Librarian
Washington, DC - USA
Job Summary
This position Data Services and Research Engagement Librarian is located in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Central Office Digital Health Office (DHO). The incumbent contributes to achieving the VHA strategic priorities by providing access to digital knowledge-based information in support of clinical and administrative decision making while implementing activities associated with the services programs and products provided by the Central Office Library.
- Represents the VA on interagency committees and at national regional and local conferences of library information and knowledge management services to discuss user needs program objectives information exchange and areas of cooperation and coordination.
- Coordinates services and consultations for best practices in tracking and communicating the impact of VA-funded research.
- Advises researchers and other VA staff about the scholarly communication process and visualization tools to present VA-funded research output and federal open-access compliance.
- Oversees activities relating to scholarly publications including open access citation services predatory publishing and institutional repositories.
- Assists with collection control access and maintenance of the librarys online print audiovisual and microfilm collections.
- Develops systems of metadata tags to organize vast data pools to provide useful and meaningful information to policy makers cutting edge researchers and VISNs.
- Develops and implements cataloging criteria for classifying new and changing fields of vast knowledge utilized by all of VA Central Office and program offices.
- Supports Digital Health Office in areas including but not limited to patient privacy health care security and information/health literacy.
- Stays current on best practices new trends and developments in librarianship through collaboration and communication with informational professionals and the scholarly literature.
- Provides research instructions demonstrations orientations and other trainings to VA staff through both in-person and virtual formats. Develops instructional outreach and other support service materials.
- Provides expert searching reference informational and consultation services to researchers clinicians and staff.
- Provides reference services to senior and executive level staff national subject matter experts and agency advisory committee members in all areas of Veterans affairs including clinical care hospital and health care administration Veterans benefits public administration Veterans history and other fields.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad hoc is defined as occasional non-recurring telework.
Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position.
Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space.
Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception exemption or extension will happen after a tentative job offer but before a final job offer.
Position Description/PD#: Librarian/PD765050
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 10/13/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade as required by the this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
All librarians must meet the requirements for professional education library science or possess equivalent experience and education as shown in A or B:
A. Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate study in library science from an accredited college or university in addition to completion of all work required for a bachelors degree. NOTE: You must submit transcripts with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation.
-OR-
B. A total of at least 5 years of a combination of college-level education training and experience. To qualify on this basis you must establish conclusively that the education training and experience provided a knowledge and understanding of the theories principles and techniques of professional librarianship; a knowledge of literature resources; and the knowledge and abilities essential for providing effective library and information services. NOTE: You must submit transcripts with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title duties month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
AND
To qualify for this position you must meet the below requirements:
GS-12 Specialized Experience - Applicants must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-111) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Librarian. Specialized experience includes:
- Provide expert reference research services and consultation services to researchers clinicians and staff
- Solves highly complex problems pertaining to scholarly publications
- Provides research orientations and trainings to staff through in-person and virtual formats
- Develops instructional materials and website services
- Current on best practices new trends and developments in librarianship through collaboration and communication
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges universities schools or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information visit:
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e. physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position after notification of the adjudication of your request you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice your most recent performance rating and your most recent SF-50 noting current position grade level and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPMs Career Transition Resources website at should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.