Library Administrator London, England
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Location
About the job
Job summary
You will be based in DWP’s main London office, issuing books and posting these out to DWP colleagues across the UK, and processing returned books. You will be supporting the team’s Librarians to ensure the physical collection is up-to-date, by adding new books to the shelves and weeding older books from the collection. You will help with projects to develop our collection, for example by keeping signage and labels up-to-date. You will be manually shelving books using a ladder, handling heavy print volumes and moving items to the Archive.
One of your main roles will be to deal with customer enquiries via email, MS Teams, telephone and face-to-face. Our customers are DWP staff across the country. You will interact with a wide range of Library customers, from colleagues in Jobcentres and operational call centres, through to analysts and researchers based in corporate hubs. From time-to-time, you may also interact with Private Office and DWP Ministerial teams at Caxton House when they require resources or use of the Library. You will often be rostered to be the ‘Duty Librarian’, who welcomes visitors to the Library at Caxton House and offers assistance when required.
You will manage a busy Library inbox, where we receive around 130 emails each week. You will support DWP Library customers to register for the service, and subscribe them to our Library communication channels on MS Teams. You will advise colleagues across DWP on how to access Library resources (both virtually and physically). You may be asked whether we have particular books in stock, how to access online journals and what materials we have in the Archive collection. On a typical day, you might also process requests for new ISBNs for Departmental publications and deal with requests for articles via inter-library loan services.
You will be part of a Library team based in hubs across the UK. On a typical day, you will be speaking to Library colleagues at Caxton House, and you will also speak on MS Teams with other Librarians and Grade 7 colleagues based in Sheffield, Newcastle and Glasgow. You will join various team meetings and project calls with colleagues in the Library and the Department more widely.
Job description
You will be responsible for dealing with customers visiting the library as well as responding to queries received in the library mailbox and MS Teams channels primarily advising users on using the collection, ordering items and response times. When required you will refer queries to other team members and update the customers on progress.
As the key contact for the book collection, you will be responsible for lending and returns. Having identified a need to streamline current processes to reduce time spent chasing overdue books, this presents an opportunity for a highly organised and motivated person to lead these changes.
Responsible for maintaining the hardcopy collection, you will keep the library shelves organised and in order. This involves manually shelving books using a ladder, handling heavy print volumes and moving items to the archive. You will be responsible for tasks including keep the printer consumables stocked and ordering stationery and library equipment.
Using the Library Management System (LMS) you will add and remove users from the system, chase overdue items and share management reports analysing borrowing trends to support purchasing decisions.
We support professional development by providing opportunities for further study leading to a formal qualification or accreditation in librarianship from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).
Person specification
The following criteria will be used to shortlist applications, based on a Personal Statement and CV (see candidate pack for more details). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview.
Key criteria
- Proven experience of working in a library or similar customer service environment (**Lead criterion**)
- Experience of proposing and implementing improvements in order to enhance customer service
- Ability to prioritise tasks and effectively manage competing demands
- Evidence of competency in using Microsoft Office products, including SharePoint
- Experience of working collaboratively and effectively with people at different levels and from diverse backgrounds, whilst promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion
- Excellent written and oral communications skills using a variety of methods including digital and telephony
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Sift
Expected sift and interview dates are in the candidate pack.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 1250 word Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Your Personal Statement should provide evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the key criteria in the person specification section of the advert. Your CV is not scored separately.
If there are a high number of applications, the lead Key Criterion (Proven experience of working in a library or similar customer service environment) may be used to conduct an initial sift and applications that do not meet the minimum requirement for this criterion will not progress. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift. The lead criterion may also be used as a tie breaker, should a high number of candidates achieve the same score.
Interview
Shortlisted candidates successful at the sift stage will then be invited to attend a blended interview, covering Behaviours of the Success Profiles.
At interview you will be invited to deliver a presentation for up to 5 minutes on the ‘Managing a Quality Service’ Behaviour.
You will be provided with the presentation question with your interview invite and asked to develop a 5-minute presentation to explain your answer to that question.
At interview candidates will be asked to present evidence of the following Civil Service Behaviours:
- Managing a quality service
- Delivering at pace
- Working together
- Changing and improving
Further details
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary acti
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
