Library Assistant

Durham County Council; Stanley; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

A local government authority in Stanley is seeking a part-time Library Assistant to support library services and assist customers. The role involves strong communication skills and experience in a customer-facing environment is essential. You will engage with the public, help with library materials, and maintain records. This temporary position offers attractive benefits including a competitive rewards package, generous leave, and a contributory pension scheme.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Contributory pension scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience working with customers in a customer-facing role.
• Proficient in using IT applications.
• Ability to handle customer inquiries effectively.

Responsibilities

• Assist customers with borrowing, returning, and locating library materials.
• Provide guidance on the use of library equipment and resources.
• Maintain accurate records and databases.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

IT applications

Education

NVQ Level 2 in a related subject

Job description

Do you have a love of books? A passion for helping people and the community? We are looking for a part time friendly Library Assistant to help us deliver our libraries and public information services.

Stanley - 34.5 hours per week – 12 months temporary post

Timetable

• Monday: 9.30am-7.15pm
• Tuesday: 9.30am-7.15pm
• Thursday: 9.30am-5.15pm
• Friday: 9.30am-6.15pm
• Saturday: 9.15am-12.45pm

This is an exciting opportunity to share your interests and get involved in a variety of tasks from assisting customers with their enquiries to promoting library events and activities.

What is involved?

With strong communication and interpersonal skills, you will support customers with borrowing, returning, and locating books and other library materials, as well as providing guidance in the use of library equipment and resources.

You will use IT systems to maintain accurate records and databases, and assist with banking and administrative tasks.

As this is a customer-facing role, your ability to engage confidently and courteously with members of the public is essential. You will take pride in delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring every visitor has a positive library experience.

We encourage you to contact Louise Smith, Library Operations Manager via [e-mail] informal discussion about the role.

What will I need?

NVQ Level 2 in a related subject.

Essential experience includes working with customers from diverse backgrounds in a customer-facing environment, using IT applications, and handling customer enquiries effectively.

Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria.

Interviews

Interviews will be held week commencing 17th November 2025.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

Our offer to you

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

How to apply

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email [e-mail].

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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