Casual Library and Information Assistant
Ref: 171639
Salary: £27,694, pro rata /£14.35p/h
Various hours
Swindon Borough Council are on an exciting journey to transform service delivery. We want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision in the new Swindon Plan is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.
Swindon Libraries are looking for staff to join our current team of Casual Library and Information Assistants (Casual LIAs) to work “as and when required” basis. The Library and Information Assistant (LIA) role is challenging and varied. LIAs is responsible for providing frontline services to customers and residents.
Casual LIAs shifts cover annual leave and sickness. The number of hours available varies during the year and is always highest during school holidays and weekends. For example, during peak periods casual staff may work up to 60 hours a month; during quieter months it may be around 12 hours.
Hours may be at any of the following libraries in Swindon: Central, North, West, Park and Highworth Libraries. Library opening hours are between 9am and 6:00pm on weekdays,
10am and 4pm on Saturdays and 11am and 3pm on Sundays. Shifts can be between 3-7 hours long, we are looking for people to be flexible to cover these hours at any location.
A list of shifts are sent out a month in advance and casual staff bid for the ones they can cover. Additional shifts may come up at short notice to cover sickness.
There will be some single staffing required and locking and unlocking of buildings. The work is not desk-based and is physically demanding, including some lifting.
Essential Knowledge and Experience
LIAs help people to access physical and online information so excellent IT skills are essential.
Successful candidates will have evidence of face-to-face experience of working with the general public, both as part of a team and unsupervised. They will have excellent communication skills and the ability to cope and function effectively in a pressured environment, including dealing with challenging behaviours.
Successful candidates will be literate and numerate and be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for promoting books and reading, lifelong learning and accurate information provision.
You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).
Your next steps
Please ensure you read the role profile before completing your supporting statement. Ensure that you include:
relevant examples in your supporting statement (Skills, Abilities, Experience and Achievements) to demonstrate how your experience and skills match the knowledge and experience required. Please note, applications without examples will not be shortlisted.
Make sure all the information you supply in your supporting statement is relevant and tailored to the role you are applying for. Please check the grammar and spelling before submitting your application form.
Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
There will be a two-stage shortlisting process. Applicants that meet the essential criteria will be invited to a group interview. The group interview will involve a team activity, a numeracy test and a group discussion. Successful candidates from this stage will be invited to an individual interview the following week.
For further information about the role please [email protected]
As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion
If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application, please email [email protected]
Please note that these dates are fixed and we cannot arrange alternative dates.
Closing date: 1 August 2026
Group Interviews: 13 August 2026
Individual Interviews: 20 and 21 August 2026
