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Librarian
Leabharlannaí

Manage and contribute to the Library’s Enquiry Service, answering queries across a wide remit of Assembly business

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Assembly colleagues in a meeting

Librarians ensure deadlines are met with high quality, objective information provided to MLAs, Party Support and Secretariat staff. Liaising appropriately with other Government bodies and using the library’s range of resources to respond.

Librarian
Leabharlannaí

What we're looking for

The main duties and responsibilities of the job are:

Enquiry Service:

  • Manage and contribute to the Library’s Enquiry Service, answering queries using a wide variety of electronic databases, across a wide remit of Assembly business in a non-partisan manner.
  • Ensure deadlines are met with high quality, objective information provided to MLAs, Party Support and Secretariat staff. Liaising appropriately with other Government bodies and using the library’s range of resources (electronic and hard copy) to respond.
  • Be responsible for the delivery of Library awareness and legislation training sessions to new staff.
  • Contribute to the development, implementation, monitoring and review of all relevant Library policies.
  • Ensure that the Library’s Enquiry Service complies with any legal requirements and Assembly policies in areas such as FOI, GPDR etc.

           

Publications:

  • Be responsible for the production of Information Packs for Private Members’ Motions, Private Members’ Bills and selected Committee Motions to a high standard, ensuring Packs are compiled and distributed to agreed deadlines. Liaise with colleagues in RaISe, Business Committee, statutory committees and in other business areas as necessary.
  • Manage and contribute to production of Event Packs to support Parliamentary and Community Outreach and other events.
  • Develop, refine and continue to compile and publish updated versions of ‘Reading Lists’ as and when required by RaISe management.

 

Acquisitions:

  • In keeping with the Library’s Collection Development Policy (and Donations Policy) and making sure of value for money, order printed publications.  Monitor output from publishers to acquire appropriate stock.
  • Ensure stock is effectively organised by overseeing cataloguing and classification work.
  • Ensure best use is made of limited storage space by revising stocks of printed material.

           

Development:

  • Oversee and train staff in the work of the Enquiry Desk.
  • Plan workloads and manage the work of a team of staff in line with Assembly guidance and performance managements systems.
  • Maintain own professional development through courses and conferences as appropriate.
  • Participate in and potentially lead projects aimed at improving service delivery.
  • Complying with all Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures; and
  • You may also be required to carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires of you.
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What we're offering
  • Salary range: £37,181 - £38,296
  • The standard working week is 37 hours, excluding meal breaks (42 hours gross). Librarians will be required to work a greater number of hours during periods when the Assembly is sitting, including working late evenings. They may also be required, on occasion, to work at weekends and on public holidays.
  • In addition to the usual public and privilege holidays, there is an annual leave allowance of 25 days, increasing incrementally by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days. Please be aware that a major influence in determining when leave can be taken will be the parliamentary timetable.
Find out more about employee benefits
Essential Criteria

Applicants for the post must possess, by the closing date for applications:

1. A degree or postgraduate diploma in Librarianship or Information Studies; or possess Chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and at least 2 years’ experience in the areas detailed at a) – c).

Applications may also be considered from applicants with relevant formal qualifications, considered by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, to be of an equivalent or higher standard to those stated.

 

OR

 

2. at least 4 years’ experience at the areas detailed at a) – c):

The experience specified above at 1 and 2 must be in the following areas:

a) undertaking the duties of a professional librarian.

b) working in a library enquiry service role, using a wide variety of electronic and hard copy sources

c) managing staff in a library environment.

Quick Q&A for this job...​

The salary range is £37,181 – £38,296. This is an Assembly Grade 6 position. 

Librarians work in the Assembly Library, which is located in the Research and Information Service (RaISe), part of the Assembly’s Legal, Governance and Research Services Directorate. 

The Assembly Library, amongst other services, provides an enquiry service for all Members, their staff and staff of the Assembly secretariat. In doing so, it works closely with Assembly Research Officers and other stakeholders to provide the Northern Ireland Assembly with impartial, objective, timely and non-partisan information and research.

In order to answer enquiries, librarians utilise and provide access to reference and statistical material, parliamentary and official publications, electronic subscription databases, newspapers, journals and general loan stock.

The Library’s enquiry service deals with several thousand enquiries per year mostly around policy and legislation. It produces ‘information packs’ and other products to support Assembly business. It also services requests for publications and statistical or background information.

The successful candidate will be accountable to a Senior Librarian.

The successful applicant will be based in Parliament Buildings, Belfast.

Completed application forms must be submitted by 12 noon on Friday 16 April 2021.

The Selection Process

There are five elements within the Recruitment and Selection Framework:

Experience – the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

Ability – the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard. 

Technical – the demonstration of specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.

Assembly Skills and Behaviours –the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job.

Strengths – the things we do regularly, do well and that motivate us.

The elements which will be assessed for this role will be Experience, Technical and Assembly Skills and Behaviours and the selection method(s) that will be used are detailed below. Further information on the Recruitment and Selection Framework are included in the Guidance on Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

The essential criteria reflect the experience and knowledge that an applicant must possess in order to be able to undertake the role. An eligibility sift will be carried out on the basis of the information contained in the essential criteria section of the application form. You must therefore demonstrate clearly in your form how, and to what extent, you meet with the essential criteria for the post. 

The selection panel reserve the right to use shortlisting as part of the selection process for this post. Should shortlisting be used, the shortlisting criterion listed in the Job Specification will be applied. The selection panel reserve the right to set a minimum standard for the shortlisting criterion which applicants must achieve in order to be invited to the interview stage of the selection process. If shortlisting is not necessary, all applicants who have demonstrated the essential criteria will proceed to the next stage of the selection process.  

The interview will address the information contained in the Job Specification and will assess elements of the Recruitment and Selection Framework.

Interviews are planned for week commencing 24 May 2021.

The selection panel reserves the right to hold a further interview stage if deemed necessary. 

Further information on the Recruitment and Selection process is available in the Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance on the Recruitment and Selection for Applicants.

Librarian
Leabharlannaí

Below you will find everything you need to apply for the position.

Read all the information about the job and the associated guidance related to working in the Assembly:

You are now ready to complete the online application:

Apply Now

Please note the application form will be unavailable on Saturday 21st November between 00:00 – 09:00 due to maintenance on the system.

If you are unable to access the form during this time please try again later.

The deadline for applications expired at 12 noon on Friday 16 April 2021.

Further Information

If you require more information on the recruitment process, please contact the Human Resources Office on 02890 520327 or 02890 521869 or email recruitment@niassembly.gov.uk.

Visit our website for further information about the Assembly.

Good Luck

Apply Now

Please note the application form will be unavailable on Saturday 21st November between 00:00 – 09:00 due to maintenance on the system.

If you are unable to access the form during this time please try again later.