What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Librarian position at U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit?
$59,289 - $96,408 (CL27) with promotion potential to CL 28
Location: Portland, OR
Position Overview
The Ninth Circuit Library system serves all the federal courts within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit, including more than 400 judges in the Circuit, district, and bankruptcy courts. The Library system includes a headquarters library in San Francisco and over 20 staffed branch locations throughout the jurisdiction.
The Assistant Librarian is based out of the two branch libraries in Portland – at the Pioneer Courthouse and at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse. Under the direction of the Portland Branch Librarian, the Assistant Librarian serves as a primary point of contact for federal judges and court staff in Oregon and manages and maintains the local library collections. In addition, the successful candidate will be part of a team of librarians located throughout the Ninth Circuit committed to developing innovative resources and services for our users and will have the opportunity to participate in systemwide activities and initiatives.
Representative Duties
- Provides legal and non-legal research and reference services for judges, court staff, and other library users
- Works as a team member in development of web-based and other electronic information delivery services
- Provides group and individual training to court staff on Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and other research resources
- Develops print and online training materials, library promotional materials, and research guides
- Participates in collection development, acquisitions, and/or cataloging
- Hosts library events and assists with other events that take place in the library
- Develops library newsletters
- Works as a team member in coordinating services with other branch libraries throughout the Circuit
- May serve on local court committees and/or on Circuit-wide or national library committees and working groups
- Occasional travel to other Library Branch locations and to other Court locations, including but not limited to the Oregon courthouses located outside of Portland
- Occasional moderate to heavy physical activity
- Other duties and projects as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Education and experience
- M.L.S. degree (or equivalent) from an ALA-accredited library school and either (1) one year of law library experience or (2) one year of legal research experience and one year of library experience OR
- J.D. Degree and (1) one year of law library experience and (2) an additional year of library (law or other library) experience - Excellent research skills
- Experience working with people at all levels; effective oral and written communication skills
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
- Aptitude for performing functions requiring a high degree of accuracy and careful attention to detail
- Ability to work independently and to prioritize demands from multiple users
- Ability to travel to other locations within the Circuit
Preferred Qualifications
- Two (2) years of professional law library experience
- Demonstrated skills in legal reference and research
- Experience in the development of SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, LibGuides, or other web-based information delivery services
- Practical experience in acquisitions, cataloging, and technical services
- J.D. degree
Total Rewards
- Salary: depending on qualifications and experience; with promotion potential to CL 28.
- Time off: 13 days of paid vacation for the first three years, increasing with tenure thereafter, 13 sick days accrued per year, 11 paid holidays
- Some telework may be available as determined by the needs of the court and/or library management
- Benefits:
- Federal pension plan and optional employer-matching Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K)
- Choice of a variety of employer-subsidized federal health and life insurance plans. Optional dental, vision, and long-term care coverage
- Flexible spending account to pay out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars
- Other Perks: Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, public transit subsidy, alternate work schedules, and reasonable work hours
How to Apply and Required Documents
Please submit a single PDF file through the Court’s Career Portal that includes:
(1) cover letter,
(2) resume, and
(3) at least three references
Only complete applications will be considered.
Next Steps
- Priority given to applications received by November 3, 2023
- Position open until filled
Conditions of Employment
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in the process of applying for citizenship. Successful applicants are provisionally hired pending results of background investigation and fingerprinting. Positions with the U.S. Courts are at-will, excepted service appointments, and may be terminated with or without cause by the Court. Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. Direct deposit of pay required.
The court requires all its employees to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID 19 absent an exemption from the requirement based on a documented medical reason or a sincerely held religious belief.
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, for any reason including, but not limited to, budgetary issues. Said modifications may occur without prior written or other notice.
Equal Focused Employer
We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The 9th Circuit encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.
Salary : $59,289 - $96,408