Library Assistant Apprentice

Salary Range: Apprentice rate - 80% London Living Wage in Year 1; 100% London Living Wage in Year 2

Full time, Fixed Term 18 months

Location: Twickenham Cluster – Richmond Libraries

Other essential information: You will work to achieve a Level 3 qualification in Library, Information and Archive Services Assistant Apprenticeship. This will involve travel to Westminster Adult Education Service’s Lisson Grove Centre (which is near Marylebone), approximately once a month. You will be given an appropriate time allowance to undertake this qualification, which is projected to be on average 6 hours per week.

Objective of role: Our Library Assistants play a vital role in promoting reading, supporting learning, and encouraging our visitors to participate in the rich cultural and community life of Richmond upon Thames. Do you want to be part of our exciting, high-performing service as we look to the future and embrace new technologies and innovation to meet the needs of our customers? Do you want to help us deliver our strategies of:

• Inspiring a community of readers of all ages.
• Empowering learners and bridging the digital divide.
• Supporting health, wellbeing and inclusion.
• Opportunities for cultural and creative enrichment.
• Promoting sustainable choices.
• Instilling a sense of pride and belonging.

About the role: Day to day duties include:

• You will shelve and tidy stock, promoting it and helping customers choose books and ensuring that our collections are ordered, well-presented and accessible.
• You will also help to deliver a wide range of reading events, such as weekly Rhymetimes and author talks.
• You will use a range of IT systems and services at a high level.
• You will answer customer and colleague enquiries both in person and on the phone.
• You will be required to work in any of our 12 libraries across the borough, so you will need to be flexible in your attitude to work.

This will be a full-time 36-hour post working 4 days every weekday and every other Saturday. Weekdays from 9.15 – 6.15/7.15 Saturdays from 9.15 – 4.15. This post is fixed term lasting 18 months with intention to recruit you into a permanent role upon successful completion of the apprenticeship qualification.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience: To successfully complete your apprenticeship, you must hold Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths. We can provide Functional Skills Level 2 support for you if you do not already have these qualifications. Essential criteria for this post include:

• The ability to communicate clearly, and with understanding, when working with the public including using the telephone, email and social media.
• The ability and confidence to deal with challenging situations in a calm and effective manner.
• Aware of the range of resources and services currently delivered by libraries and the importance of libraries within communities.
• Aware of the Level 3 Library, Information and Archive Services Apprenticeship offered by Westminster Adult Education Service.
• Ability to work without close supervision, retain information and apply procedures as instructed.

You will be required to work in any of our 12 libraries across the borough, so you will need to be flexible in your attitude to work.

Closing Date: End of day Sunday 30 August 2026

Shortlisting Date: 31/08-20/09 this process might be delayed due to the number of applications

Interview invitations: w/c 21 September

Interview Date: from 14th October

We may close this vacancy early once a sufficient number of applications has been received.

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know.

We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts may be exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to these posts will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to attract, develop, and reward our employees such as 40 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays), flexible working and a generous pension plan.