​Library Services Advocacy and Advancement Officer

Berkshire

£25,553 - £29,097

Permanent

Full time hours – 37 per week

ASAP start

About the company

Sue Hill Recruitment are delighted to be working with this Berkshire based client, who has recently undergone a fairly significant and disruptive Library Transformation process and are now looking to add a Library Services Advocacy and Advancement Officer to the team, to ensure compliance is met with relevant legislation outlined in the 1964 Public Libraries Act 7 (2) (b), “encouraging both adults and children to make full use of the library service”.

You will also be required to contribute to the purchasing and keeping of adequate stocks, sufficient in number, range and quality to meet the general requirements and any special requirements both of adults and children.

The Library Advocacy, Performance and Business Improvements team is responsible for Libraries promotion, purchasing library stock, arranging, and supporting events, social media, and the development of promotional strategies. It also involves liaising with schools, creating, and delivering literacy session often to hard-to-reach communities.

The job requirements also include writing copy for promotions, the ability to build strong links with partners and the of delivery of projects to their conclusion.

It is a busy and varied role that encompasses everything from dressing up in character costumes to deliver children’s events to writing reports and presenting to senior managers. A sense of humour and the ability to stay calm, under pressure, are essential. This is an exciting opportunity to join a busy and vibrant team

The right person will be a creative thinker with excellent communication and people skills with experience in a library setting or similar. You will be a driven and quick-thinking problem solver able to come up with working solutions under pressure. You will be a confident presenter with the ability to engage an audience with passion and enthusiasm.

What you’ll be doing

•         Under the Direction of the Library and Resident Contact Management Team contribute to the development and implementation of a Communication and Engagement Plan.

•         Working closely with the Digital and Information Officers, updating webpages and using social media and other platforms, including appropriate new technologies and methods, to promote libraries and library services including online resources.

•         Purchase, maintain and develop high-quality stock collections within a set budget.

•         Keep up to date and anticipate the release of new publications and trends in reading in order to select and promote collections that meet demand without delay.

•         Maintain awareness of and stay abreast of developments in the book world, and develop professional relationships with contacts in the books, reading and publishing world

•         Deliver a programme of training for all staff to ensure they are equipped and competent to meet the reading needs of the customer and advocacy needs of the service, understanding and advancing the contribution of library and information services to communities.

•         Promote and support structured and unstructured forms of interaction and engagement within libraries.

•         Promote and support a programme of activity based on the four national universal offers: Reading, Information & Digital, Culture & Creativity and Health & Wellbeing.

•         Lead on one or more of these offers, providing colleagues with support, materials and training.

•         Contribute to the development and implementation of a programme of digital activity to reflect the four national universal offers.

•         Contribute to suitable project working as necessary to deliver improved services

•         Develop positive relationships with stakeholders, partners, authors, speakers, groups and potential customers to increase opportunities to promote the service.

•         Undertake direct customer service delivery for a specified proportion of the working week, including weekends and evenings.

•         Act as the senior officer on duty to ensure escalations are resolved and buildings are secured after an event or at the end of a shift.

•         Promote and support the libraries in their role as community hubs, that operate as a gateway to physical and digital information and are used by a range of partners to bring people together, giving them access to a greater breadth and depth of services and support.

•         Help residents navigate access to digital and physical information sources and books

•         Under the direction of the Library and Resident Contact Management Team, promote and coordinate the Reading Development Schools Service in a way that ensures value for money.

•         Support the promotion of library stock by providing relevant promotional materials to colleagues to encourage maximum use of stock by residents

•         Take advantage of library design to facilitate multiple potential uses of the space for cultural activities, educational services, health and wellbeing events, community support and volunteering opportunities.

•         Promote and support the Economic Recovery, Business Support, Training and Skills Development element of the Service.

•         Promote a fully blended digital and physical library offer to fulfil obligations to its residents and its statutory duties.

•         Make every effort to ensure the digital offer is inclusive to all and fully blended with the physical offer.

Why you will be hired

To be considered for this role you will require:

•         Qualified in Library and/or Information Science or Chartered Librarian - Advantageous

•         First degree or equivalent library knowledge and experience gained through work related public/school library experience

•         Awareness of the value of library and reading support services

•         Good ICT skills for the delivery of modern working practices

•         Excellent customer service skills

•         Strong communication skills

•         Ability to understand the value of library services

•         Specialist knowledge of books, authors and reading in a public or school library context

•         Ability to monitor and manage allocated budgets

•         Ability to promote events and activities

•         Experience of working in and ability to identify and form productive internal and external partnerships to enhance delivery of service

•         Excellent levels of library stock management expertise

•         Ability to write reports for senior staff and elected Members

•         Experience in using databases and image manipulation and publication software

•         Ability to analyse issues, situations and data to develop a range of options/ solutions

•         Ability to use influencing and persuasion skills effectively across a range of levels of contact

The job is very physical in nature therefore the following is required: The ability to lift and carry boxes of craft materials and books, to assemble and dismantle shelving units, to move laden trolleys, display units and shelving on castors, to move tables and chairs and other similar items of furniture, to walk up and down stairs and to stand on your feet for extended periods of time.

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Additional Information

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to help mould the library service going forward