Reader Services Supervisor (Evenings and Weekends)

About the role

We are recruiting for an Evening & Weekend Supervisor to join our library team. The Taylor Institution Library is one of the University of Oxford’s principal research libraries. It is the centre for the study of modern and medieval European languages and literatures, together with linguistics, world cinema, and women’s studies. Along with the Art Library and Nizami Ganjavi Library, the Taylor Institution Library is part of Section 3 of the Bodleian Libraries’ Humanities Libraries, and the three libraries work together as a group to provide services. You may be asked to provide cover at one of the other two libraries within the section from time to time, or other Bodleian Humanities Libraries in exceptional circumstances.

As the Evening & Weekend Supervisor on shift, you will supervise and oversee the work of a team of two library assistants, and act as the senior member of staff onsite. You will train new staff members in the library’s procedures and workflows, and ensure that service standards are met. Each shift will involve a certain amount of on-desk time, assisting readers with enquiries and transactions, and off-desk time, participating in and overseeing tasks such as reshelving, scanning extracts of texts for our Scan & Deliver service, and background project work. There may also be opportunities for you to participate in the recruitment of new evening & weekend staff, subject to your availability and interest (and paid as overtime).

This is a permanent part-time post, working on average 10.25 hours per week to a fixed fortnightly pattern, as follows:

• Week A: Tue, Wed & Thu evenings (16:45-19:15)
• Week B: Tue & Thu evenings (16:45-19:15) + Saturday (09:45-18:15)

This role requires lifting and carrying boxes of library materials, pushing trolleys, climbing ladders and kick-stools in order to access some of the library’s bookshelves and to re-shelve materials.

About You

You will have experience of Reader Services work in an academic library, including the use of an automated library management system, and a strong customer focus. You will be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of readers and staff, and you will possess excellent IT skills. Experience of staff supervision would be advantageous, though not essential – if you have previously trained other staff in a customer services environment, we will support you in transitioning to a supervisory role.

Diversity

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST/GMT) on 11 November 2024 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place during week commencing 25 November 2024.

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