Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #25R-ST-311747-MPA-SLA More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Librarian (Reference) is responsible for providing library research, collections, and outreach services to National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) staff. They will act as the NMNH Library's subject expert in their assigned area(s) and will act as liaison to the corresponding museum departments.

In this position, you will:

• Support the research and information needs of NMNH research staff and affiliated researchers in one or more of the scientific fields represented by NMNH departments (i.e. Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Invertebrate and Vertebrate Zoology, Mineral or Earth Sciences, Paleobiology / Paleontology)
• Develop and manage Library collections in one or more subject areas to meet the needs of the NMNH scientific staff.
• Develop and foster relationships with scientific staff in designated areas; communicates regularly with members of assigned department(s) and seeks input on library-related matters.
• Develop, implement, and assess educational events, guides, and other materials based on needs of patrons across a range of knowledge and experience levels. Offers learning events tailored for NMNH researcher needs as well as general library instruction.

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Qualifications

Basic Qualification Requirements:

All librarians must meet the requirements for professional education in library science or possess equivalent experience and education.

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. 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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements listed below:

GS-11 Experience:You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service.  For this position Specialized experience is defined as providing research and reference assistance, performing collection development and outreach activities, and performing library research instruction, as the designated subject matter expert in one or more of the disciplines represented by NMNH departments (i.e. Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Invertebrate and Vertebrate Zoology, Mineral or Earth Sciences, or Paleobiology / Paleontology).

OR

3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education in library science or doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) related to the position.

You must submit a legible copy of your college/university transcripts to your online application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if selected. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification of your application.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

1. Knowledge of library reference resources (print and digital) and research techniques within assigned natural history/science or anthropology disciplines, sufficient to solve a varied range of information access, discovery, and research/reference problems for NMNH library patrons.
2. Knowledge of, and skill in applying, library collections management guidelines, techniques, and tools, sufficient to evaluate, select, analyze, and manage print and digital materials for the library collection in one or more designated subject areas.
3. Ability to engage with and interact effectively with a scientific community (including museum staff, students and interns, and affiliated researchers) in their research- and publishing-related needs and interests, using a varied range of approaches.
4. Knowledge of, and skill in implementing, varied, up-to-date, and effective teaching methods, with a focus on the information resources and research practices of one or more of the physical or life sciences or anthropology.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

• Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
• Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
• Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.

This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.