Collections Assistant (Part-time)
Contract: permanent
Salary: £25,345.05 - £27,479.37per annum (pro-rata) plus benefits
Location: St James’s Square, London SW1
Hours: 28 hours per week (0.8FTE) between Monday and Friday, though we will consider applications from candidates wishing to work 14 hours per week (0.4 FTE)
Ref: LL/24/09
About The London Library
For 180 years, The London Library has stood as one of the UK's greatest literary institutions, inspiring creativity, and ideas. Our esteemed members, past and present, include literary giants like Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf, and contemporary authors such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Sarah Waters. Our collection boasts around one million books, a vast eLibrary, and an invaluable postal loans service, making it a sanctuary for those who cherish the written word. We are championed by our President, Helena Bonham Carter CBE, and operate as a registered charity.
About the role
We are seeking a Collections Assistant to join our dedicated Collection Care team. In this pivotal role, you will:
- Carry out duties relating to stack management and the organisation of the collection throughout the Library including participating in work to preserve and maintain the Library collections
- Fetch books from open shelves or locked safes as required
- Work on basic book repairs and condition reporting as required
- Carry out regular stock checks of the Special Collections and ensure items are reshelved to secure areas
- Undertake book valuations to ensure that rare and valuable items are identified
About you
You are an enthusiastic professional with:
- Previous experience of library-based work and a demonstrable interest in the physical well-being of books
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and to organise own work and time effectively
- Good communication, numerical, and IT skills
- Attention to detail and the ability to work accurately, methodically, and successfully to deadlines
Personal attributes include:
- A willingness to be flexible and to undertake a variety of collection related activities and respond to unplanned changes in circumstances
Why Join Us?
The London Library offers a friendly, hardworking, and inclusive workplace where we strive to support the diverse needs of our team. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to equality and diversity. Specific adjustments and access needs can be discussed to make this role suitable for you.
If you have the expertise to deliver a great member experience and are passionate about using your skills to contribute to the development of The London Library, we want to hear from you!
Please note:
- We can only consider candidates with the current right to work in the UK.
- We reserve the right to shorten or extend the closing date of any position where a high or low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged.
To Apply
Please complete an application form including the Library's equal opportunities monitoring form - available below - and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Candidate Information Pack (including job description)
Deadline for applications: Monday 14 October @ 5pm
Interviews: week commencing 21 October 2024
