At a Glance
- Tasks: Enhance catalogue records for rare Scottish bookbindings and collaborate with curators.
- Company: National Library of Scotland, a hub for literary heritage.
- Benefits: Full-time role with opportunities for professional growth in a prestigious institution.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team dedicated to excellence in library services.
- Why this job: Dive into the world of rare books and make a meaningful impact on cultural preservation.
- Qualifications: Experience in cataloguing with MARC and a passion for rare books.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
Posted on: 28th July, 2026. Closing date: 2nd August, 2026. Apply by 2 August 23:30 for this full-time, fixed term position based in Edinburgh.
The postholder will work with rare books curators to enhance existing catalogue records for volumes with Scottish bindings in the Library’s bookbinding collection, ensuring that the bookbindings are described to a consistent standard, with appropriate genre headings.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Review existing catalogue records, adding relevant MARC fields to describe bindings and easily identifiable provenance information.
- Check existing creator/bookbinder headings to ensure they comply with Library of Congress name authority headings – flagging requirement for new headings with the Metadata and Authority Control Managers.
- Flag relevant volumes to curators for recording in standard bibliographies/databases (ESTC/Aldis).
Core Competencies:
- Delivering Results (Core) – Take personal responsibility for achieving the right results for the Library.
- Customer Focus (Core) – Understand and, within capability, meet actual and potential internal and external customers’ needs.
- Collaborative Working (Core) – Working together effectively to achieve common goals through sharing skills, knowledge and information. Collaborating with others to improve services and reduce costs.
Person Specification:
Skills, abilities and knowledge:
- Familiarity with cataloguing published materials in MARC using a Library Management System (e.g. Alma).
- Ability to work accurately and efficiently without close supervision and to be self-motivating.
- Ability to manage time to meet targets.
- Ability to act with judgement and initiative to solve cataloguing problems and to know when to refer to colleagues.
- Ability to handle fragile collection items with care.
- Experience of cataloguing using RDA (Resource Description and Access).
- Interest in, and enthusiasm for, working with rare books.
- Commitment to accuracy, with a strong desire to achieve consistently high standards.
Experience:
- Experience of cataloguing to recognised standards (e.g. RDA) using a Library Management System.
Scottish Bookbindings Project Cataloguer (National Library of Scotland) employer: Publishing Scotland
Publishing Scotland is an excellent employer that values community engagement and offers a supportive work culture focused on professional growth. With flexible working hours and a commitment to promoting literacy through initiatives like the Bookbug programme, employees can make a meaningful impact while enjoying a collaborative environment in the vibrant city of Edinburgh.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Scottish Bookbindings Project Cataloguer (National Library of Scotland)
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We think you need these skills to ace Scottish Bookbindings Project Cataloguer (National Library of Scotland)
Some tips for your application 🫡
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