Librarian (Japanese Art), IS-1410-11

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nDescription OPEN DATE: August 26, 2026 CLOSING DATE: September 23, 2026 POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite SCHEDULE: Full Time \nDUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC \n \nPosition sensitivity and risk:Non-Sensitive/Low RiskWho May Apply:Open to all qualified applicantsThis is a career ladder opportunity with promotion potential to grade 12. Promotion to the next higher grade, up to IS-12, may occur at management’s discretion upon the supervisor’s recommendation, subject to the availability of funds, classification requirements, satisfactory performance, and the employee's qualifications. What are Trust Fund Positions? Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care). Conditions of Employment\nPass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.\nComplete a Probationary Period.\nMaintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.\nThe position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.\nApplicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. \n OVERVIEW This position is located within the National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) Library, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA), Undersecretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian Institution (SI). Co-administered by NMAA and SLA, the position is located within the NMAA. SLA is the world's largest museum library and archives system and provides authoritative information and innovative services for Smithsonian researchers and curators, as well as scholars and the public worldwide. NMAA's Library (Library), founded in 1923 alongside the Freer Gallery of Art, holds over 100,000 volumes on Asian arts and cultures. As an integral part of the museum's collections—complementing its holdings of Asian artworks, turn-of-the-century American painting, art conservation materials, and allied disciplines—the library serves the Smithsonian's two Asian art museums. It collects, conserves, and makes its collections accessible while providing comprehensive services that support the institution's research, exhibitions, publications, and educational programs, as well as serving outside scholars, students, and the public. With a half of the collection in East Asian languages and its long history, the library is one of the most important Asian art research libraries in North America. The primary purpose of this position is to provide reference assistance and research services in art and art history, with a focus on Japanese art and culture, to a diverse clientele of museum staff and external researchers. Key responsibilities include acquisitions, cataloging, overseeing interlibrary loan services and circulation duties, and conducting collection maintenance, digitization projects, outreach initiatives, and management of interns, student workers, and volunteers. Additional functions include collection development and maintenance, preservation, budget management and monitoring, and facilities oversight.The position requires full professional proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Japanese to carry out library services and communicate effectively with stakeholders. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Collections Management \nManages and develops Library collections primarily in Japanese art and culture areas to meet the staff’s needs and support the global community of scholars who depend on the Smithsonian’s extensive resources, exercising professional judgment, subject expertise, and independent decision-making related to Japanese history, culture and art. Works collaboratively to identify, select, obtain, organize, and maintain the library’s Japanese art collections and resources, with responsibility for ensuring their long-term relevance, integrity, and accessibility.\nOversees collection maintenance, serials control, inventory, stacks maintenance, and preservation activities for Japanese language and Japan-related materials, with accountability for accuracy, compliance with SLA standards, and the physical stewardship of the collections.\nProcesses physical materials, such as cataloging, re-classification, filing, labeling, housing and bookplates, and shelving activities, including original and complex Japanese language materials that require specialized language skills and subject knowledge and adherence to national standards to ensure accurate bibliographic and item records, including applying standardized romanization for Japanese language materials. Makes cataloged materials fully accessible to users and contributes authority records to the Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO) and enhancing shared national bibliographic control. Researches and evaluates products or services that improve operational efficiency and support the timely reduction of backlogs.\nStrengthens collection development activities of the library through selection of materials acquired through purchase, gift and exchange, monitoring and appropriately expending allocated funds, contributing professional evaluations and recommendations to ensure responsible stewardship of resources, communicating fluently in Japanese with Japanese vendors to support timely acquisitions and ensure efficient and smooth transactions.\nMonitors new databases, serials, and other resources related to Japanese art for possible trial and/or acquisition and makes data-informed, well-documented recommendations as to their acquisition, based on relevance, cost, and anticipated research impact.\nUndertakes collection evaluation to inform collection management decisions, such as analyzing use and relevance, condition, authority, and uniqueness within and external to SLA. Uses results of analysis to develop and refine collections strategy and to prioritize allocation of resources.\nSeeks regular input from library stakeholders to identify gaps, shortcomings, and desired additions to the collection, ensuring alignment with curatorial, research, and institutional priorities.\nUses online bibliographic, cataloging, and research tools such as the Online Computer Library Center’s World Catalog (OCLC’s WorldCat) and the SLA’s library information systems for collections development and management activities, applying advanced search, analysis, and record-evaluation skills.\nDevelops and implements innovative collections-related projects and programs that may include digitization, preservation, and exhibits, acquisitions, expanding access, visibility, and scholarly engagement with the collections.\n \nResearch Support & Access \n\nSupports the diverse and often specialized research and information needs of internal and external researchers, providing advanced and complex research consultations and project assistance and responses to requests for basic information or library assistance. Independently assesses researcher needs, determines appropriate service strategies, and provides expert-level guidance for complex or interdisciplinary projects. Responsible for library services such as circulation and interlibrary loan. Ensures that services are strategically promoted, widely known, and easily accessed by researchers across the museum and broader Smithsonian research community.\nProvides routine and advanced reference responses in a timely, accurate, and courteous manner, using a range of general and subject-specific resources as required. Exercises independent professional judgment in addressing ambiguous, multifaceted, or high-impact research inquiries.\nConducts routine and advanced research; locates, evaluates, and synthesizes information from a variety of sources and formats, which could include monographic or serial publications, e-resources, archival material, ephemera, and non-English language publications particularly those in Japanese, often for complex research projects that require subject expertise, critical evaluation of sources, and synthesis across disciplines or branches/collections.\nProvides advanced instruction on the use of the library services, resources, and equipment to users, such as the use of online catalogs, accessing electronic materials, scanners and copiers, space and shelving arrangement, and the policies of the SLA, including developing tailored instruction or guidance for researchers, fellows, interns, or staff with specialized research needs.\nCompletes interlibrary loan requests in a timely manner, including verifying citations, locating materials and ensuring suitability for circulation, packing and shipment, and tracking in SLA interlibrary loan system, and provides guidance on complex or non-routine ILL requests, including rare, fragile, or specialized materials, consultation with SLA as needed.\nCirculates materials accurately and according to SLA/NMAA circulation policy. Creates and monitors patron accounts, ensures accuracy and personally identifiable information (PII) is secured according to SI and SLA regulations, and provides guidance or training to others on compliance with circulation procedures, service standards, and data protection requirements\n \nOutreach & Professional Engagement \n\nDevelops and fosters relationships with researchers to better align collections and support with researcher needs, unit initiatives, projects, and priorities, and those of related research areas across the Smithsonian Institution, serving as a knowledgeable liaison and point of contact for Japanese art and related research communities. Engages with relevant subject fields and librarianship through individual study, participation with professional organizations, such as attendance at professional meetings, seminars, conferences, etc., maintaining current awareness of scholarly trends and professional standards. Promotes library services and collections to researchers and the public through a variety of outreach tools, such as social media, programs, tours, Advancement events, etc., with responsibility for increasing visibility, awareness, and effective use of library resources.\nRegularly attends embedded unit meetings and events and stays informed of museum activities, ensuring proactive alignment between library services and curatorial, research, and exhibition priorities. Participates in NMAA, SLA, or SI committees and projects as appropriate, contributing subject expertise and advancing institutional initiatives.\nCommunicates regularly with NMAA members to update them on items of interest, such as developments in exhibitions and scholarly publishing, library service updates, new acquisitions, and collections highlights, acting as an informed and reliable conduit between the library and the museum community. Stays informed as to the museum’s library-related needs, interests, and concerns, and incorporates this knowledge into outreach and engagement efforts.\nGenerates and participates in initiatives for outreach and engagement activities tailored for the needs of internal and external researchers, including orientations to the library, tours, workshops and trainings, drop-in sessions, etc., as well as sessions designed for advanced users or library donors, with accountability for relevance, effectiveness, and alignment with institutional priorities.\n OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTS\nThe position requires full professional proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Japanese to carry out library services and communicate effectively with stakeholders.\nSkill to communicate in writing with Japanese-speaking users and vendors to provide reference consultation and acquisition communication.\nAbility to plan, coordinate, and lead projects or program activities, including prioritizing work, resolving problems, and ensuring the effective delivery of library services.\n QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Experience required for this position is as follows:\nExpert knowledge of library science principles, theories, and practices, including cataloging standards such as Resource Description and Access (RDA), Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), Library of Congress Program for Cooperative Catalog/Name Authority Cooperative Program (PCC/NACO) , and collection management methodologies, to manage and develop specialized library collections in Japanese art, history, and culture that support NMAA research priorities and a global scholarly community.\nAdvanced subject expertise in Japanese art and cultural history, sufficient to independently evaluate, select, and manage complex and specialized research materials for an academic or research library, including rare, foreign-language, and interdisciplinary resources, and to ensure their long-term relevance, integrity, and accessibility.\nKnowledge and skill to perform and oversee original and complex cataloging of Japanese-language materials, including applying standardized romanization, establishing and contributing authority records to the Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO), and resolving complex bibliographic issues that require interpretation of national standards.\nKnowledge of collection development strategies, acquisition workflows, vendor relations, and resource management, in order to plan, evaluate, and sustain collection growth aligned with NMAA priorities and evolving research needs.\nKnowledge of library systems and automated information technologies, including integrated library systems (e.g., Horizon and Alma) and bibliographic utilities (e.g., OCLC), to gather, analyze, and manage data, produce reports, and improve access to collections.\nKnowledge of preservation principles and collection stewardship practices, including serials control, inventory management, and stacks maintenance, to ensure the physical and intellectual control of collections.\nSkill to analyze and evaluate bibliographic data, collection trends, and user needs, and to develop solutions to complex collection and access challenges.\nSkill to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to provide expert guidance to staff, researchers and stakeholders, and to represent the library in profe