Library Technician

Information about the organization

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention.

In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion.

Information about the role

The David M. Rubenstein National Institute for Holocaust Documentation’s major responsibility is to collect, preserve, and make available the historical record of the Holocaust and to support with its stewardship of the Collection of Record the Museum's wide-ranging efforts in the areas of research, exhibition, publication, education, and memorialization.

The Library Technician position provides support for ongoing library operations in the areas of collection management, reference, acquisitions processing, and cataloging and preservation activities, in support of staff librarians. The employee performs activities including, but not limited to, general collection maintenance, shelving, and inventory activities; retrievals and returns of collection material for use in the reading rooms; and other general collection maintenance tasks. Under the direction of staff librarians, the employee assists with the selection, processing, and cataloging of donated and purchased publications utilizing appropriate technical systems. Provides training to and assists and directs the work of interns and volunteers in these responsibilities, as needed.

The position is located at the David and Fela Shapell Family Collections, Conservation and Research Center in Bowie, Maryland. This position is eligible for limited hybrid telework, within the local commuting area of the Museum worksite and is a full-time donated position (non-Federal) paid with the Museum’s private funds. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Duties, and Responsibilities for the role

• Assesses and processes new acquisitions, including opening deliveries, acknowledging receipt, creating preliminary catalog records, and labeling of physical publications.

• Provides guidance to patrons on use of reading room technology.

• Searches library and museum catalogs to assess and select donated publications to add to the collection.

• Documents receipt of purchased and donated materials, prepares acknowledgment letters, and maintains accurate and up-to-date acquisitions and donor records.

• Performs basic catalog database maintenance under guidance from staff librarians.

• Creates and/or updates holdings and location information in library databases.

• Identifies cataloging copy in external databases and downloads records into local cataloging systems.

• Applies best practices in handling publications and collection materials to prevent damage to fragile items.

• Performs basic book repair and rehousing activities, including measuring and placing materials in appropriate protective housing.

• Identifies materials that need to be rebound and prepares them for further processing.

• Fulfills interlibrary loan requests.

• Serves on cross-office teams, projects, and initiatives to advance the Rubenstein Institute’s priorities and goals, as needed.

• Coordinates and communicates with colleagues and key stakeholders to share resources and integrate efforts across the Rubenstein Institute.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications for the role

• 3 years’ work experience in a library setting.
• Familiarity with automated library catalogs and standard library or archives practices to acquire, manage, or describe collections, and/or to serve patrons.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments effectively and work independently.
• Capacity to take initiative and solve problems with efficiency and diplomacy.
• Demonstrated ability to see projects through to completion in a timely manner.
• Computer literacy, including experience with Google Suite products, MS Office, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and Trello or other project management tools.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with working in a team in a public-facing setting.

Preferred Qualifications for the role

• Associate or Bachelor degree in Library Science, Museum Studies or humanities field.
• Experience organizing or managing a library or archival collection.
• Basic knowledge of the Holocaust and 20th Century European history.
• Familiarity with at least one European language, Hebrew or Yiddish.
• Project management experience.

The application deadline for this position is March 4, 2025.

Interested applicants must send their resume and cover letter; applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Benefits Highlights:

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum values employee wellness, work-life balance and the diversity of what this means for individual employees in life and work. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package for benefits-eligible employees that includes generous paid leave benefits, health, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, a health savings account with an employer contribution, 403(b) retirement plan with a generous employer match and contribution, group term and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, commuter subsidy, access to two employee assistance programs, as well as voluntary critical illness and accident insurance coverage, long-term care and pet insurance options. Our policies also support telework and other flexible schedule options based on the job, work and team collaboration requirements.