Apprentice Library Assistant

KING'S COLLEGE LONDON

London (WC2A 1LR)

Closes in 15 days (Sunday 5 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 19 September 2025

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Summary

This role is based at the stunning Maughan Library, one of six libraries at King’s College London. You will be given the unique opportunity to work in Frontline Services, Special Collections and Archives. You will gain a broad understanding of different areas of a prestigious university library, utilising your skills in customer service.

Wage

£30,929 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£30,929 incl. £5,125 London Weighting. Spine point annual increment of c.£250

Training course
Library, information and archive services assistant (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00. Once a week you will be required to work an evening shift from 11:00 - 19:00. You will also be required to work a weekend shift no more than seven times per year. This will be either a Saturday or Sunday from 10:00 - 18:00.

35 hours a week

Start date

Monday 3 November 2025

Duration

1 year 9 months

Positions available

1

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

  • Act as a welcoming presence within the library environment, taking ownership of first-line enquiries via in-person or remote channels
  • Assist users with self-service facilities, troubleshooting issues as required
  • Carry out shelving and shelf tidying, along with other stock and circulation tasks. For Frontline Services this includes reservation processing, stock relegation, book and article requests
  • In Special Collections this includes assisting in the assessment and sorting of gifted collections, processing catalogued items and editing online catalogue records, under supervision. In Archives this includes preservation packaging, numbering and listing of new accessions

For a copy of the full job description please go to https://www.waes.ac.uk/courses/apprenticeships/

Where you'll work

The Maughan Library
Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1LR

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

You will spend one day each week on training (either Thursday or Friday).

The training provider is Westminster Adult Education Service and the college you will be attending is located at:

Westminster Adult Education Service
219 Lisson Grove
London NW8 8LW.

For more information, see: https://www.waes.ac.uk/about-us/why-study-at-waes/

You'll study to gain a Library, Information & Archive Services Apprenticeship - Level 3 qualification.

More training information

Westminster Adult Education Service https://www.waes.ac.uk/courses/apprenticeships/

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade Grade A-C or 9-4 equivalent)
  • Maths (grade Grade A-C or 9-4 equivalent)

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
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

Applicants must be aged 18+. This role will require physical work, including moving trolleys and shelving books.

About this employer

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

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

After this apprenticeship

  • After completion of the apprenticeship, you should be equipped to apply for a permanent post as a Library Assistant or Senior Library Assistant within King's College London or elsewhere

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

Jess Sprake

jess.sprake@kcl.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000343018.

Apply now

Closes in 15 days (Sunday 5 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

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