Reference Specialist Rare Books & Music, The British Library

Location: St Pancras

Contract: Fixed Term for 6 months

Hours: Full time (36 hours)

Grade: C

Salary: £31,244 per annum

This is the starting salary for this role unless the successful candidate is able to evidence being in receipt of a higher salary in which case this may be reviewed

About the role

We are seeking to recruit a 6-month fixed-term Reference Specialist in the Rare Books & Music Reference Team. You will deliver an excellent customer-focused reference and information service to the Library's on-site and remote users. The majority of your time will be spent in our St. Pancras Reading Rooms, undertaking enquiry work, both in person and remotely, delivering workshops and 1:1s for Readers, and contributing to Reference Services' wider aims. This is an ideal early-career opportunity for someone looking to develop into a profession in library and information work, in the UK's national library.

We are looking for someone with library or customer-facing experience, who takes a proactive approach to customer service, can demonstrate a willingness to take on a range of tasks and to develop new skills, as appropriate, and work in collaboration with a cross section of internal and external stakeholders to support the delivery of the Library's services.
Essential criteria include experience of working in a customer-facing environment, providing proactive customer service; an ability to read music and knowledge of music reference sources; excellent IT skills; a proven ability to work as a team member, being able to prioritise work and deliver to deadlines and agreed standards; and the ability to support the development of information and digital literacy using relevant tools.

We are seeking individuals with a degree-level qualification and relevant experience. While a recognised library qualification is desirable, equivalent experience in other education or information roles and related disciplines will also be considered.