Librarian - Communities

Job title: Librarian (Communities)

Salary: £31,067 - £32,654 (pro rata for part time employees)

Hours: 2 x Full time (37 hours per week) and 1 x part time (31 hours per week)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Across Leeds Libraries

Are you passionate about books and reading, and can you share this passion with others?

Can you engage with a range of diverse audiences to champion Leeds Libraries?

Would you thrive in a multi-tasking role, working with different teams and communities, building partnerships and engaging with the public?

We are looking for new librarians to join the Communities team at Leeds Libraries.

As a Communities Librarian, you will join a small team of librarians based in one of three areas in the city – West, South or East. You will play a key role working across the Community Hubs and Libraries in your area, managing stock, delivering key library services, running cultural and community engagement events and activities, and supporting the Customer Service teams that you’ll work closely alongside.

An adaptable communicator, you’ll thrive on engaging audiences of all ages in a range of environments, both within libraries and as outreach, from delivering primary school assemblies promoting the Summer Reading Challenge, to providing reading recommendations to library users, to delivering digital support to learners of wide-ranging abilities and facilitating school holiday events to children.

You will have a flair for working with people, and be able to create a friendly and welcoming environment for a diverse range of customers, while maintaining positive relationships with a variety of different stakeholders. You’ll work closely with Customer Service Assistants across sites, and be able to support, inform and engage colleagues. At the heart of everything you do will be sharing your passion for books to help promote and develop a culture of reading for pleasure in the sites and communities you serve.

Supported by the Senior Communities Librarian for your area, you will write Library Development Plans for the sites you cover, using statistics, demographic data and local priorities to inform your planning. You’ll be able to analyse data and identify trends to inform your stock management. Resourceful and engaging, you’ll be active in identifying opportunities for audience development and engagement in the communities you serve, seek out new partnerships to support and diversify our offer, and link these up to city-wide library service aims.

This is a diverse role and you will need a have-a-go attitude and be keen to engage in continued professional development. You will have good basic digital skills and a willingness to build on these in order to deliver creative digital activity. A keen team-player, you will work closely with other librarians and colleagues in community hubs. Together with enjoying working as part of a team, you’ll also be adept at using your own initiative, as at times this role will involve lone working. Please note that the role will involve travel between multiple sites and is physically demanding.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

As a Communities Librarian, you will bring to the role:

• You have an excellent understanding of, and passion for, the role of public libraries and community librarianship.
• You have well developed digital skills, are confident using technology, maximising its benefits and are able to support and encourage customers to develop their skills.
• You have excellent communication skills, listening, written and verbal. You are able to communicate clearly and appropriately to a wide range of audiences.
• You are a highly motivated team player, able to both support and lead other team members.
• You have an understanding of community-based working.

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

How To Apply

Complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Kate Midwood or Kirsten Pendlebury, Senior Librarians (Communities). Email [email protected] / [email protected]

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.