Library

SPOT: - £18,500
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 01/09/21 - 31/08/22
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 23-Aug-2021, 6:59:00 AM

Reference Number:

Department: University Library and Collections
Location: Durham City
Position Type: Full-Time
Contract Type: Fixed Term for 12 months
Salary: £18,500 (spot salary)

Department context

In January 1833 Bishop William van Mildert donated 160 volumes to found the University Library, located on Palace Green and in the same year Durham’s first university museum opened to the public. Today the University Library and Collections offers spaces, collections, expertise and services supporting education, research, the wider student experience and cultural and educational outreach. Collections and services operate across a wide estate of libraries, archives, museums, galleries and exhibition spaces, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site on Palace Green. Our nationally and internationally recognised collections span early books, archives and manuscripts, museum objects and art, print and electronic materials and include a repository of digitised materials, research outputs and research data. Our users encompass anyone engaging with our collections, services and facilities in person or remotely, this includes university staff, researchers from around the globe, students in higher education from Durham and other universities, school pupils and teachers, Durham’s local residents and tourists.

We are an ambitious and developing team with a focus on providing the best experience for our students, researchers and the wider community. We are valued partners working with students, professional services and academics across the University, and professionals and organisations regionally, nationally and internationally.

The University Library and Collections is made up of six sections: Collections; Customer Services; Education, Learning and Engagement; Research and Systems; Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions; and Finance and Administration. Staff work flexibly between the sections, 7 enabled by cross-cutting groups, Collections, Education, Engagement, User Experience, Operations, Research, Staff Development and a Programme and Project Steering Group.

Library and Collections Internships are intended for graduates, from any discipline, to serve as preparation to undertake a qualification in the fields relevant to ULC’s scope of work, or to apply for future roles in the sector. During the Internship the post holder will obtain experience of a particular area relating to libraries, archives and special collections, or museums within an HE environment. There will also been an opportunity to learn about other areas of work within University Library and Collections, managing and making accessible collections in support of teaching and learning, research and wider engagement.. Interns will establish and then work to fulfil a personal development plan, guided by their line manager and a separate mentor.

hey will also be encouraged to keep a diary or other record of their experience and personal development. A previous intern reports that “This internship has provided an opportunity to learn and develop both technical and person-centred skills, as well as allowing me to explore new passions and interests in a variety of different departments and roles within the Library.”

The Intern will be based primarily in the Customerm Services Team, and will be involved in a wide range of activities to support the delivery of Library services to the University’s academic community. The role actively contributes to direct and indirect service to Library customers and in the maintenance of the collections, with duties that could include digitisation, acquisitions and cataloguing. The role holder will participate in the frontline customer service provision in the Library, including user-experience related work, answering queries and assisting customers on the Help and Information Desk and the Virtual Enquiry Desk. There will also be opportunities to develop and run innovative user engagement activities, work on our social media platforms and promotional campaigns. Library collections and services are increasingly delivered electronically and the Intern will work with digital as well as physical media.

The intern role is for 12 months from 1st September attracting a salary of £18,500 per annum, plus 27 days holiday and excellent benefits.

For further information on the Intern position or to arrange an informal discussion please contact either:

Maria Carnegie, Head of Customer Services
maria.a.carnegie@durham.ac.uk

Katharine Davidson-Brown, Customer Services Manager - Library
j.k.davidson-brown@durham.ac.uk

Role Purpose and activities

• The intern will undertake a range of activities, delivering services to customers and gaining experience including some of the following:
• Providing direct customer service: by answering enquiries and processing requests from users, in person, online, and by telephone.
• Practical duties enabling access to collections, through activities relating to circulation of modern print collections; digitisting items; retrieving and returning items from collections for use in research, teaching or engagement activities
• Providing support where necessary to public-facing activities including exhibition development and delivery and other gallery-based activities.
• Providing advice and responding to enquiries from users, including students, academics and wider public research communities, on the services and collections available, in cooperation with senior colleagues.
• Assisting with collections management work, undertaking technical tasks, such as searching of online databases and bibliographic checking; creation, editing, and maintenance of metadata and other computer records; classification using the Dewey system;
• Using systems, such as the Library Management System, enquiry management tools, museum collections management systems, content management systems supporting websites and the digital repository; in support of user services and collections management
• Participating in short-term working groups and project work,
• Contributing to communications, social media activity, user-experience-related work and user engagement
• Contributing to schools education, wider public engagement and related activities
• Administrative activities in support of work areas described above
• They will also actively engage in staff development activities, including formal training sessions, reflection and self-directed learning, to develop skills and knowledge appropriate to the role and context of the internship.

Requirements

• This is a full-time post, working 35 hours per week with a holiday entitlement of 27 days per annum.
• The work pattern of the role may include some weekend, evening and bank holiday work as business demands
• The post is based at Bill Bryson Library, but the postholder may also work at other Library & Collection or Durham University sites.

Person Specification

Criteria

Essential

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including an ability to communicate your knowledge, enthusiasm, and interest to others
• Digital literacy – an understanding and ability to apply of the interplay of information, communication and technology
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent).
• Evidence of commitment personal development to improve skills and knowledge.
• Evidence of good team working and problem solving skills
• Evidence of a customer focussed approach to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
• Ability to manage time in order to meet deadlines.
• Genuine and demonstrable interest in pursuing a career in libraries and commitment to gain the required skills, knowledge and qualification in pursuit of career goals

Application is by CV and covering letter briefly detailing how the candidate meets the essential criteria, together with a personal statement (of no more than one page) by the candidate setting out their career goals and how this internship would help in their achievement. Further information will be issued in the contract of employment.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.