Library Assistant

Gloucestershire County Council; Newent; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS

EAP

Cycle to Work

Green Car Scheme

Employee discount

Job summary

Gloucestershire County Council is seeking a Library Assistant for Newent Library, with duties including helping customers select and borrow books, maintaining stock, and delivering children's activities. The role requires strong customer service, teamwork, and ICT skills, plus knowledge of library services.

The post offers 30.5 hours per week across Newent and Cinderford on a two-week rota, with a one-year fixed-term contract and a closing date of 6 September 2026.

Qualifications

• Excellent and proven customer service experience.
• Be a team player with strong communication and organisational skills.
• Have experience of working with or organising events for children.
• Strong ICT skills.
• A knowledge of the services libraries offer and the role libraries play in the community.

Responsibilities

• Help customers choose and issue books.
• Maintain stock in the library.
• Signpost to advice services and provide children’s activities.
• Work independently and with colleagues and volunteers; handle money.

Skills

Customer service

Teamwork

Children's events

ICT skills

Library services knowledge

Job description

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Title: Library Assistant
• Job Location: Newent Library
• Salary: £26,403-£27,694
• Hours per Week: 37.00
• Contract Type: Fixed Term
• Duration: One Year
• Closing Date: 06/09/2026
• Job Requisition Number: 14787
• This post is not open to job share

About The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the team in the Forest of Dean as a Library Assistant. We are looking for dynamic individual with a sense of fun to help develop what we offer to our customers.

Our Library Assistants are the public face of the Library Service, making sure that our customers have access to all of the services that libraries provide.

This will include helping them choose and issue books, maintaining the stock in the library, signposting to advice services and providing children’s activities. We’re looking for someone who can work independently and with colleagues and volunteers, handle money and think on their feet.

The Position Is 30.5 Hours Per Week, Working Between Newent (NT) And Cinderford (CD) Libraries On a 2-week Rota. Example Timetable

Week 1: Monday 1-7 (NT), Tuesday OFF, Wednesday 10-5 (CD), Thursday 10-5 (NT), Friday 9.30-7 (NT), and Saturday 10-2 (NT)

Week 2: Monday OFF, Tuesday 10-5 (NT), Wednesday 10-5 (CD), Thursday 10-5 (NT), Friday 10-7 (NT) and Saturday 9.30-2 (NT)

About You

The successful applicant should have and be able to demonstrate in their personal statement:

• Excellent and proven customer service experience;
• Be a team player with strong communication and organisational skills;
• Have experience of working with or organising events for children;
• Strong ICT skills;
• A knowledge of the services libraries offer and the role libraries play in the community.

At Gloucestershire County Council, we are constantly challenging ourselves to improve the services we provide to the people of the county. We strive to support our local communities and all of those who live within them and the key to providing that service is the energy, skills and dedication of the people who works for us.

About Us

For all your hard work, you will receive the following:

• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service
• An option to purchase up to 5 days of additional leave per year (dependent on business need)
• Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.
• An in-house Occupational Health service
• Employee discount scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Gloucestershire Salary Sacrifice Green Car Scheme (T&Cs apply)
• Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network

Additional Information

• Job Profile - Library Assistant
• Applications from any Gloucestershire County Council's employees who are currently on the redeployment register or at risk of redundancy will be considered first at shortlisting stage.
• The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer.
• Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.
• It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.
• Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.