Community Library Assistant

at  Cambridgeshire County Council

About the role
We are looking for an enthusiastic and versatile person to help us shape the future of Cambridgeshire Libraries. We maintain a high-quality public library service, working in partnership with a range of other organizations and community groups.
Our Community Library Assistants are the first point of contact for members of the public who are visiting and using our Libraries, and consequently the role is varied and allows staff to develop many different skills.
This role is based at Central Library, Cambridge, however you must be able to travel to any of the other Libraries within the District.
We want to recognise and celebrate the diversity of our local communities and be responsive to their needs. We also want to ensure that we are a fair and equitable employer, striving to achieve a diverse workforce that has the ability to understand, communicate and interact with people across cultures. We therefore encourage applications from all areas of our community.

INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD AT CAMBRIDGE CENTRAL LIBRARY ON FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2025.

For more information or to chat about this opportunity please contact Christopher Waters, District Library Manager via e-mail christopher.waters@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or 07391730796.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

What will you be doing?

• Providing friendly, efficient, customer-facing, front-line public services to users of Cambridgeshire Libraries.
• Contributing to and promoting the library offer.
• Supporting library events and activities, including delivering rhymetime and storytime sessions
• Supporting the wider aims and objectives of the service by assisting in delivery of partnership initiatives and outreach work.
• Deliver the UK Visa and Immigration Biometrics verification service which we offer at Cambridge Central Library, for which training will be given.

Please refer to the attached job description for further details about the role.

Please note:

• this post requires the post holder to be mobile and able to work in any of the libraries identified within the hub and cluster.
• library work can be physically demanding. This post involves some lone working.

About you
The successful candidate will have a flair for working with people, able to create a friendly and welcoming environment for a diverse range of customers. They will be excellent at multi-tasking, be quick and efficient, and enjoy working under pressure.
The candidate will be passionate about what public libraries can offer, and able to promote our services. Although there is plenty of routine work, there is also scope to be creative. Training will be given on specific library systems, but an ability to work with IT is assumed. Although library experience is an advantage, we would also like to hear from candidates who have demonstrated exceptional customer service skills in other contexts.

When completing the supporting statement for this position, please tell us how your skills, experience, capability and potential match each of the criteria in the person specification. Think carefully about the following criteria and provide practical examples of how and when you have used the particular knowledge, skill or experience:

• Demonstrate your understanding of delivering good customer service
• Interpersonal skills, including patience and listening skills with an ability to establish exactly what the customer requires
• A pleasant, helpful manner with customers of all ages and abilities.
• A strong team player, able to work with colleagues on projects and contribute to team goals
• Flexibility and adaptability in all areas of work, including being able to respond to a change in hours or workplace location.

• Providing friendly, efficient, customer-facing, front-line public services to users of Cambridgeshire Libraries.
• Contributing to and promoting the library offer.
• Supporting library events and activities, including delivering rhymetime and storytime sessions
• Supporting the wider aims and objectives of the service by assisting in delivery of partnership initiatives and outreach work.
• Deliver the UK Visa and Immigration Biometrics verification service which we offer at Cambridge Central Library, for which training will be given