Weekend Library Assistant

• Salary: £12.21 per hour (pro rata to £22,919 FTE)
• Category: Libraries
• Contract type: Permanent
• Working hours: 5 hours per week
• Posted on: 15 April 2025
• Directorate: Resources
• Location: Dorking Library, St Martins Walk, Dorking RH4 1UT

Description

The starting salary for this role is £12.21 per hour working 5 hours per week (Saturdays). The full-time equivalent salary is £22,919 per annum.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Weekend Library Assistant to join our dedicated team. You will be based at Dorking Library, and you will also be required to work at Leatherhead and Bookham Libraries.

Libraries are spaces for social interaction, learning, and cultural experiences. Acting as an economic enabler, they provide support for local communities and businesses. Surrey's libraries offer vital services to all members of their communities.

About the Role

The library is many different things to many different people. Curious readers come looking for their next adventure. Students meet to revise for their exams. Families gather for Storytime and Rhymetime. Special interest groups share their passions and older people access resources and secure their bus pass. Weekend Assistants greet each person with a positive attitude and resilient approach to any request.

Customer service is at the forefront of the library service. They are busy, lively places to work, requiring flexibility, creativity, and initiative. This could mean helping someone with a reading recommendation, thinking up new themes for book displays, planning events, or assisting people with information and virtual services. Maintaining, presenting, and processing book stock is also a major part of the role.

The role may include leading craft events, Rhymetime, and Storytime sessions, and assisting with other activities directed at both children and adults. From time to time, there will be a need for lone working or single staffing at this and other libraries in the area.

Shortlisting Criteria

As part of the application process, you will be asked to upload your CV and answer the following questions. Please highlight your strengths and any transferable skills or experience:

• What has motivated you to apply for the Surrey Library Service? (150 words)
• Can you please provide an example when you either provided, or received, excellent customer service? (150 words)
• Our libraries are a vital community resource. Describe an instance where you observed or contributed to a community service making a positive impact. (150 words)
• Can you name 3 things you would do to attract more people to our libraries and what skills you have to help with this? (150 words)

If shortlisted for interview, you will be sent interview questions in advance and you will be asked to read a short story.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills, or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 05/05/2025 with interviews planned for 17/05/2025.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.