Acquisition Librarian

FM Talent; Maryland; On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Federal Reserve Board is seeking an Acquisitions Librarian to join the Data & Subscriptions Team within the Board Research Library. The role focuses on acquiring data and subscription services to support economic research, engaging with economists, researchers, and vendors.

Responsibilities include evaluating research needs, gathering specifications, conducting market research, and coordinating the end-to-end procurement process from negotiation to data onboarding.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library or information science (ALA-accredited) or equivalent experience.
• Professional experience as acquisitions librarian, serials librarian, e-resources librarian, or reference librarian (2–3+ years).
• Knowledge of acquiring library electronic resources (data services, online news, e-journal aggregators, e-books).
• Strong time-management and multi-project prioritization skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication to engage internal customers and external vendors.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret licenses for stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate research needs to connect economists and analysts to licensed data and resources.
• Interview researchers to gather specs for data and subscription licenses.
• Conduct market research to identify data and subscription sources matching specs.
• Coordinate acquisition through negotiation, procurement, and onboarding steps.
• Answer questions from data managers and researchers about licenses and data usage.
• Advise stakeholders on copyright and license terms and conditions.
• Support acquisitions activities within the Federal Reserve System.
• Provide budget updates and usage metrics to library leadership.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and vendors to resolve data content or technical issues.
• Contribute to data governance and information management projects within the library.
• Participate in library-wide projects to improve processes and outreach.

Skills

Verbal and written communication

Analytical thinking

Time management

Attention to detail

Education

Master’s degree in library or information science (ALA-accredited)

Degree in a related field or equivalent experience

Tools

Library e-resources procurement

Job description

FM Talent Source is an enterprise that provides business and workforce solutions to help organizations nationwide overcome business challenges. Our clients include federal, state, and local government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. Founded in 2004, we have a strong history of providing recruitment strategies and utilizing effective project and quality management methodologies to ensure our clients’ success.

FM Talent combines the technical knowledge of our employees with strong execution to help customers achieve their desired outcomes. This has helped our firm earn corporate accolades to include HR Tech Outlook Magazine’s Top 10 HR Consulting Firm, finalist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Dream Big Awards, and recipient of the Globe Award for Culture and Community.

The FM Talent Recruiting Team works to provide the best possible experience for our clients. We take networking seriously and leverage our relationships to make the biggest impact. This position is contingent upon contract award.

Our client is seeking an Acquisitions Librarian.

Position Summary

Acquisitions Librarian – This librarian position will join an experienced, customer-focused team of four librarians on the Board Research Library’s Data & Subscriptions Team. This position supports the acquisition of data and subscription services that fuel the economic research at the Federal Reserve Board, the nation’s central bank. They will be responsible for addressing questions about data and research resource contracts, following procurement processes, engaging with end users, and acting as a liaison with vendors.

Responsibility for supporting a portfolio of data and subscription contracts:

• Evaluate the research needs of economists and financial analysts to connect them to licensed economic and business data and research resources.
• Interview researchers to gather specifications used as the basis to support the selection of new data and subscription service licenses.
• Conduct market research to identify sources for data and subscription services that match researchers’ specifications.
• Coordinate the acquisition process with fellow professionals as the license moves through business negotiation, legal negotiation, procurement, billing, and data onboarding steps.
• Answer questions from data managers and researchers about licensed data and subscriptions and connect them to vendor subject matter and technical experts.
• Advise stakeholders on copyright and data usage restrictions detailed in license terms and conditions.
• Acquisitions support activities with colleagues within the Federal Reserve System, comprised of the Board and twelve Reserve Banks.
• Provide budget updates and usage metrics to library leadership.
• Work with stakeholders and vendors to resolve any data content or technical issues.
• Within the Library contribute to Research Library teams related to data governance, information management, and emerging technologies.
• Participate in library-wide projects to enhance the library’s processes, technology, and outreach

Required Skills:

• Master’s degree in library or information science from an ALA-accredited institution, a degree in a related field, or equivalent experience
• Minimum of 2-3 years of professional experience as an acquisitions, serials, e-resources, or reference librarian
• Knowledge of the process of acquiring library electronic resources such as data services, online news, e-journal aggregators, or e-books
• Ability to manage time effectively while working on multiple projects
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to build relationships with internal customers, process partners, and external vendors
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to interpret licenses to support stakeholders’ understanding of terms and conditions
• Strong attention to detail needed to document the acquisitions process

Skill preferences:

• Experience with acquisitions for library electronic resources such as data services, online news, e-journal aggregators, or e-books
• Subject matter knowledge of business data resources (such as economics, finance, banking, or accounting subscription services) is preferred
• Basic knowledge of the federal government contracting process is helpful but not required