The Librarians-in-Residence program offers early-career librarians the opportunity to develop their expertise and contribute to building, stewarding, or sharing the national collection. Some Librarians-in-Residence may also have the chance to create, manage, and distribute national collection metadata.

Library staff will mentor recently graduated librarians, emphasizing the application of theory to practice through hands-on work. During the six-month appointment, the Librarians-in-Residence will gain meaningful experience in at least one of the following core work areas: acquisitions and collection development; archives and special collections; cataloging and metadata; collection preservation; community engagement; digital services; reference and instruction; and systems and standards.

Librarians-in-Residence will also be expected to present information from their educational experiences to Library of Congress staff in formal or informal settings.