Library and Academic Advisor in Lancaster

We are the University of Cumbria, rooted in serving our communities, with people, place and partnership at our heart. Now is a very exciting time to be joining us because we are delivering a new "Towards 2030" strategic plan focused on making the most of our three most valuable assets; People, Place and Partnerships, to become a catalyst for economic well-being for our region, nationally and internationally.

Are you a graduate with experience in library services and/or learning development looking to join a team passionate about working alongside students, recognising the strengths, experiences and challenges they bring to their university studies? We are a creative, hardworking team who build positive relationships with our students and colleagues to create inclusive communities of learning and practice across all our campuses.

We provide a supportive environment where staff are encouraged to use their initiative and work autonomously. We aim to offer a library that is at the heart of the learning experience, and our students say that our library spaces are welcoming and even feel like home. They tell us that we are friendly, and they appreciate how we handle their individual enquiries with the “utmost care and efficiency”. We help students develop their confidence and demystify academic practices and processes so that assignments become “less terrifying and a little more manageable”.

You would be based at either our Lancaster or Fusehill St campus and, as part of a team, work alongside students as they develop their research skills and academic literacies. Academic literacies development includes designing and delivering in-person and online sessions and learning materials across a number of topics, such as: information skills, academic writing practices, referencing, academic integrity, and study skills.

It is anticipated that this role would work particularly closely with Institute of Health courses based on campus and online. Lancaster and Fusehill St are friendly campus communities and you would liaise with academic colleagues about the provision of integrated, tailored workshops, as well as subject library resource services, including library collection development and electronic reading list creation.

You would join a university-wide team of library and academic advisors who work collaboratively across campuses, delivering student-centred academic and information literacy teaching through an active learning approach. We look forward to receiving applications from people eager to develop students’ confidence and independence to operate effectively and with academic integrity as critically reflective practitioners in academic and professional contexts.

We welcome male applicants and applicants from minority ethnic groups who are under-represented in this staff group. As a supportive employer, we are open to negotiating working patterns in line with business needs and personal circumstances, whilst balancing work across teams in a way that is responsive to student needs. Generally, working patterns tend to be within core office hours Monday to Friday, 9.00 to 17:00. Appropriate working patterns would be negotiated with the successful candidate. Whilst there is scope for some hybrid working, student facing staff are also expected to be on campus, working alongside students and colleagues and contributing to the flourishing of our campus and online communities.

We offer a comprehensive set of staff benefits which includes a competitive salary, 35 hour working week, 33 days holiday plus bank holidays, excellent pension scheme with 8% employer contribution. We encourage applications from the broadest range of society, including all under-represented groups with particular emphasis on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in our University and in comparison to the sector.