Summary
Are you looking to start a career within libraries? Would you like to build experience in a large university library with a busy, supportive team? Then this opportunity could be for you! Our apprenticeship is based across seven libraries at Imperial College London, and you will provide customer and administrative support to staff and students.
Wage
£29,586 a year
Training course
Library, information and archive services assistant (level 3)
Hours
The normal working day is 09.30 - 17.30. You will work at least one opening up shift (08.30 - 16.30) per week and one late night per month (13.00 - 21.00). You will also work one weekend day (Saturday or Sunday) once every 4 weeks.
35 hours a week
Start date
Sunday 1 June 2025
Duration
2 years
Positions available
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you’ll do at work
* Welcome library users and assist with general enquiries
* Shelve and tidy book collections and physical items and participate in fetching books from storage areas
* Assist with stock management duties and related projects such
as stock moves and stock checks
* Assist library users to locate print and online publications and assist with explaining how to use e-journals and databases
* Assist with online enquiries
* Create user records on the Library Management System
* Perform a range of routine clerical and administrative tasks
Where you’ll work
Imperial College
London
SW7 2AZ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
Your training course
Library, information and archive services assistant (level 3)
Equal to A level
Course contents
* Interpret and implement policy, e.g. communicating clearly the basic copyright restrictions and reasons for not sharing personal data
* Undertake regulation and compliance checking, e.g. in order to ensure data protection is not breached
* Solve user problems in a range of situations using their knowledge and interpretation
* Use information management processes to store, manage and retrieve records and data to support collaboration, exploitation and the organisation’s Information Management (IM) practices
* Describe and arrange material/resources, by observing and applying identified cataloguing standards in order to create online catalogues and other finding aids to meet users’ needs
* Employ information retrieval techniques to identify and use relevant media and systems, e.g. searching online databases, catalogues or physical stores, and EDRMS (electronic document record management systems)
* Perform preservation (analogue/physical and digital) practices to keep collections physically safe using institutional/sector guidelines, and supporting work that provides digital access by creating alternatives that meet a range of user requirements
* Use enquiry techniques to clarify and meet users’ information requirements and manage expectations, e.g. by signposting to alternative resources and providing solutions
* Develop knowledge sharing with users, cultivating an environment where knowledge is freely shared and sought within a ‘safe’ environment, including online solutions
* Use relevant approaches to learning support to contribute to the development of learning activities for different audiences to enhance knowledge and literacy, e.g. reader development
* Select and use appropriate tools and technologies to support users in researching and disseminating information, e.g. databases, search engines, digital libraries, repositories and social media
* Develop information and digital skills to support users to identify, find, access and evaluate information, to share knowledge and to promote self-help
* Demonstrate information sharing by contributing to learning activities for specific audiences, e.g. inductions and events, catering to a variety of levels of knowledge and understanding
* Use promotion techniques for resources so that users and potential users are aware of their value, impact and benefit, e.g. by curating collections and displays in effective ways, undertaking outreach activities to guide users to achieve independence in their use of information
* Implement the organisation’s collection management policy, e.g. through identifying stock that should be acquired and that which is no longer used or needed, and relegating or removing these appropriately
* Develop the service by assessing the learning environment and anticipating user needs, e.g. re-organising study/virtual spaces, suggesting improvements to catalogues or web pages
* Use teamwork and collaboration to achieve goals, e.g. with stakeholders and partners beyond the organisation
* Use information provision to enable users to access materials, e.g. through lending books/artefacts, emailing documents, accessing original archives, signposting links to information
* Exercise communication skills - oral, written, presentation, interpersonal, listening, assertiveness (online and face to face)
* Interpret and implement policy, e.g. communicating clearly the basic copyright restrictions and reasons for not sharing personal data
* Undertake regulation and compliance checking, e.g. in order to ensure data protection is not breached
* Solve user problems in a range of situations using their knowledge and interpretation
* Use information management processes to store, manage and retrieve records and data to support collaboration, exploitation and the organisation’s Information Management (IM) practices
* Describe and arrange material/resources, by observing and applying identified cataloguing standards in order to create online catalogues and other finding aids to meet users’ needs
* Employ information retrieval techniques to identify and use relevant media and systems, e.g. searching online databases, catalogues or physical stores, and EDRMS (electronic document record management systems)
* Perform preservation (analogue/physical and digital) practices to keep collections physically safe using institutional/sector guidelines, and supporting work that provides digital access by creating alternatives that meet a range of user requirements
* Use enquiry techniques to clarify and meet users’ information requirements and manage expectations, e.g. by signposting to alternative resources and providing solutions
* Develop knowledge sharing with users, cultivating an environment where knowledge is freely shared and sought within a ‘safe’ environment, including online solutions
* Use relevant approaches to learning support to contribute to the development of learning activities for different audiences to enhance knowledge and literacy, e.g. reader development
* Select and use appropriate tools and technologies to support users in researching and disseminating information, e.g. databases, search engines, digital libraries, repositories and social media
* Develop information and digital skills to support users to identify, find, access and evaluate information, to share knowledge and to promote self-help
* Demonstrate information sharing by contributing to learning activities for specific audiences, e.g. inductions and events, catering to a variety of levels of knowledge and understanding
* Use promotion techniques for resources so that users and potential users are aware of their value, impact and benefit, e.g. by curating collections and displays in effective ways, undertaking outreach activities to guide users to achieve independence in their use of information
* Implement the organisation’s collection management policy, e.g. through identifying stock that should be acquired and that which is no longer used or needed, and relegating or removing these appropriately
* Develop the service by assessing the learning environment and anticipating user needs, e.g. re-organising study/virtual spaces, suggesting improvements to catalogues or web pages
* Use teamwork and collaboration to achieve goals, e.g. with stakeholders and partners beyond the organisation
* Use information provision to enable users to access materials, e.g. through lending books/artefacts, emailing documents, accessing original archives, signposting links to information
* Exercise communication skills - oral, written, presentation, interpersonal, listening, assertiveness (online and face to face)
Your training plan
* Library, Information and Archive Services Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* English (grade 9-4 (A* - C))
* Maths (grade 9-4 (A* - C))
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* IT skills
* Customer care skills
* Team working