Assistant Librarian
Leabharlannaí cúnta

Job Title: Assistant Librarian

Salary range: £30,886 – £31,953

Grade: Assembly Grade 7

Directorate: Legal, Governance and Research Services

Business Area/Office: Research and Information Service (RaISe)

Accountable to: Librarian

Accountable for: Clerical Officers

Job Purpose:

The Assistant Librarian will report as appropriate to the Librarian in charge of their relevant Library Service team within the Legal, Governance and Research Services Directorate.  Each Assistant Librarian is responsible for a particular aspect of Library work and, as such, works alongside teams of researchers. They have direct communication with all the political parties and their staff as well as policy and statistical teams in Departments. They will be expected to seek information and be mindful of current affairs to ensure Members and Assembly Committees have suitable and focused information.

Like all Library staff, the appointed Assistant Librarians will have to work hours that are conducive to the needs of the Assembly.  This will mean, for example, being available on a rota basis during debates in the Chamber, which may occur in late evening.

Job Description:

The main duties and responsibilities are:

Enquiry Service

• To assist in managing the Library’s Enquiry Desk, staffing the enquiry desk on a rota basis, providing excellent customer service and training Clerical Officer colleagues in Desk policies and procedures.
• Ensure deadlines are met with high quality, objective information provided to Members, party staff, and Secretariat staff. Enquiry responses will be gleaned from interrogating a variety of commercial and free web-based resources and hard copy materials.
• To assist the Librarians to monitor and suggest improvements for standards of service delivery and to be able to explain Library policies to customers.
• To participate in the collection, monitoring and evaluation of Library performance management information.

Resources

• To manage the classification and cataloguing of all hard-copy and some pdf materials and manage retrospective cataloguing projects and revisions to records on the Library Management System, writing associated policies and guidance as required.
• To work with the Enquiries Librarian in selecting new hard-copy Library purchases in line with the Library’s Collection Development Policy and assist in managing expenditure against budget. To supervise the Clerical Officer’s use of the Assembly’s online ordering system to order and receipt materials from suppliers.
• To liaise with external suppliers of information.

People

• To deputise as required for the Librarian.
• To line manage one Clerical Officer.
• To manage own professional development to improve job performance and fulfil future potential.
• To participate in any Library project teams as required by the Librarian or Senior Librarian and to manage production of any associated documentation.
• To assist in the marketing of the Library Service, and RaISe generally, by providing awareness and induction sessions to Members and party staff, Researchers, Secretariat staff and students.

Information Packs

• To compile Information Packs to support Plenary Debates on Private Members’ Motions, Private Members’ Bills and some Committee Motions, to high standards and agreed deadlines and to supervise their publication and distribution to Members.
• To compile Event Packs to support Members attending conferences and events such as Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) and North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association (NSIPA), in liaison with Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA) Parliamentary Engagement colleagues.

General

• To assist with implementation of all Library policies and procedures and to communicate these and information about any other Library product to customers and colleagues in a clear, concise, impartial and timely manner.
• To participate in the Assembly’s performance management system, setting aims and objectives and meeting regularly with the Enquiries/Plenary Support Librarian to discuss performance.
• To manage information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements.
• To comply with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements.
• Carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission may reasonably require of you.

Essential Criteria:

Applicants must, by the closing date for applications have:

1. A degree or postgraduate diploma in Librarianship or Information Studies; or

Possess Chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Library and   Information Professionals. Applications may also be considered from candidates with relevant formal qualifications considered to be of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated.

and

At least 1 year’s experience in the areas detailed at a) – d) below.

OR

At least 3 year’s experience in the areas detailed at a) – d):

a) Undertaking the duties of a professional Librarian;

b) Applying professional knowledge in the delivery of Library services;

c) Delivering a quality service in a Library enquiry role, using a wide variety of electronic and hard copy sources;

d) Contributing to the planning, allocation, monitoring, evaluation and control of resources e.g. people, finances.

Shortlisting Criteria:

Should shortlisting be required, the following shortlisting criteria will be applied:

1 year’s experience of working in a government, legal or academic library environment.

Skills & Behaviours:

The following Assembly Skills and Behaviours will be assessed during the selection process:

Delivering a quality service

…is about providing a high-quality and efficient service to our customers. It is thinking ahead, managing resources effectively and delivering work on time and to a high standard. It is also using professional or technical expertise to enhance service delivery.

Building relationships and effective communication

…is creating and maintaining positive, professional and respectful internal and external working relationships through effective and appropriate communications.

Parliamentary & Political Understanding
…is displaying an appropriate understanding of the wider political environment; what the Assembly does and how our role fits in; and the level of public scrutiny to which the actions and decisions of Assembly staff are exposed. It requires impartiality, integrity and political sensitivity.