About Southwark

We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

This post requires a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at basic level.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

Various posts available, including:
15 hours per week (weekdays) at Peckham Library
8 hours per week (weekends) at Canada Water Library
7 hours per week (weekends) at Canada Water Library
4 hours per week (Sundays) at Canada Water Library
4 hours per week (Saturdays) at Brandon Library

A modern library is about more than lending books. It is a hub for the community, giving everyone access to lifelong learning, IT support and community engagement.

For those of us working in Southwark’s libraries, it is about providing a service that is as vibrant, diverse and interesting as the area we live in.

As the public face of our library, you will be there to ensure we deliver a high level of customer care while playing a key role in providing an efficient and effective service.

Flexible and adaptable, you will assist in providing book and audio loan services, assist the public with IT and general enquiries and also with children and adult events.

The role

As a Library Assistant , you will play a key role in delivering an efficient and welcoming library service to the residents of Southwark. Your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting customers with borrowing, returning, and renewing books and other materials.
• Helping members of the public with basic IT and digital enquiries.
• Supporting library events and activities, including those for children and adults.
• Maintaining an organised and accessible library space.
• Handling customer queries and providing excellent service to all visitors.
• Collecting payments for book rentals, reservations, and other services.

This is a varied and rewarding role where no two days are the same. You will be helping people of all ages and backgrounds to access information, develop skills, and enjoy a welcoming library environment.

What We 're Looking For

To succeed in this role, you should have:

✔ Strong communication and customer service skills.
✔ A friendly and helpful attitude, with the ability to work as part of a team.
✔ Basic IT skills to assist customers with computers and digital resources.
✔ Good organisational skills and attention to detail.
✔ The ability to work flexibly, including weekends and across different library sites when needed.

Experience in a library or customer service setting is desirable but not essential --we provide training to help you succeed in the role.

Recruitment timetable

Advert Closing Date: 06/04/2025

Interview Date: week commencing 21/04/2025

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you’ll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Job Reference: SC07316