Information Assistant - Academic Services - 34518Z23 - Grade 4
Information Assistant - Academic Services - 34518Z23 - Grade 4
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£ 27166 - 28768
1 Vacancy
Job Description
Position Details
Academic Services
Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range 27166 to 28768 with potential progression once in post to 32145
Grade: 4
Part Time 18 working hours per week)
Fixed Term contract up to April 2026
Closing date:27th April 2025
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond support them to succeed and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sectorleading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full almost 5000professionalservices jobs in a widerange of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we areand how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and depending on the role we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working addition you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year one paid day a year for volunteering occupational sick pay and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus including main bus routes and a train station on campus we have a stateoftheart sports centre with pool shopsplaces to eat and drinkour own art gallery museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham
Background
The Collection Management and Metadata team has responsibility for managing the life cycle of the librarys printed collections including their cataloguing and classification storage review relegation and disposal. The team also oversees the implementation and maintenance of appropriate metadata standards across the librarys print and electronic collections to optimise their discoverability and use.
Role Summary
Collection Management and Metadata Information Assistants will have responsibility for duties relating to the management of the librarys printed collections audiovisual materials and updating eBook will include fetching cataloguing editing of holdings and item records and reshelving.
In addition Information Assistants will work from printed pull lists (mainly Excel) and will be expected to be able to edit these lists.
Main Duties
The post holder will undertake a selection of duties from the list below.
Collection Management and Metadata Team:
Collating and updating information to aid the continuous review of library collections both monographs and periodical through:
- Searches of external databases (e.g. Library Hub Discover WorldCat various Library of Congress sites) to check other library holdings.
- Accurately update records and manipulating datasets via the use of specialised applications such as ALMA.
- Accurately collating information concerning monographs and serials from multiple sources to inform the identification of items for stock movement transfer or disposal in accordance with agreed policies.
- Acting as a key point of communication for Library Services colleagues in relation to the Research Reserve collections answering enquiries and handling issues from initial contact to resolution.
Ongoing physical library collection management work by:
- Conducting accurate measurements and item counts of physical stock to plan and deliver stock movements transfers or disposal and subsequently shelving materials.
- Accurately update item records utilising the Library Management system ensuring quality and consistency is maintained and resolving any inaccuracies.
- Identifying problems which may have significant or wider impact on the collections/ service resolving issues and on occasions referring to colleagues.
- Producing and affixing spine information for reclassified items.
Selecting or creating catalogue records for new material or for retrospective cataloguing by:
- Checking specialist bibliographic databases and vendor platforms to search for and select high quality records.
- Using judgement knowledge and experience compare and evaluate any records found.
- Create new catalogue records in accordance with the relevant standard.
- Reclassification using Excel spreadsheets to find the correct reclassification shelf mark to assign book and updating the item record on the Library Management System.
- Identifying and resolving without referral to other inaccuracies on the catalogue using judgement to decide which problems may have wider impact and need to be referred to appropriate colleagues.
- Conversion of e book records into Alma.
All Information Assistants
- Assist with the training of new members of the team or other library services colleagues and supervising casual staff as required.
- Any other duties commensurate with the grade to support colleagues across Library Services.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- 2 ALevels or equivalent qualification or substantial relevant experience
Skills and Experience
- Numeracy literacy classification skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to understand and use complex and specialist systems e.g. ALMA external library holdings databases in house IT applications for stock management
- Level of IT literacy and a willingness to further develop skills in this area
- Ability to work with accuracy to required standards and deadlines and demonstrate attention to detail
- Ability to work independently to required standards and deadlines in using complex and specialist library systems processes and databases
- Organisational skills
- Demonstrable ability to work both independently and as part of team
- Ability to work reliably and flexibly in a busy environment
- Excellent and demonstrable customer service skills
- Experience of receiving and resolving customer enquiries and the ability and willingness to adopt a friendly customer orientated approach in a busy service environment.
Knowledge
- Knowledge or experience of library work the book trade or publishing industry
- Knowledge and substantial practical experience of using specialist processes IT systems (e.g. ALMA) applications and databases (e.g. Library Hub Discover) or equivalent to provide access to resources
Planning and Organising
Advice is available but most work is done post holder will be expected to manage their own time anticipating and prioritising their own workload to meet deadlines and ensure both the required standard and continuity of part of this they will balance the need for accurate and professional work against the need to meet targets.
Problem Solving and decision making
Without reference to others:
- Post holders will be expected to handle regular queries from Library Services colleagues or from University staff students and external library users in relation to the normal duties of the post.
- Assess and analyses problems and identifies solutions from experience precedent or training for example sorting equipment problems by liaising with colleagues in other parts of the University as appropriate.
- Post holders would be expected to keep their line managers informed of decisions that required judgement (normally based on past practice or precedent) taken in their absence.
- Where post holders are working without the immediate supervision of their line manager they would be expected to take responsibility for sorting out minor equipment problems and for liaising with colleagues in other parts of the University as appropriate.
After consulting others:
- Dealing with complex issues without received practice or precedent which need the assistance of a more experienced or professionally qualified team member.
- Where post holders have suggestions for improvement or amendment to work of Collection Management and Development they would be expected to discuss with their line manager and if appropriate they could then assist with its implementation.
Or that would be referred to someone else:
- Changes in policy in any of the above procedures.
Internal and External relationships
The post holder will establish and maintain constructive working relationships with other team members and colleagues across Library will communicate effectively and professionally with colleagues at all levels. The post holder may also be expected to communicate effectively and professionally with university staff students external library users and library suppliers.
Informal enquiries to Edward Tavner email:
View our staff values and behaviourshere
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website.
Employment Type
Part-Time
