V&A National Art Library Services Assistant Apprenticeship

Victoria and Albert Museum

London (SW7 2RL)

Closes in 30 days (Thursday 18 June 2026)

Posted on 19 May 2026

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Summary

The National Art Library at the V&A is offering an exciting opportunity to work as a Service Assistant, supporting the Library both behind the scenes and interacting with users front-of-house. You will develop skills in all aspects of librarianship and archiving.

• Wage:

  £27,705.60 a year

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  London Living Wage

• Training course: Library, information and archive services assistant (level 3)
• Hours: Onsite Monday-Thursday 9:00am - 5:15pm. Friday will be offsite as the 20% training day.

  36 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 1 September 2026

• Duration:

  2 years

• Positions available:

  4

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working in both the National Art Library and with the archives held the V&A, learning the job by getting hands-on experience.

• Learn about providing an excellent service and access to the library and archive collections by retrieving, delivering and returning to the shelves, items requested by visitors to the Reading & Study Rooms at South Kensington and at V&A East Storehouse
• Learn about providing relevant information to library and archive users, supporting them to get the most out of the collections
• Learn how to manage and enter the data that provides access to the collections and archives through our catalogues
• Learn how to care for the collections by creating digital copies, housing and storing them safely, auditing them and invigilating individual and groups of visitors in the Reading & Study Rooms
• Learn how to engage and excite visitors onsite and remotely through blog posts, short talks, displays and other outreach activities
• Develop familiarity with relevant legislation, especially Health & Safety & GDPR within the context of good practice and V&A policy

Where you'll work

Cromwell Road
London
SW7 2RL

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

Training course

Library, information and archive services assistant (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Interpret and implement policy, e.g. communicating clearly the basic copyright restrictions and reasons for not sharing personal data
• Undertake regulation and compliance checking, e.g. in order to ensure data protection is not breached
• Solve user problems in a range of situations using their knowledge and interpretation
• Use information management processes to store, manage and retrieve records and data to support collaboration, exploitation and the organisation’s Information Management (IM) practices
• Describe and arrange material/resources, by observing and applying identified cataloguing standards in order to create online catalogues and other finding aids to meet users’ needs
• Employ information retrieval techniques to identify and use relevant media and systems, e.g. searching online databases, catalogues or physical stores, and EDRMS (electronic document record management systems)
• Perform preservation (analogue/physical and digital) practices to keep collections physically safe using institutional/sector guidelines, and supporting work that provides digital access by creating alternatives that meet a range of user requirements
• Use enquiry techniques to clarify and meet users’ information requirements and manage expectations, e.g. by signposting to alternative resources and providing solutions
• Develop knowledge sharing with users, cultivating an environment where knowledge is freely shared and sought within a ‘safe’ environment, including online solutions
• Use relevant approaches to learning support to contribute to the development of learning activities for different audiences to enhance knowledge and literacy, e.g. reader development
• Select and use appropriate tools and technologies to support users in researching and disseminating information, e.g. databases, search engines, digital libraries, repositories and social media
• Develop information and digital skills to support users to identify, find, access and evaluate information, to share knowledge and to promote self-help
• Demonstrate information sharing by contributing to learning activities for specific audiences, e.g. inductions and events, catering to a variety of levels of knowledge and understanding
• Use promotion techniques for resources so that users and potential users are aware of their value, impact and benefit, e.g. by curating collections and displays in effective ways, undertaking outreach activities to guide users to achieve independence in their use of information
• Implement the organisation’s collection management policy, e.g. through identifying stock that should be acquired and that which is no longer used or needed, and relegating or removing these appropriately
• Develop the service by assessing the learning environment and anticipating user needs, e.g. re-organising study/virtual spaces, suggesting improvements to catalogues or web pages
• Use teamwork and collaboration to achieve goals, e.g. with stakeholders and partners beyond the organisation
• Use information provision to enable users to access materials, e.g. through lending books/artefacts, emailing documents, accessing original archives, signposting links to information
• Exercise communication skills - oral, written, presentation, interpersonal, listening, assertiveness (online and face to face)
• Interpret and implement policy, e.g. communicating clearly the basic copyright restrictions and reasons for not sharing personal data
• Undertake regulation and compliance checking, e.g. in order to ensure data protection is not breached
• Solve user problems in a range of situations using their knowledge and interpretation
• Use information management processes to store, manage and retrieve records and data to support collaboration, exploitation and the organisation’s Information Management (IM) practices
• Describe and arrange material/resources, by observing and applying identified cataloguing standards in order to create online catalogues and other finding aids to meet users’ needs
• Employ information retrieval techniques to identify and use relevant media and systems, e.g. searching online databases, catalogues or physical stores, and EDRMS (electronic document record management systems)
• Perform preservation (analogue/physical and digital) practices to keep collections physically safe using institutional/sector guidelines, and supporting work that provides digital access by creating alternatives that meet a range of user requirements
• Use enquiry techniques to clarify and meet users’ information requirements and manage expectations, e.g. by signposting to alternative resources and providing solutions
• Develop knowledge sharing with users, cultivating an environment where knowledge is freely shared and sought within a ‘safe’ environment, including online solutions
• Use relevant approaches to learning support to contribute to the development of learning activities for different audiences to enhance knowledge and literacy, e.g. reader development
• Select and use appropriate tools and technologies to support users in researching and disseminating information, e.g. databases, search engines, digital libraries, repositories and social media
• Develop information and digital skills to support users to identify, find, access and evaluate information, to share knowledge and to promote self-help
• Demonstrate information sharing by contributing to learning activities for specific audiences, e.g. inductions and events, catering to a variety of levels of knowledge and understanding
• Use promotion techniques for resources so that users and potential users are aware of their value, impact and benefit, e.g. by curating collections and displays in effective ways, undertaking outreach activities to guide users to achieve independence in their use of information
• Implement the organisation’s collection management policy, e.g. through identifying stock that should be acquired and that which is no longer used or needed, and relegating or removing these appropriately
• Develop the service by assessing the learning environment and anticipating user needs, e.g. re-organising study/virtual spaces, suggesting improvements to catalogues or web pages
• Use teamwork and collaboration to achieve goals, e.g. with stakeholders and partners beyond the organisation
• Use information provision to enable users to access materials, e.g. through lending books/artefacts, emailing documents, accessing original archives, signposting links to information
• Exercise communication skills - oral, written, presentation, interpersonal, listening, assertiveness (online and face to face)

Training schedule

This apprenticeship offers 1 day per week away from work for specialist training and studying. The training will provide you with professional knowledge, skills and experience of the sector.

More training information

• Training provider: Westminster Adult Education Services
• Training course: Library, Information & Archives services (Level 3)
• Training schedule: 1 day per weekday release at training provider (alternating onsite and remote) 

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Presentation skills
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Patience

About this employer

The National Art Library has offered apprenticeships for more than twenty years.  It is one of the world’s foremost art libraries, open to everyone.  There are over 1 million items in its collections, at South Kensington and V&A East Storehouse, reflecting the collections of the Museum as well as manuscripts, children’s books, plays and the Royal Photographic Society library.  The NAL is also the V&A’s curatorial department of the art of the book, actively contributing to exhibitions, displays and Museum events.

The V&A is a family of museum dedicated to the power of creativity.  Our mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge and inspire makes, creators and innovators everywhere.

https://www.vam.ac.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

• 29 day's holiday + public holidays
• Pension scheme/Life assurance
• Interest-free travel
•  
• 
  Bike rent/loans
• Free sanitary products
• Retail discounts
• EAP support
• V&A tickets 

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

This apprenticeship will provide you with an understanding of the wide variety of roles there are in libraries and archives, equipping you with the essential skills and experience for a range of entry-level jobs in the sector.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

careers@vam.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000031721.

Apply now

Closes in 30 days (Thursday 18 June 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.