The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program (JFP) is a paid, 10-week annual summer internship program that enables undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates to gain career experience by working with analog and digital collections and supporting the services of the world's largest library.
Summary
The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program (JFP) is a paid, 10-week annual summer internship program that enables undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates to gain career experience by working with analog and digital collections and supporting the services of the world's largest library.
MUST be a U.S. citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. MUST be located in the U.S. or its territories for the entire duration of the internship.
The position description number for this position is 404866.
This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
The Summer 2026 session of the Junior Fellows Program includes options for both onsite and remote project work. This posting is for the onsite project track. Interns hired under this announcement will be expected to commute to a Library of Congress facility in Washington, DC or Culpeper, VA to conduct work duties.
Working with curators and specialists in various divisions, Junior Fellows explore collections, resources, and initiatives and produce products that position the Library of Congress as a dynamic center for fostering innovation, sparking creativity, and building lifelong connections.
With guidance from mentors, Junior Fellows are exposed to a broad spectrum of library work, including: reference, access, public programming, copyright, preservation, and information technology.
JFP projects increase access to Library of Congress collections and promote awareness of the Library's resources to Congress and people across America. In the past, Junior Fellows have identified and interpreted hundreds of historical, literary, artistic, cinematic and musical gems representing the Library’s rich creative and intellectual assets.
Program Focus
The focus of the program is to increase access to Library collections and to promote awareness and appreciation of the Library's services to Congressional members, scholars, students, teachers, and the general public. Junior Fellows encourage the use of collections and services − ensuring that the Library of Congress is known as a living, dynamic center for scholarly work and meaningful connections.
Program participants inventory, catalog, arrange, preserve, and research collections in varied formats, as well as assist in digital and analog library initiatives. Upon completion of their assignments, Junior Fellows work closely with Library curators and specialists to plan and present a display of their most significant discoveries and accomplishments.
The Junior Fellows Program, a signature initiative of the Library of Congress since 1991, is made possible by gifts from the late James Madison Council member Nancy Glanville Jewell through the Glanville Family Foundation, the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund, the Library Internship and Fellowship Trust Fund, and the Mellon Foundation.
All projects require basic knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
MUST be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents are ineligible for consideration.
MUST be a U.S. citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
MUST be a first- time participant in the Junior Fellows Program.
MUST be able to commute to a Library of Congress facility in Washington, DC or Culpeper, VA (Projects 4 and 5) to conduct work duties for the duration of the internship.
MUST be available to attend mandatory orientation on Monday, May 18, 2026. NO EXCEPTIONS.
MUST be available to work Monday – Friday during the Junior Fellow Program’s core business hours 6:30 am – 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.
Note: Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.
Qualifications
1. Must be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents are ineligible for consideration. 2. MUST be a U.S. citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. 3. MUST BE AVAILABLE TO REPORT TO WORK ONSITE FOR FULL TEN WEEK PERIOD from May 18 through July 24. MUST be available to attend mandatory orientation on Monday, May 18, 2026. NO EXCEPTIONS. 4. Must be available to work a full-time schedule, Monday – Friday during the Junior Fellow Program’s core business hours: 6:30 am – 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. 5. MUST be able to commute to the Library of Congress main campus in Washington, DC or Culpeper, VA (Projects 4 and 5) to conduct work duties for the duration of the internship. 6. Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of a personnel security/suitability investigation. Note: If selected, you must assist us to expedite processing of your application by responding quickly (within one week) to the Personnel Security Department. It is your responsibility to meet the concrete deadlines set forth under this announcement. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you respond and complete the necessary components of the background investigation within the given timeframe. 7. Resume. 8. Responses to all Vacancy Questions. 9. Latest transcript from the current or most recently attended college or university, official registrar documentation certifying enrollment in Fall 2025, certification of enrollment via Clearinghouse, OR copy of degree obtained in 2025.
If you are freshman at your institution and do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal OR your unofficial transcript does not display enrollment in the Fall 2025 semester, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Certifications via Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment. Lastly, if you have graduated in 2025: a copy of your degree will suffice as verification.
A legible copy of your latest college/university transcripts or one of the aforementioned enrollment verifying documents is required with your online application. Unofficial transcripts or a copy of your degree are acceptable at the time of application. Your transcript will be used to certify your eligibility for the program. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Transcripts must be issued by the college or university, and must include your name, the name of the institution, and the courses and course dates. Screenshots, JPEGS, Word or other text documents, and stand-alone course lists are not acceptable. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification.
If you do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Certifications via Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment. You may also provide a copy of your degree as verification.
10. Two (2) references (name, email and phone) that can attest to the applicant's proficiency, skills, work ethic, reliability, quality of work, and capacity to work on teams. PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR REFERENCE NAMES, AND CONTACT INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF YOUR INTERVIEW. DO NOT ATTACH REFERENCE INFORMATION TO YOUR APPLICATION.
Letters of Recommendation are NOT required for the application.
For all documents except professional references, you should follow the steps for submitting documents found below in step 5 of the "How to Apply" section.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once selected and hired for the internship, every effort will be made to accommodate project selections. Due to the popularity of some areas of interest, preferred project placement cannot be guaranteed. All project areas may not be available at the time applicants are selected and others may be added. Applicants should be sure to indicate three project areas of interest within their applications. Please refer to the “How You Will be Evaluated” section for more information.
Education
MUST be a U.S. citizen currently enrolled at time of application in a degree-granting program of study at an accredited institution of higher learning at the undergraduate level (college, university, or tribal college), or graduate level, AND/OR have graduated or will graduate between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
NOTE: Your transcripts and/or registrar certification of enrollment documents are required in order to verify your eligibility for consideration. Failure to provide this documentation in your application will result in disqualification. All transcripts and/or registrar documents must be in PDF file format. Image files, Word documents, etc. are not acceptable.
REQUIRED: A legible copy of your latest college/university transcripts OR official registrar documentation certifying enrollment in Fall 2025.** Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Transcripts must be issued by the college or university, and must include your name, the name of the institution, and the courses and course dates. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification.All transcripts and/or registrar documents must be in PDF file format. Image files, Word documents, etc. are not acceptable.
** - If you are freshman at your institution and do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal OR your unofficial transcript does not display enrollment in the Fall 2025 semester, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Enrollment certification via Clearinghouse or a copy of your recently obtained degree are also acceptable to verify enrollment.
Foreign Education – Education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed equivalent to conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. If your college/university is outside the U.S., your transcripts must be accompanied by a report from a credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE). Failure to submit a foreign education evaluation report will result in disqualification of your application.
Additional information
Selections for all 2026 Fellows are projected to be complete by late March 2026. Notices of selection or non-selection will be sent out in the first week of April 2026. If you have any questions regarding this vacancy announcement or the status of your application, please contact jobhelp@loc.gov.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, or national origin.
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 notify ADA@loc.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be 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 date of certification must be within one year of the vacancy closing date. For more information contact the selective placement program coordinator at 202-707-6362 or email spp@loc.gov.
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.
The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
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.
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.
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.
Eligible application packages will be forwarded to selecting officials in the Library who will arrange telephone interviews with promising applicants, based on the application package and desired skills. Note: application referral to a selecting official does not guarantee an interview.
Selections for all 2026 Fellows are projected to be complete by late March 2026. Notices of selection or non-selection will be sent out in the first week of April 2026. If you have any questions regarding this vacancy announcement or the status of your application, please contact jobhelp@loc.gov.
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.
Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.
Transcripts may support your qualifications for a federal job and can include high school, college or other schools.
Please be sure to submit ALL Required Documents.
If any documents are missing, your application will be disqualified: 1. REQUIRED - Resume. The use of personal email addresses instead of .edu emails addresses is strongly encouraged to ensure that communication is received. 2. REQUIRED: A legible copy of your latest college/university transcripts OR official registrar documentation certifying enrollment in Fall 2025 AND/OR graduation within the 2025 calendar year.** Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Transcripts must be issued by the college or university, and must include your name, the name of the institution, and the courses and course dates. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification.All transcripts and/or registrar documents must be in PDF file format. Image files, Word documents, etc. are not acceptable.
** - If you are freshman at your institution and do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal OR your unofficial transcript does not display enrollment in the Fall 2025 semester, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Certifications via Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment. Lastly, if you have graduated in 2025: a copy of your degree will suffice as verification. Failure to provide any proof of enrollment will result in disqualification from consideration.
IF APPLICABLE - Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. 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.
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.
Please note, there is no page restriction to your resume, and you are allowed to upload a resume longer than two pages in the resume section within the application process. When the application system prompts, please proceed to the agency site to complete your application.
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.
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. 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
LM107
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.
Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.
Transcripts may support your qualifications for a federal job and can include high school, college or other schools.
Please be sure to submit ALL Required Documents.
If any documents are missing, your application will be disqualified: 1. REQUIRED - Resume. The use of personal email addresses instead of .edu emails addresses is strongly encouraged to ensure that communication is received. 2. REQUIRED: A legible copy of your latest college/university transcripts OR official registrar documentation certifying enrollment in Fall 2025 AND/OR graduation within the 2025 calendar year.** Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if selected for the position. Transcripts must be issued by the college or university, and must include your name, the name of the institution, and the courses and course dates. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification.All transcripts and/or registrar documents must be in PDF file format. Image files, Word documents, etc. are not acceptable.
** - If you are freshman at your institution and do not have an unofficial transcript at your disposal OR your unofficial transcript does not display enrollment in the Fall 2025 semester, please submit another document from your institution and/or registrar’s office to certify your current enrollment. Certifications via Clearinghouse are acceptable to verify enrollment. Lastly, if you have graduated in 2025: a copy of your degree will suffice as verification. Failure to provide any proof of enrollment will result in disqualification from consideration.
IF APPLICABLE - Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. 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.
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.
Please note, there is no page restriction to your resume, and you are allowed to upload a resume longer than two pages in the resume section within the application process. When the application system prompts, please proceed to the agency site to complete your application.
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.
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. 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
LM107
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.
