computer applications.

Ability to operate and maintain specialized equipment.

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. 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 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 202-707-3960 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.

For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section X.D, at: http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/msp010909.pdf.

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.
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