Job description

Job responsibilities

Key results from the job holder

To act as the first point of contact at the Wigan branch of the Trust Library Service and to accept enquiries received via post, telephone, email, in person or via other appropriately secure methods.

• Work flexibly to staff the library enquiry points on all Trust sites (by prior arrangement), acting as first point of contact for library enquiries.
• Work as a member of the library team to provide an InterLibrary Loan and Document Delivery requesting service (ILL), to include identifying and locating the material requested and undertaking follow-up for non-routine requests and maintaining statistical records of requests.
• To be responsible for the management for the successful circulation of stock, producing over-due and recall notices.

Planning and Organisational Duties

To keep up to date with relevant electronic reference tools including social media and the Trust Intranet. To provide basic instruction and routine first line advice in the use of online reference resources, including the Internet, databases and catalogues, to Library Users. To ensure Trust Library Departmental and Trust-wide policies relating to relevant legislation, including Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Copyright are implemented. To identify personal/professional development, in conjunction with the line manager, evidenced by a Personal Development Plan developed within an appraisal format. To attend relevant training and development in order to maintain and develop the skills and knowledge required of a Senior Library Assistant working in an Acute Hospital environment. To receive, interpret and processes routine and in-depth requests for health information from all levels of Trust staff, including requests for information required to support research, audit, the CPD of Trust staff and information to inform and support patient care. To undertake routine first line enquiry work and requests for basic information and literature searches on behalf of the library users using established procedures, identifying and utilising the most efficient and effective electronic and print reference resources and referring complex or specialist enquiries to the Librarians. To identify and recommend improvements and processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of services for which the post-holder has an identified responsibility. To identify, locate and acquire information requested by Library Users through the Inter-library Loans and other partnership services and to identify alternative mechanisms and undertake the follow-up for non-routine requests. To be responsible for the processing, administration, monitoring and filing of all memberships received at the Wrightington and Wigan branches of the Trust Library Service, ensuring compliance with relevant current legislation.

Communication Skills

To utilise knowledge to assist the Librarians with the provision of basic training and information sessions in the use of online and electronic reference tools, including the internet, databases and library catalogues, to Library Users. To be responsible for the input of data into dedicated ILL software, ensuring the data is timely, accurate and up to date for future reference. To accession, classify, catalogue and assist with promotion of standard library materials, undertaken in accordance with established procedures and local protocols. This will require the entry to and update of data on the current electronic Library Management System, library intranet site, and other online apps, ensuring in-house protocols, legal guidance relating to personal data, and regional standards of accuracy are implemented. To input data into the current Library Management System, to facilitate the issue and return of materials borrowed from the library collections and maintain accurate item and user details. To maintain the order of materials in the library using the established library classification scheme and to administer eresources and ejournals via the current online application.

Key Working Relationships

Library Manager and Library Team Medical Education Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teams Head of Medical Education, Library Services, and Clinical Skills Estates and IT Teams All grades of healthcare staff and students on placement working within the Trust and wider healthcare community Other Knowledge & Library Services staff (locally and regionally)

Responsibility for Finance

Be responsible for the collection, counting, recording and payment into the library account of monies received from library users. Be responsible for the maintenance of stock-levels and re-ordering of standard consumables and general stationery items, acting as a signatory on stock items for the Wigan branch of the Trust Library Service.

Responsibility for Human Resources

To have the responsibility to independently prioritise own workload. To update the current library management and security access systems with details or new and existing members to provide out of hours access to the Trust Library Service, ensuring that departmental and organisational security policies are implemented.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 - the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Responsibility for Teaching

Support Librarians in the delivery of one to one and small group inductions on the use of the Trust Library Services to all new library members including students on placement in line with departmental guidelines, and to support teaching, information, and user education sessions delivered by professional library team members.

Work Circumstances & on-call

No on-call duties in the library service To work unsupervised at the Wigan branch of the Trust Library Service. To work unsupervised at other branches of the Trust Library by arrangement and be responsible for the daily administration of the service at that site on those occasions. Action work on own initiative and address routine operational queries within established procedures and refer specialist enquiries to professionally qualified Library staff where appropriate. This will include the opening of mail and email and the drafting of correspondence to Library users as appropriate. To identify requests requiring the attention of other members of the Trust Library Service team and channel the requests to the appropriate sources. To implement the Trust Library Service protocols on library housekeeping, including re-shelving books and journals. To lift and handle heavy bound volumes and full collections of journals as required. To identify and process urgent requests for information within specified timescales. To maintain concentration under regular and varied interruptions to input data into departmental databases, spreadsheets and Library Management systems, ensuring the data is timely, accurate and up to date for future reference. To process initial complaints sensitively, to avoid the escalation of complaints where possible and to refer complaints to the appropriate manager when required.

The duties above indicate the post holders main responsibilities but are not exhaustive. They may be jointly reviewed with the post holder according to experience and to support service development.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Grade C or Level 4 or above in GCSE in Math's and English, or equivalent qualification level.
• ECDL, ICDL or evidence of equivalent demonstrable experience.

Desirable

• Level 3 qualification in library, archives, or information qualification
• Associate of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (ACLIP);
• Equivalent in Information and Library Services or a related field
• Demonstrable equivalent experience
• Willingness to undertake necessary training

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Previous experience in a library or similar environment.

Desirable

• Previous experience in a healthcare environment
• Previous experience in a healthcare, education, academic, public or specialist library/information unit.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workload.
• Excellent communication skills, in person, on the phone and via email with the ability to adapt, explain, and present to different audiences.
• Efficient time management.
• Attention to detail.
• Knowledge of print and online reference tools.
• Highly developed computer and IT skills including MS Office 365 and social media.
• Ability to work alone and as a team member.
• Able to travel independently between different Trust sites.
• Able to manage workload with frequent and varied interruptions.
• Awareness or knowledge of current library and information related legislation.

Additional

Essential

• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

Desirable

• Ability to travel between different Trust sites on occasion

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Education Centre, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, 1A Clifton Crescent, Wigan, WN1 2LB.

Education Centre

Wigan

WN1 2LB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

http://www.wwl.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)