Library Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Communication: Provide an approachable and welcoming point of contact to all users. Work as part of a team. Provide advice, inductions and training to library users (in person and via phone, email and post). Market and promote services and campaigns (physically and digitally). Show excellent customer care skills at all times. Contact users to provide clinical and non-clinical evidence. Use active listening and effective questioning to fully establish user requirements.
2. Analytical / Judgemental Skills: Resolve common issues (e.g. equipment faults, first line troubleshooting). Use judgement in handling enquiries, identifying when it is appropriate to refer enquiries on. Use initiative when working alone in the library.
3. Planning / Organisational Skills: Plan own tasks and day-to-day priorities. Ensure all work is completed within relevant deadlines and to required standard. Provide administrative support to other members of the team. Handover to other team members efficiently and effectively.
4. Responsibility for Patients: Minimal contact with patients.
5. Policy / Service Responsibilities: Update or create relevant policies and procedures. Follow procedures and implement policies. Feed into service development through assisting with surveys, contributing to team meetings, etc.
6. Financial / Physical Resource Responsibilities: Handle cash for photocopying, lost books etc. Use equipment safely (e.g. photocopier, laminator, label maker, self-service machine). Order library stationery and consumables. Receive and process new library books and other materials. Monitor the physical environment, ensuring facilities are in good working order; report problems to relevant department / company. Open up and/or close down the library staff area. Ensure leaflets and guides are topped up. Liaise with users to recover long overdue / missing stock. Shelve and tidy stock and assist with annual stock take. Create displays.
7. Staff Responsibilities: Train users in how to access and use databases and other resources. Undertake self development / CPD, including mandatory learning. Provide advice, guidance and training to new staff members and work experience students.
8. Information Responsibilities: Process article, book and other information requests promptly and accurately. Input data to the Library Management System. Add new items to the Library Management System. Maintain files or systems (e.g. records relating to inter-library loans). Undertake circulation tasks (e.g. issuing, returning, renewing loans). Undertake basic literature searches. Advise users where to locate materials and resources. Assist in removal and disposal of old stock. Abide by legal requirements (e.g. copyright, data protection). Create and update relevant documents, spreadsheets, posters etc. Carry out any other required duties in line with the post’s banding.
9. Research / Development Responsibilities: Collect and collate statistics on usage and activities. Collect user feedback. Assist in audit / quality improvement exercises.
10. Freedom to Act: Report any data breaches or near misses using appropriate systems. Report any safeguarding concerns using appropriate procedure.

Additional Information

• Physical Skills and Effort: Lift and move books and other materials in line with manual handling guidance. Lift and move boxes containing paper etc, in line with manual handling guidance. Use standard keyboard skills. May need to use steps to reach shelving. The Library is located on the first floor, which is only accessible by stairs.
• Mental Skills and Effort: Concentrate on data input. Check information. Change task at short notice (e.g. when interrupted, to assist users). Lateral thinking can be required to interpret user requests.
• Emotional Skills and Effort: Handle materials with graphic images or potentially distressing subject matter. Emotional intelligence may be required to support users experiencing stress (e.g. exam stress).
• Working Conditions: Work alone at times. Use a VDU for the majority of the working day. Work in dusty conditions when accessing the Trust archive.

Division/Code: LNKD1_UKTJ