What are the responsibilities and job description for the Acquisitions Librarian position at U.S. Courts?
Duties
This position is based at the Ninth Circuit Headquarters Library at the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco, CA. The position serves as the head of acquisitions for the Ninth Circuit Library system, providing specialized support for library systems, acquisitions, and planning and budget. The acquisitions unit supports the procurement of research materials for the Headquarters Library, the branch libraries, a number of shared library collections within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit, and all federal judges and court units located throughout the Circuit.
Representative Duties
- Serves as the head of the acquisitions unit, including managing acquisitions staff.
- Manages orders, subscriptions, and cancellations of print and electronic resources, consistent with procurement guidelines, policies, and internal controls.
- Assists in the negotiation and management of contracts and coordinates with vendors.
- Troubleshoots and resolves system-wide acquisitions issues.
- Maintains procurement files needed to comply with federal statutes and regulations.
- Maintains Contracting Officer certification.
- Track expenditures and forecasts legal research resource spending, including modeling various scenarios.
- Runs spending reports as requested by the Circuit Librarian, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and other stakeholders.
- Maintains and updates acquisitions policies and procedures.
- Participates in Circuit Library and/or National Court Library committees and working groups.
- Participates in internal and external audits.
- Works closely with the ILS administrator to ensure the integrity of the system's data and acquisitions functionality.
- Occasional travel to other locations, meetings, and conferences.
- Other duties and projects as assigned.
Requirements
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 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.
Equity 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.
Qualifications
- M.L.S. degree (or equivalent) from an ALA-accredited library school.
- Two (2) years library technical services experience, one (1) year of which is law library technical services experience.
- Familiarity with legal resource vendors.
- Aptitude for performing functions requiring a high degree of accuracy and careful attention to detail.
- Experience working with people at all levels; effective oral and written communication skills.
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, prioritization, and self-motivation skills.
- Proficiency with Windows-based applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams and with Adobe Acrobat.
- Three (3) years law library acquisitions experience.
- Experience with SirsiDynix Symphony ILS.
- Government procurement experience, preferably with the federal government.
- Budgeting experience.
- Supervisory experience
- Experience in the development of SharePoint or other web-based information delivery systems.
Education
Please read the "Qualifications" section.
Additional information
Total Rewards
- Salary: depending on qualifications and experience.
- 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.
- 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.
Benefits
Review our benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Please read the "Next steps" section for more information.
Benefits
Review our benefits
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Please submit a single PDF file through the Court's Career Portal that includes:
Only complete applications will be considered.- cover letter,
- resume, and
- at least three references.
Agency contact information
Human ResourcesEmailemployment@ca9.uscourts.govAddressUS Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
95 Seventh Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USNext steps
- Priority given to applications received by April 28, 2025.
- Position open until filled.
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Criminal history inquiries
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Financial suitability
- New employee probationary period
- Privacy Act
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Selective Service
- Signature and false statements
- Social security number request
Required Documents
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
