Library/Resource Centre Assistants - L1

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued June 2026 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Library/Resource Centre Assistant ▪ Post Number: P10942 ▪ Grade and SCP: Grade 4, SCP 5 ▪ Directorate: Communities and Customer Where your role fits at Shropshire Council At Shropshire our priority is to be a 'best value' authority that delivers, enables, and influences for Shropshire and its residents by:  • Being financially stable and sustainable  • Having clear priorities and purpose  • Supporting and enabling our workforce to excel  Recognising the challenge across local government today.  This starts with our Improvement Plan to address immediate challenges, while ensuring a focus on the future and how the Council will need to look, feel, and operate to best serve the needs of the county and its residents, and being aware of changes in national policy.     Our Shropshire values: PROUD  • Partnerships   • Respect   • Opportunities   • Understanding   • can Do   Aim to unify the workforce, support transformation, improve trust, and build a modern, sustainable Council. As a member of the Libraries Team within the Communities and Customer directorate you will support the achievement of these key priorities, making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire. Like other services across Shropshire Council, Libraries are transitioning to proactively secure sustainable income streams, encourage innovation, and improve service delivery to better meet the needs of communities and the organisation. Our ambition includes evolving our commercial and community development, diversifying the customer base to fulfil strategic priorities, and reducing reliance on Council funding. Our Vision is for library services in Shropshire to be at the heart of our communities making connections to improve people's lives. Our Mission is to provide physical and digital library services and spaces that inspire people's learning, imagination and discovery, to connect and fulfil an individual's potential, health and well-being and articulate the value of library services to our communities. Shropshire Library Service is a major force for community cohesion across the county. Supported by dedicated, multi-disciplined staff and volunteers, we serve a wide range of functions: sources of knowledge; promoters of literacy; signposters to early intervention; a focus for local events and networks; as well as a force for fun, exploration and friendship. Overview of your role The Library Assistant works at the designated library alongside other members of the Libraries Team. The team are responsible for delivering an efficient and effective library and information service at the designated library. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? You will be: ▪ reporting to the Operations and Development Manager who is in turn responsible for your health and safety, training and development. What will you be doing? • assist in the efficient operation of the designated library; issuing and returning materials, assisting library users, recording statistics and maintaining an attractive and tidy library. • help customers to use the library and answer their enquiries in person, by telephone, post and email • help customers to use computers in the library • be aware of and promote library priorities, services and resources, to the community eg through events, marketing, social media etc • support the Library Operations & Development Manager and Library Support Team with planning and running events and outreach activities • assist in the recording, reporting and monitoring of library income • assist in the recording, reporting and monitoring of library performance • participate in the management of library stock as required • follow the correct procedures for the security of buildings, cash, equipment and other council property The above duties are an illustrative outline and are not an exhaustive list. You will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce. What we expect of you You will: ▪ adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile, ▪ act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire, ▪ meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Performance Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council, ▪ work with colleagues to meet your team's key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council's corporate and service objectives. ▪ meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work. ▪ A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm. What are your conditions of Service The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. You will be based at Market Drayton Library Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Fixed Term until 11th April 2027 for 16 hours per week ▪ Normal office hours are 7am - 7pm Monday - Friday and 8am -1pm Saturday with a minimum lunch break of 30 minutes. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required, This post carries eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Information about this will be sent with any formal offer of appointment. Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee's allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the two days leave (pro rota) can be carried over into your next leave year but must be used by the end of March. The appointment is subject to one months' notice in writing on either side. The appointment is subject to six months' satisfactory probationary service during which time the notice period will be one week on either side. Smoking is not allowed in Council buildings, in Council vehicles or in any Council place of work. It is a condition of your appointment that you provide a suitable vehicle for the performance of your duties and that this is readily available for use during normal working hours. You are entitled to claim for reimbursement of the costs of travel on council business at the rate of 55 pence per mile. What pre-employment checks will we undertake? The appointment is subject to receipt of the following pre-employment checks; 1. Satisfactory employment references, 2. Medical report, 3. Evidence of the qualifications required for the post/listed on your application form,