Assistant Librarian (XN05)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key responsibilties of the Assistant Librarian:

To contribute to the provision and delivery of a user focused high quality Library and Knowledge Service that proactively responds to user needs and expectations.

To build and maintain effective working relationships with library team colleagues, clinical and non-clinical staff, students and library users at all levels and from all backgrounds, either face-to-face, or via email, telephone or virtually e.g. Microsoft Teams.

To proactively market and promote library services and resources to Trust staff and students to raise current awareness, and increase user engagement and usage, via social media, induction sessions, multi-disciplinary staff meetings, or the production and circulation of marketing and training materials.

To support the creation and updating of content held on the Leeds Libraries for Health Partnership website and Trust Intranet webpages.

To support and advise Trust staff with often complex clinical and non-clinical enquiries and to carry out literature searches, when requested, using a range of health information resources, and to appraise and supply relevant results that meet their information needs.

Demonstrable good general IT skills. (e.g. MS Office)

To attend and participate in library team huddles and other meetings as required.

To network with other health information professionals and participate in projects as part of the Leeds Libraries for Health Partnership Strategy.

To assist with library stock and collection management, e.g. de-selection and withdrawal of obsolete library stock, cataloguing new library stock, stock checks and recommending new resources in line with the Library Stock and Collections Policy.

To provide first-line assistance to Trust staff accessing print or electronic information resources, including databases, photocopying book chapters, resolving NHS OpenAthens account queries or downloading articles from the Internet. This will include some basic troubleshooting with PCs and printers, reporting faults, when appropriate.

To be a proactive member of the Library and Knowledge Service team, proposing and implementing projects and ideas to help improve the efficiency of team procedures and work practices.

To proactively contribute to the development and implementation of the Library Service strategy and annual service plan, and to take part in the collection and evaluation of user feedback, making suggestions for library service improvements using quality improvement methodologies.

To collate evidence (statistics, feedback, case studies, and activity data) to demonstrate impact to support the completion and submission of the Health Education England (HEE) annual statistical returns and the Quality Improvement Outcomes Framework (QIOF).

To adhere to Copyright, General Data Protection (GDPR), publishers licences, and other relevant regulations and legislation. Additionally, to ensure that library users are aware of and comply.

Able to critically evaluate and appraise complex information.

Knowledge, Training and Experience

To be educated to, or be currently undertaking an undergraduate / postgraduate degree level qualification in librarianship or a related discipline.

To have gained, or be willing to undertake Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Professional Registration at either Certification (ACLIP) or Chartership (MCLIP) level.

To have specialist knowledge and understanding of a range of information resources e.g. books, journals, e-journals, e-books, databases etc. and to confidently apply this knowledge to support users to access and appraise information to satisfy their information needs.

To develop and deliver a range of information skills training and resource discovery demonstrations to enable learners to find and access evidence to support clinical and non-clinical decision making.

Understands day-to-day operational processes and procedures of the Library Management System including issuing, returning, and renewal of library stock, and registering library users by entering user personal data into the Library Management System.

To assist with completing requests to the inter-library loans and article supply service; sourcing books and articles from other NHS England library services.

To participate in training and developing library team colleagues, particularly sharing specialist knowledge and expertise.

To proactively promote the use of knowledge management tools and techniques to support the quality improvement of Trust service delivery and patient care.

Maintain a current understanding of the organisation of library services within the NHS and ensure that the library service can respond to such developments as they affect the Trust.

Maintain a current understanding of the NHS; policy, structure, national developments and trends in order to assess and respond to any impact as they affect the Trust.

You will be able to demonstrate that you can:

work effectively as part of a team.

work effectively without close supervision.

prioritise own workload to meet agreed deadlines and objectives.

demonstrate a disciplined approach to managing own time.

flexibly adapt to new working methods/practices in response to the changing requirements of the library service.

proficiently problem solve and are able to show/take initiative within the scope of the role.

THE LEEDS WAY VALUES

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values

Additionally the following are core values which relate specifically to this post:

This is a user focused post within the Trusts Library & Information Service focusing on supporting individual staff and meeting the strategic needs of the Trust as a whole. Core values are: enthusiasm; a commitment to service quality and on-going service improvement; a professional approach and focus on serving the needs of service users; a commitment to providing library services to all Trust staff; a commitment to working in partnership with library staff from libraries in other NHS bodies and organisations in the city. Additionally, it requires a commitment to supporting the lifelong personal and professional learning, education and training needs of all Trust staff.

WEST YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF ACUTE TRUSTS (WYAAT)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is part of the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

By bringing together the wide range of skills and expertise across West Yorkshire and Harrogate we are working differently, innovating and driving forward change to deliver the highest quality care. By working for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust this is your opportunity to be a part of that change.

WYAAT is the acute sector arm of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, one of the largest integrated care systems in the country. The Partnerships ambition is for everyone to have the best possible health and wellbeing, and the work of WYAAT, and each individual trust, supports that ambition.

Health and Safety/Risk Management

All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users. This includes complying at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed security and safer working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting system

Infection Control

The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precautions. Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment.

Equality and Diversity

The jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families. No person whether they are staff, patient or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.

Training and Personal Development Continuous Professional Development

The job holder must take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional Development remains a priority to keep up to date on developments in the field of health information, digital information, and knowledge and library services in general. The job holder will undertake all mandatory training required for this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• To be educated to, or undertaking an undergraduate/postgraduate degree level qualification in librarianship or a related discipline.

Desirable

• To have gained Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Professional Registration at either Certification (ACLIP) or Chartership (MCLIP) level. ECDL or equivalent IT qualif

Experience

Essential

• Practical experience of working in a library, information service or similar environment
• Familiar with literature searching techniques and using a range of information resources to find high quality information
• Experience of training individuals or groups, including designing training materials

Desirable

• Experience working in NHS or health library service
• Familiar with health information resources / databases
• Awareness of Quality Improvement methodologies or Knowledge Management principles
• Awareness of current national trends and developments in healthcare / NHS
• Knowledge of Copyright, Data Protection, GDPR and other related legislation applied to libraries

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Good IT skills (MS Office, literature searching, Library Management System)
• Good communication skills and able to build and maintain positive relationships
• Good presentation skills and marketing skills
• Good time management skills
• Able to work without close supervision and to prioritise own workload
• Flexible approach to work
• Strong focus on the needs of library service users
• Strong focus on library service improvement

Desirable

• Ability to critically evaluate, analyse and appraise complex information

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

Leeds General Infirmary

Great George Street

Leeds

LS1 3EX

Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)