Librarian

TipTopJob; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

An established independent school is seeking a passionate School Librarian to enhance its vibrant library environment. This role involves fostering a love for reading among students, managing library resources, and supporting academic research. The successful candidate will engage with pupils and staff, promote literacy, and contribute to the library's development as a central learning hub. With plans for future refurbishment, this position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the school's educational culture and support students' learning journeys.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Professional development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Experience managing a library in an educational setting.
• Degree-level education or equivalent is essential.

Responsibilities

• Promote a love of learning and reading through events and activities.
• Manage day-to-day queries, book issuance, and returns.

Skills

Librarianship

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Attention to Detail

Promoting Reading

Education

Degree-level education

Post-graduate diploma in Librarianship

Job description

Location: Cambridge

Salary: A GBP 30,117 - A GBP 32,072 per annum (pro rata from A GBP 32,738 - A GBP 34,868 FTE)

Working hours: 43.75 a week, term time only

The Perse School Cambridge is one of the country's leading independent co-educational day schools for children aged 3-18.

Their aim is to be a leading employer of choice. This means they strive to be a school where staff say they are proud and excited to work, and feel valued, respected and motivated.

They are committed to providing a very competitive salary and benefits scheme alongside a wide range of opportunities for personal and professional development. They want their staff to feel engaged and purposeful so that they, in turn, help pupils to be happy and successful.

The Role

They are seeking to appoint a School Librarian to work at the Upper School from September 2025.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a highly motivated applicant with a strong interest in children's and young adult literature who has experience in managing a library, ideally within an educational setting.

The Library provides a welcoming, safe, and bright environment and is at the heart of the school's learning culture. Current resources include a large stock of books, periodicals, and online resources. The Library is split between a quiet reading area and a silent study area. The Librarian is assisted by an Assistant Librarian, supported by a team of pupil librarians and staff members on duty during busy periods.

There are plans to refurbish the library during summer 2026, further enhancing the facilities provided to pupils.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, managing, and promoting the school library as an essential learning environment. They will play a key role in providing individualised service, encouraging reading for pleasure, facilitating independent learning and research, promoting intellectual curiosity and scholarship, and supporting teaching and learning across the school.

Key Responsibilities

1. Promote a love of learning and reading through events, competitions, holiday reading schemes, and themed activities.
2. Ensure the delivery and ongoing development of high-quality provision in the Library, staying well-informed about new publications, age-appropriate literature for children, and developments in literacy.
3. Promote activities and events to enhance learning, encourage reading, and facilitate research and study by pupils and staff.
4. Assist pupils and staff with resource selection and research strategies, supporting school research programmes (e.g., EPQ in Sixth Form, HPQ in Middle School, and Lower School research projects) and staff professional development.
5. Liaise with subject teachers to embed library resources and activities into schemes of work.
6. Liaise with staff to schedule library classes and research sessions.
7. Design and deliver library and information skills lessons to Lower School classes.
8. Manage day-to-day queries, book issuance, returns, and overdue items retrieval.

Skills and Qualifications

1. Degree-level education or equivalent (essential).
2. Post-graduate diploma/certification/chartered status in Librarianship or Information Science (desirable).
3. Strong background in managing a library within an educational setting.
4. Vision for how a library should operate in an academically successful day school.
5. Ability to promote the Library effectively in a busy academic environment.
6. High standards of behaviour and the ability to model the School values (intellectual curiosity, endeavour, breadth and balance, valuing one another and the environment).
7. Ability to build trust and engage with students.
8. Proven communication and interpersonal skills.
9. High literacy level, attention to detail, and ability to use initiative.