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.
Reference Desks are staffed from 9.30 am until 8.00 pm on Mondays to Thursdays and from 9.30 am until 5.00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
The post holder will be required to work one evening a week and one Saturday in four as part of their core hours (36 hours per week) and may be asked to work some hours, plus the evening and/or the Saturday in a Reading Room other than their designated home Reference Team.
About us
We are the national library of the UK and we are here for everyone. Our shelves hold over 170 million items – a living collection that gets bigger every day. Although our roots extend back centuries, we aim to collect everything published in the UK today, tomorrow and far into the future. Our trusted experts care for this collection and open it up for everyone to spark new discoveries, ideas and to help people do incredible things.
What we can offer you
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25 days’ holiday plus 2.5 privilege days.
- Access to a defined benefit Civil Service pension scheme.
- Flexible working arrangements, including flexi-time.
- Full details of employee benefits can be found on our Careers: Benefits page.
Things you need to know
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We are unable to provide sponsorship under the UK Skilled Worker visa for this role.
- Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check (DBS check).
- Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn.
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We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse candidates and disabled candidates. Creating an inclusive workplace is the core of our business and a way to engage the diversity of thought that is essential to achieve our aims.
Closing at 23:59 on Sunday 14 June 2026
