American Folklife Center Seeks Reference Librarian

The Reference Librarian is responsible for providing reference, research, consultation, and liaison services; instructions and training; and security for AFC collections. AFC holds nearly 6 million items in a variety of formats in thousands of individual collections stored in local and remote sites. The collections are among the Library’s most varied in medium, format, physical condition, and intellectual property rights requirements, with attendant concerns for security, preservation, and safe handling.

The collections are accessed by means of complex, diverse, and often multi-layered intellectual controls and surrogates in written, filmed, and digital fonns. As one of the largest ethnographic archives in the world, AFC plays a critical role in establishing a positive image of the Library and furthering the Library’s goal of providing a high level of responsive, effective, and professional public access and outreach services to the full range of Library users worldwide, including members of Congress and their staff, other agencies, scholars, researchers, and communities of origin.

Responds to research inquiries and works with higher grade or more experienced staff to respond to inquiries to determine from client interviews in person or over the telephone, or from written requests, and the bibliographic source materials are of limited technical complexity.

Communicates with a wide variety of patrons with questions regarding access, handling, and use of AFC materials. Interviews researchers, analyzes their questions and requirements, and recommends material appropriate to their needs. Orients readers to the reading room and its services. Guides researchers in employing search strategies that tap the full range of the Division’s reference tools and resources to meet the researcher’s need. Provides information on the collections, finding tools, and relevant reference sources. Directs researchers to collections and specialists elsewhere in the Library.

Provides limited technical reference and research services. Maintains awareness and knowledge of folklife, ethnomusicology, or related fields, developments in the field of audiovisual librarianship, and availability of reference and resource materials. As assigned, performs research involving the use of ethnographic and reference sources in order to produce reference aids. As requested, carries out research and provides documentation for creating catalog records and finding aids.

The Reference Librarian serves as the division’s liaison with current and potential researchers and users. Develops, promotes, facilitates, presents and evaluates programs to meet the expressed and anticipated needs of researchers and other user communities to include assistance with book discussions, tours, workshops, orientation sessions, author talks, workshops, consultations, displays, tutorials, and other means of engagement. Recommends content for traditional print outlets and social media platforms. Assists with different audiences to achieve a variety of outcomes, but always promoting the Library’s collections and services and their use.

Assist with arrangements for new acquisitions or donations by scheduling delivery of objects and preparing listings of new items. Researches ethnographic works identified for possible acquisition. Proposes works for possible acquisition. Communicates with donors and potential donors, to include correspondence and phone communications in order to maintain contacts.

Salary: $64,957 – $84,441 per year

This position is located in the American Folklife Center, Special Collections Directorate, Researcher and Collections Services.

Applications are due December 13. Learn more and apply.