Library Assistant jobs in United Kingdom

We are looking for an approachable individual with excellent communication skills and a flexible outlook, to join our small friendly team of Knowledge & Library staff delivering services to all NHS staff and students working in the Guildford area.

Assisting with the day‑to‑day running of the library, you will need to be able to work independently and as part of a team. The ability to multi‑task while maintaining attention to detail is important.

This customer‑facing role involves helping library users find the information they need for patient care, professional development and research. The varied and interesting duties include: maintaining membership and library management data (using the Koha LMS), inter‑library loan provision, user education, basic cataloguing and other general library duties.

Previous experience in an NHS or academic library and familiarity with Library Management Systems will be advantageous but not essential. Occasional lone working is required.

This permanent, full‑time post would be suitable for an applicant with previous library experience or equivalent.

For more information about this post and/or to arrange an informal visit please contact: Lindsay White / Vicki Veness, telephone: 01483 464137.

It Is Core To Knowledge For Healthcare That The NHS Becomes a Knowledge Based Service And That All NHS Health Care Staff Have Access To And Use Appropriate Evidence And Knowledge To Support Their Practice, Research And Learning And Development. To This End The Knowledge & Library Service Based At The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust Provides Services That Contribute To:

• Evidence based decision making
• Professional development and lifelong learning of the whole workforce
• Quality Improvement
• Research, service development and innovation in clinical practice and health care management
• Direct patient care
• Health Literacy

Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5 000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing program along with a commitment to developing and advancing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family will ensure you feel valued from your initial interview through your entire tenure.

We are clinically led and provide joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services alongside regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford with community hospital sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh. We provide adult community health services in homes across Guildford and Waverley.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has given us an overall rating of Outstanding.

Royal Surrey has a strong reputation and history to build on. We are proud of our achievements and we are investing in our colleagues through our commitment to supporting professional development as well as investing more than £45 million in our physical environment and new equipment in the next few years. There has never been a better time to join us.

Although it isn't the Trust’s normal practice, adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible.

A video about the Royal Surrey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96pMboIYdo

Date posted: 29 January 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: 4

Salary: £28,860 to £31,671 a year pro rata, per annum inc HCAS

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full‑time

Reference number: 384‑RD‑EMF19841

Job location: Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX

Management

• Responsible for the day‑to‑day operation of the library service.
• Responsible for supervising, resolving all but the most complex problems/ issues and allocating work on a day‑to‑day basis to the Library Assistant, bank or temporary staff and volunteers.
• Support and help train the Library Assistant, bank or temporary staff and volunteers, when in post.

Finance

• Responsible on a day‑to‑day basis for the reconciliation of the library income and liabilities cash boxes.
• Responsible for the monthly cashing up and paying it in to the Cashiers.
• Collect payment for library services on a daily basis, for example, second hand book sales. To receipt money in accordance with the Trust’s financial regulations.
• Managing on a day‑to‑day basis the Library 24 hour access keyfob deposits, issuing them to users and providing refunds when required. Adding, enabling, disabling and deleting 24 hour access records on the 24 hour access system (Paxton).

Library Stock

• Manage the overdue process, daily sending out overdue reminders to library users, generated on the Library Management System (LMS) and raising invoices for very overdue items. Chase and trace users, using tact and persuasion to retrieve overdue items.
• Receipt new stock and assign catalogue numbers on the LMS.
• Basic cataloguing of new books on the LMS using existing catalogued records to inform classification and subject headings, referring more complex cataloguing and classification to the Library Management Team. This task requires concentration, accuracy and attention to detail.
• Support the Library Management Team to identify stock gaps, pressures on stock, new editions of core texts and other items for acquisition.

Interlibrary Loans Service

• Manage the provision of a speedy and efficient interlibrary loans service by satisfying book and journal article requests for library users and other NHS libraries in conjunction with other members of the library team.
• This involves: identifying appropriate sources for interlibrary loan applications, both regionally and nationally; transmitting interlibrary loan requests (manually or computerised); checking in items received, tracking loan periods and ensuring their safe and prompt return to the lending institution; identifying, issuing and posting book requests from other libraries; and identifying, photocopying / scanning and posting / emailing book chapter / journal article requests from other libraries.
• Working within agreed protocols and time scales within the IncDocs / PrintDocs scheme (Document Supply), British Library and others when required. Work within the terms of the Copyright Act and the General Data Protection Regulations, keeping up to date on any developments with this and other legislation. Provide articles electronically to library users where available.

Information enquiries and user support

• Responsible for basic literature searches on behalf of library users, using electronic databases and print resources, referring more complex searches to the Library Management Team.
• Advise, guide and support readers in person, by telephone and email in a prompt, polite and helpful manner.
• Locate and retrieve information in answer to users enquiries whether by phone, email or in person.
• Judge which resources will answer an enquiry most efficiently. This will involve the use of a full range of resources including textbooks, government reports, journals, patient care guidelines, bibliographic databases and the Internet. The post‑holder will need to work to deadlines set by the library user.
• Provide assistance and support to users of the KLS space.
• Keep notice boards and screens up to date, designing, printing and displaying posters advertising training or new resources available, and notifying users of KLS closures, Library Regulations, etc.

Organisational & Administrative

• Daily communication within the Library Team, so that there is no duplication of effort, all necessary tasks are carried out and there is equitable rotation of tasks.
• Responsible for dealing with room booking requests made via Bookwise.
• Add reader records onto the LMS and manage registration forms in accordance with the Data Protection Act. This includes managing the process of notifying readers whose accounts are close to expiring.
• Responsible for maintaining the library stationery supply, sourcing and ordering items on a regular basis.
• Maintain an overall understanding of the operations of the Library in order to ensure adequate cover for periods of staff absence.
• Contribute to the implementation and content of the Knowledge & Library Services Strategy, working towards agreed objectives.
• Attend regular local staff meetings and take an active role in developing local library policies and procedures, implementing new procedures relating to own work.
• Responsible for maintaining and up‑dating relevant work‑related procedures within the library procedure manual.

• 5 GCSEs grade A‑C or equivalent, including English and Maths

• Previous work experience in a library or equivalent knowledge of resources through intensive use, of which 1 year ideally should be in a healthcare library, or comparable within other sector libraries (eg. Academic, private sector) to acquire specialist knowledge of healthcare resources.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, eg Copyright Act and GDPR.
• Experience of handling money in a working environment.
• Able to receive and convey complex and sensitive information to and from a wide range of personnel from both internal and external sources.
• Sound working knowledge of printed and electronic health information resources, to include well developed information retrieval skills.
• Experience in the use of a Library Management System.
• Frequent use on a daily basis of VDU and Keyboard equipment often for sustained periods of time.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX

Website: https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/