Library Assistant in Steyning

Are you passionate about helping people and creating welcoming community spaces? West Sussex Libraries are looking for a friendly, confident, and resourceful Library Assistant to join our high-performing team. Our libraries are vibrant, inclusive spaces that serve a wide range of community needs. As a Library Assistant, you will be at the centre of this service, providing excellent customer support, helping visitors access resources, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the library.

Steyning Library is situated between the historic St Andrew & St Cuthman Church and Steyning Museum. We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic, and resourceful individuals who have exceptional digital skills and a genuine passion to make a difference to the local community. It’s not just about the books! We are looking for someone who understands the power of community and the importance of fostering a love for reading in people of all ages. Library Assistants welcome everyone with a positive attitude and a resilient approach to every request. Providing excellent customer service is central to our library service, creating dynamic and engaging environments. Flexibility, creativity, and initiative are essential qualities for success.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Being the dedicated go-to person for customers at the library, passionately helping them with their questions and sincerely guiding them to other services.
• Undertake lone working or single staffing often supported by a volunteer.
• Supporting the delivery of a wide range of reading events, including Rhyme Times and author talks.
• Using a variety of IT systems and services confidently and effectively including entering basic data into the library system, such as registering new members.
• Responding to enquiries from customers and colleagues, both in person and over the phone.
• Helping with reading recommendations.
• Creating new themes for book displays.
• Maintaining, presenting, and processing book stock.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead engaging Rhyme Time and Toddler Time sessions lasting 30 minutes. We are looking for a confident individual who will play a vital role in inspiring a love of music and language in children through nursery rhymes, songs, action rhymes, musical instruments, and puppets. There will also be the opportunity to support and lead other regular branch activities, such as Melody for the Mind, Reading Friends and Silent Book Club. The variety of our work means that no two days are the same. We get huge job satisfaction from helping everyone who comes through our doors, and you could too!

Required Qualifications and Skills

• 4 GCSEs with 9-4 / A-C passes including Maths and English, or equivalent qualification/experience.
• Experience working collaboratively within a team to complete shared tasks.
• Digital skills to effectively assist customers, including navigating emails and accessing the library website, app, and eLibrary.
• Strong communication and customer service skills to engage effectively with the public.
• Good interpersonal skills with the confidence to engage effectively with children, families, and customers of all ages.
• Capable of consistently meeting deadlines and adapting to the varied demands of each day, ensuring smooth and effective service.
• Skilled in taking initiative and applying sound judgment, while unwaveringly adhering to library practices and procedures.

Rewards and Benefits

We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. You will benefit from 25 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years’ service (pro rata for part time) plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme. A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, satisfactory references, and health check. Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve.