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Library Technician

Smithsonian Institution
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA) provides authoritative information and innovative services for Smithsonian researchers and curators, as well as scholars and the public worldwide. SLA comprises 20 specialized research libraries and institutional archives.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/29/2025 to 10/14/2025
Salary
$57,164 to - $74,318 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07
Location
Washington, DC
FEW vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Federal
Work schedule
Full-time - Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
08
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
25R-ST-313060-MPA-SLA
Control number
846784600

Duties

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The Librarian Technician provides technical support for collection management, reference, circulation and patron services for one or more of the SLA’s reseach libraries.

In this position, you will:

  • Assist with the management of physical collections for the library, including shelving, shifting, placing orders, and processing new materials.
  • Provides circulation, interlibrary loan, and patron account services, using the library’s circulation and interlibrary loan technology systems. 
  • Provide basic reference services to patrons by conducting bibliographic searches of databases; referring patrons to appropriate staff or unit; assisting them in reading citations, call numbers, etc.
  • Provide basic administrative support for the library manager, staff and patrons.

Requirements

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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, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

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

Qualifications

GS-07 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal Service.  For this position, specialized experience is defined as managing library collections (shelving, shifting, processing new materials, bibliographic data entry); providing circulation and patron services, including processing and fulfilling interlibrary loan requests; and providing basic reference and information services to library patrons.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

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.

Education

There is no subsitution for education. 

Additional information

  • This position is included in the bargaining unit.  

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position.  However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities:  The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority:

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above.  The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria:

  1. Knowledge of standard bibliographic data elements (e.g., title, author, series, publication data, Library of Congress call number) to effectively manage physical library collections, including shelving, searching, ordering and processing.
  2. Knowledge of library technology systems (e.g., catalog and interlibrary loan) to perform core functions such as account creation, circulation, loan fulfillment, and notice generation. Skilled in delivering high-quality customer service to library patrons.
  3. Ability to perform bibliographic searches using library catalogs and databases to locate specific or relevant materials, and to interpret citations across various publication types to support patron requests.
  4. Ability to carry out regular oversight of facilities, supplies, and equipment, to identify concerns, and take appropriate action to remedy any issues.

BASIS OF RATING:  Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of this position. If, after the Human Resources Specialist reviews your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that the score you have received is not a true reflection of your qualifications and/or experience, your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect the information you provided that support your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Your resume should provide detailed information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA):  If you are applying for a VEOA appointment, you must be a veteran and must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. ("Active Service" under this law means active duty in a uniformed service and includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, full-time National Guard duty, and attendance, while in the active service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary concerned.) A veteran who is released under honorable conditions shortly before completing a 3-year tour is also eligible.

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.


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