STATE OF NEW YORK

UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

            Effective Date:                                  05/02/2005

            Title Code Number:                          9442902

            Salary Grade:                                    24

            Jurisdictional Classification:            C

Under supervision of a District Administrative Judge or a PrincipalLaw Librarian, Senior Law Librarians provide professional library servicesby implementing policies, performing acquisition functions, original cataloging,and classifying materials using electronic systems based on standard libraryguidelines. Senior Law Librarians coordinate and implement resource sharingand evaluate the various collections under their jurisdiction for accuracy,relevance and completeness, tailor these collections to complement oneanother and avoid unnecessary duplication, assist in budget preparationand resource allocation. Senior Law Librarians may manage diverse legalresearch collections and supervise Law Librarians, paraprofessionals andclerical staff.   Senior Law Librarians operate, and may manage,a variety of library and research automation systems.   Theyperform legal research, oversee chambers collections, participate in electronicreference and technical consortiums and work on statewide initiatives incooperation with the Office of Legal Information.  They may coordinateoperations of geographically separate legal research collections, and performother related library and administrative duties.

TYPICAL DUTIES:

Reviews and evaluates legal research materials in all formats to identify

items to be added or withdrawn from the collections.

Classifies and originally catalogs new items in the collection according

to library classification schedule and established guidelines, and constantly

monitors effectiveness of collection organization.

Implements and monitors collection development policies, and recommends

modifications.

Operates acquisition system, including bibliographic searching, order

preparation, receipt, payment and reporting.

Monitors changes and modifications in cataloging and classification

standards and modifies library records to comply.

Maintains bibliographies and related informational material in specialized

subject areas.

Creates, manages and accesses electronic information including databases,

integrated library systems, client-server applications, hardware, software,

networks, and other information resources.

Operates and helps evaluate library systems, manual and automated, and

prepares summaries and reports of system operations.

Provides legal reference services in a multitude of medium including,

in person, by telephone, and electronically.

Prepares informational and instructional documentation to support all

types of research.

Consults with judges, legal staff, library staff, court personnel and

others to identify research alternatives and  research moderately

complex issues using all available formats, including print, microform

and electronic sources.

Conducts formal and informal training sessions on the organization and

uses of legal resources.

Trains and supervises subordinate staff, makes work assignments, monitors

progress, and evaluates staff performance.

Prepares reports and monitors expenditures of legal research budgets

for libraries and for chambers collections and provides information for

budget compilation or monitoring.

May independently perform legal research.


 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature

and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this title. They

do not include all job duties performed by employees in this title, and

every position does not necessarily require these duties.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of recent developments in law librarianship and legal research.

Knowledge of legal research collection classification principles and

systems.

Knowledge of principles and systems regarding collection development,

organization, and control.

Knowledge of legal reference materials, terminology, and procedures

including research tools and techniques.

Knowledge of concepts, principles and practices related to online information

research, including bibliographic database structure and organization.

Knowledge of automated library systems.

Knowledge of bookkeeping and budgeting procedures.

Skill at supervising, counseling, and building rapport with subordinate

staff.

Skill in conducting formal oral presentations.

Skill at using computerized library systems and other electronic resources

as a medium for information, research, communication, and multi-media resource

sharing.

Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and monitor activities and subordinate

staff to complete complex library projects.

Ability to develop, evaluate, design and use information networks.

Ability to improve the power and scope of library services by ensuring

accessibility to outside collections and databases through resource sharing.

Ability to establish work priorities and work independently.

Ability to delegate and monitor job assignments and to supervise the

daily activities of subordinates.

Ability to be decisive and show initiative.

Ability to evaluate staff performance against job requirements.

Ability to develop the skills and competencies of subordinate staff

and, where appropriate, library users through training and development

activities.

Ability to communicate information and technical concepts clearly to

library users and the public.

Ability to communicate effectively in correspondence, memos, instructions

and reports.

Ability to collect, analyze, and evaluate information related to complex

areas of library operations and/or personnel-related situations and to

design solutions to complex work- related problems.


 

QUALIFICATIONS:

One year of permanent, competitive class service in the Law Librarian

title;

Law Degree from an accredited law school and two (2) year of professional

work experience using library automation, providing legal reference services

or involving library administration.  This experience must have been

in a law library or library information center with a significant legal

collection.