Library Technician

Job Title

Library Technician

Job Description

The Asian Division provides services to members of Congress and their staff, librarians, scholars, government agencies, academic institutions, the press, publishers, profit and nonprofit organizations, and the general public. The incumbent of this position is responsible for a variety of activities in support of Asian collections inventory control and tracking, both behind-the-scenes activities, e.g., problem resolution, quality control, searching collections storage areas for items not readily found or for which a problem might be present, support of the inventory program, and direct public service. The incumbent provides support to reader services in the Collections Services for readers using the Library's Asian collections that include monographs, serials, microfilms, microfiche, CDs, and online electronic resources.

As the Library Technician, you will:

• Resolve complex collections maintenance issues. Develop plans to expedite sorting, arranging, and shelving of incoming or returned books, periodicals, or microform receipts; demonstrate initiative in recognizing and solving problems, inconsistencies, and errors in piece identification and labelling before such items reach final destination. Make necessary arrangements to rearrange or shift items in accordance with available space or participates in planned moves to achieve this purpose.
• Search and identify bibliographic records in the online catalog for items in the Library's collection. Create holdings and/or item records where none are already present. Review existing cataloging records to report item-specific errors such as call number and location data. Mark duplicate holdings and item records for deletion. Link the barcode on the physical item to the bibliographic record to create an inventory record for that specific item. Construct summary holding records that accurately reflect items in the collection.
• Locate items not readily available on the shelf; complete special searches in all major and special catalogs for general and special collections of all types of materials, including hard-to-find items. Check shelf to locate material; check to determine if item has been charged outside the library or to a location within the library. Verify entry in the shelf-list and/or serial record and consult the full range of library technical tools, reference and bibliographic sources of all types, and the entire spectrum of printed and computerized card catalogs and files to determine the accuracy of information provided by the requester.
• Perform complex support work in a special area of collection materials preservation, such as surveying collections to determine appropriate housings; construct custom housings for collections, such as folders, envelopes, sleeves, and polyester encapsulations; and determine the optimum use of supplies in the creation of housings. Physically handle books, paper, photographs, CDs, microfilms and microfiches, or moving image materials in order to track and apply appropriate labels, barcode labels, security devices, and/or property stamps across the Library.
• Proficiency in reading and writing in Chinese is required.

This position is located in the Collections Services Section, Asian Division, General and International Collections Directorate, Research and Collections Services.

The position description number for this position is 464462.

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

The incumbent of this position will work a flexitime 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.