Library Assistant Newcastle 2024

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

The role

This is an excellent opportunity to work in the Content and Discovery section of the University Library providing support in the areas of: acquisitions, cataloguing, subscriptions, collection management.

You will work with colleagues across Library services, Professional Services and faculty so good interpersonal and communication skills are essential as is the ability to work in a busy library back-office team. You must have a good eye for detail and the capacity to prioritise competing demands with minimal supervision.

Key accountabilities:

• Locate, download and edit records from external databases into the Library Management system
• Order, receipt and invoice library resources using Library purchasing processes and systems
• Assist with updating and maintaining reports from suppliers on ordered materials not yet received. Ensure problems with orders are identified and action taken
• Routine classification of library acquisitions
• Assist with the receipting, cataloguing, and uploading of print and electronic theses deposited in the library, liaising with the Student Progress Office and the British Library when necessary
• Receipt of serials on the Library Management System and related duties
• Check and update monthly journal holdings to ensure subscriptions are accurately recorded
• Collect data on Library resources to inform purchasing and collection management decisions
• Record Library performance measurement statistics to help to ensure that Library standards are maintained
• Depending on the duties assigned liaison may be required with teams within the Library and the University as well as with library suppliers and publishers
• Working under minimum supervision, the post holder is required to exercise significant initiative, make informed and knowledge-based decisions, referring queries to supervisors where necessary and maintain a high degree of accuracy

The person

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Good IT skills, including using Microsoft Office packages, highly developed web searching skills and information searching/retrieval skills, using library specific IT applications
• Good interpersonal, organisational and communication skills
• Ability to work independently using one’s own initiative whilst working effectively as a team member
• Good customer care skills
• Experience of working in a library environment
• Previous experience of working in a customer focused environment
• Mobility and physical fitness consistent with the need to handle large numbers of books

Attributes and behaviour

Communicating

• Chooses communication tools appropriately e.g. selective use of emails and other channels of communication
• Uses face to face communication regularly

Team-working

• Shares relevant and useful information with others
• Supportive of team decisions Respects the value that different views bring to the team

Planning and Organising

• Plans workload and tasks in a systematic way
• Ensures that others know how process and systems work

Delivering services

• See other departments and colleagues as “customers” and follows through on enquiries and requests
• Co-operate with others in achieving targets
• Strives to deliver high quality results

Qualifications

• Minimum of five GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.