Library Assistant (Sundays) - Part Time, Fixed Term

About the role

The University Library of the University of Cambridge is looking for five Library Assistants to work on Sundays. The library holds nearly ten million books, maps, manuscripts, photographs and objects spanning thousands of years of human thought and discovery. As a Reader Services Library Assistant you will be a welcoming point of contact for readers, students, academics, researchers and international visitors, helping them make the best use of the collections.

Key responsibilities

• Provide a welcoming point of contact to the Library's readers and visitors.
• Assist with enquiries in person at busy service desks, and by email, phone and chat, advising readers on how to use print and electronic collections.
• Use the Library Management System to carry out library work, including issuing and returning books.
• Assist or lead library and information skills activities.
• Assist in the induction, training and supervision of cover staff and document procedures.

Required profile

• Ability to work Sundays.
• Customer-focused approach with enthusiasm, flexibility and a commitment to high-quality customer service.
• Experience of working for a service that provided a high standard of customer service.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure, unsupervised and as part of a team.

Required skills

• A thorough knowledge of IT and of electronic resources.
• Use of the Library Management System.

What we offer

• Annual leave allowance of 36 days, pro-rata depending on days worked across the week.
• Parental leave covering maternity, paternity/co-parent, adoption and shared parental leave.
• Discounts on major retailers.
• Professional development, including apprenticeships and training courses.
• Fixed-term position funded for 12 months initially.

Applications close on 24 November 2026; interviews are scheduled for 3 December 2026. Candidates should quote reference VE51640 on their application. The University welcomes applications from women and/or candidates from a BME background, and all employees must be eligible to live and work in the UK.