Librarian - Families and Wellbeing Team - West Sussex County Council : Job Details

Do you have experience working with children, young people, families, and a variety of vulnerable groups of all ages?

Are you equipped to effectively coordinate library services for children, families, and key adult groups?

Do you possess strong teamwork skills to collaborate closely with library staff and partners at every level?

We are looking for a Librarian to be a part of our close-knit library service and it could be you!

Our libraries deliver essential community-based support, promoting the benefits of reading for everyone, offering a quality, trusted information service, bridging digital inclusion through supporting safe access to online resources, and curating a programme of events and activities that meet the needs of targeted audiences.

Salary: £31,586 to £34,314 per annum (Applicants without Chartered status can be considered for appointment at Grade 7 £28,624 to £31,067 per annum) with entitlement to Saturday Enhancement to working 7 hours 35 minutes for 1 in 2 Saturdays. You will also receive an additional Crawley Allowance.

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until January 2026. Final end date will be confirmed with the successful candidate.

Working Pattern: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Location: Crawley Library, Southgate Avenue Crawley, RH10 6HG

Interview Date: Monday 10 March 2025

You will work Monday to Friday and 1 in 2 Saturdays. You'll work in line with the libraries core hours (08:30am to 5:00pm). Final arrangements to be confirmed with successful candidates.

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

The Opportunity

Crawley is a contemporary and welcoming library situated in a spacious building that features a café, conveniently located near the town centre.

The library hosts the Business & Intellectual Property Centre, as well as Employ Crawley, providing support for those interested in starting their own business or seeking employment opportunities. We collaborate with Crawley College and serve as the lending library for all their further and higher education courses.

Our work in the Families and Wellbeing team is diverse and any given day can often feel quite different from the next! There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in a typical week, including:

• Promoting the library service to targeted groups through visits both in and out of the library, as well as through various engaging media.
• Responsible for managing stock and resources through diligent stockwork and maintenance, while also playing a key role in identifying, selecting, and passionately acquiring new titles within the allocated team budget.
• Building and nurturing a comprehensive understanding of our stock to passionately promote and recommend titles, along with a deep knowledge of specialist resources to support both staff and customer inquiries.
• Contributing to the planning, implementation, and review of the programme of services offered to customers in conjunction with the appropriate Team Manager.
• Working with library teams and managers supporting delivery of local priorities and modelling best practice.

If you have proven experience of delivering a customer focused library service, have excellent customer service and organisation skills, then this is a fantastic opportunity for you!

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

About You

The ideal candidate will be a passionate advocate for libraries and the significance they play in the lives of children, young people, and families.

You will be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, communicating on several different levels with multiple stakeholders and adapting your style accordingly.

We are looking for someone who holds a degree level qualification or equivalent qualification such as a Chartered Librarian, qualified librarian or ACLIP, or demonstrable experience.

If you thrive on becoming a subject matter expert and using your skills to support the delivery of transformational outcomes for the Families and Wellbeing Team, then this is the perfect role for you!

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CPP01037.

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV, and complete the application form, explaining how you meet the key skills in the attached job description and experience you can bring to the role. Please ensure all that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

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, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a 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. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

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