Job description

Post title: Librarian

Service area: Learning & Culture

Grade: Scale 6

Reports to: Library Manager

Your team: Library & Heritage Services

Number of supervisees: A team of up to 10 staff

Our ambition

We’re determined to make Islington fairer. To create a place where everyone, whatever their background, has the opportunity to reach their potential and enjoy a good quality of life.

We also have an ambitious goal – to be the best council in the country– with every employee clear about the part they play and inspired, focused and supported to give their very best.

We want to build an organisation where employees feel valued, inspired and empowered to help us achieve our goals and provide the best services possible to our residents.

Our values and behaviours

‘Be Islington’ is about setting a clear challenge about what it means to be an Islington employee and sets the standard for every new recruit.

We ask our employees to ‘Be Islington’ – playing their part in working together for a fairer borough and to always be collaborative, be ambitious, be resourceful, and be empowering (‘CARE’).

Our commitment to challenging inequality

We are committed to tackling inequality, racism and injustice and creating a fairer borough for all. In order to do this, we need to set the example by being a fair employer and creating a workplace environment, which is free from discrimination, racism and inequality. Our approach needs to be proactive, consistently learning to create a fairer workplace and foster a culture, which empowers all staff to challenge inequality.

Fairness is at the heart of what we do. We want to celebrate and embrace our differences by:

  • Ensuring our workforce is representative of the people we work on behalf of, our residents
  • Creating equitable working environments and diverse teams
  • Understanding our residents in order to design and deliver services that help tackle inequality and improve life chances for our residents
  • Getting to know people and their differences
  • Interpreting issues and concerns from a cultural perspective and address situations or problems from the points-of-view of multiple cultures
  • Supporting people with long-term health conditions and/or disabilities
  • Recognising the value of flexible working to support staff where possible

Key responsibilities

  • To assist in the provision and effective operation of a high quality, customer focussed Library and Heritage Services
  • To be the lead officer in charge of a service point or library; ensuring all aspects of service delivery are provided: lending services to adults and children, ICT, information and learning.
  • To take responsibility for and carry out reader development work and promotional activity including U5 sessions, Baby Bounce and author events.
  • Take full responsibility for management of a service point. 
  • Be involved in stock selection, maintenance and promotion as required.
  • Participate in the recruitment and performance management of staff, including training, appraisal and team briefing.
  • Produce reports, correspondence and statistics as required, and other clerical and administrative duties as necessary.
  • Assist as required in managing, deploying and monitoring any devolved budgets for relevant service points.
  • Be involved as necessary in planning, monitoring, promoting and developing all aspects of library and information services to the public.
  • To undertake other duties commensurate to the grade of the post.

ADDITIONAL:         

  • To use and assist others in the use of information technology systems to carry out duties in the most efficient and effective manner.
  • To achieve agreed service outcomes and outputs, and personal appraisal targets, as agreed by the line manager.
  • To undertake training and constructively take part in meetings, supervision, seminars and other events designed to improve communication and assist with the effective development of the post and post holder.
  • To carry out duties and responsibilities in accordance with the council’s commitment to customer service excellence and ensure compliance with the customer care standards.
  • To be committed to the Council’s core values of public service, quality, equality and empowerment and to demonstrate this commitment in the way duties are carried out.
  • To ensure that duties are undertaken with due regard and compliance with the Data Protection Act and other legislation.
  • To carry out duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Council’s Health and Safety Policy and relevant Health and Safety legislation.
  • At all times to carry out responsibilities/duties within the framework of the Council’s Dignity for all Policy. (Equal Opportunities Policy).

Leadership

As a member of the council’s management team, to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the council, working collaboratively with Members, services across the council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the council’s objectives and priorities.

To drive positive cultural change, embodying and promoting the values and behaviours of the council and empowering staff to reach their full potential. Ensure that the performance and development framework is effective for all staff.

To lead on and ensure the effective implementation of corporate initiatives and transformation programmes that cut across the whole or part of the council’s activities.

Compliance

Ensure legal, regulatory and policy compliance under GDPR, Health and Safety and in area of your specialism identifying opportunities and risks and escalating where appropriate.

Work style

Frontline Role

 

Person specification

You should demonstrate on your application form how you meet the essential criteria.  Please ensure that you address each of the criteria as this will be assessed to determine your suitability for the post.

Essential criteria

Qualifications and Experience

Essential criteria
Criteria description
 Assessed by

1

Librarian or Information Qualification or substantial experience in a Library setting

Application/Interview

Skills

Essential criteria
Criteria description
Assessed by

2

Good communication skills

Application/Interview

3

Ability to provide services and stock, which are socially inclusive within a customer focus framework

Application/Interview

4

Ability to support, motivate and develop staff

Application/Interview

5

Premises management skills, including understanding health and safety responsibilities

Application/Interview

6

Ability to manage and supervise within the Council’s Dignity for All Employment Policy.

Application/Interview

7

Ability to work evenings and weekends as required to meet the needs of the service.

Application/Interview

8

Able to undertake reader development activities including storytelling and rhyme times with children and young people as individuals and in groups

Application/Interview

9

Ability to contribute to and maintain good working relationships, and to work as part of a team

Application/Interview

10

Ability to use information and communication technology systems, and to support public use of all electronic resources

Application/Interview

11

Ability to organise and manage delegated budgets

Application/Interview

12

Ability to take responsibility for specific areas of service and organise own work programmes

Application/Interview

13

Ability to adhere to the Council’s Dignity for All policy.

Application/Interview

Special requirements of the post

(Insert any special requirements of the post. Delete if this does not apply.)

Essential criteria
Criteria description
Assessed by

14

This role will require you to obtain an Enhanced/Standard satisfactory clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service

 

Our accreditations

Our accreditations include: the Healthy Workplace award, Timewise, London Living Wage Employer, Disability Confident Committed, The Mayor’s Good Work Standard, Stonewall Diversity Champion, and Time to Change.