Positive Action Graduate Trainee Library Assistant - Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

The University of London 

The University of London is a leading UK provider of distance and digital education internationally, offering programmes to 45,000 students in 190 countries around the world. Although proudly rooted in London, our community and impact are global. 

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) 

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) is a postgraduate research institute with a core of over 130 researchers, research students and legal information professionals, but which draws its primary membership from academic researchers and postgraduate research students from other institutions throughout the UK, and which also provides services to researchers in the wider legal community. 

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) Library is committed to changing the staff profile in libraries by introducing an annual Positive Action* Graduate Traineeship.  

We are seeking to appoint a Positive Action Graduate Trainee for the Academic Year 2025/2026.  The post is a one-year fixed term training post, designed for graduates carrying out a year of work experience and training.  This post will sit alongside our two standard Graduate Trainee posts. 

This post is for Black, Asian, and Global Majority Ethnic applicants. 

Libraries should better represent our diverse society. 

Less than 5% of the library workforce identifies as Global Majority Ethnic (CILIP 2023)*.  This must change.  SCONUL (SCONUL 2022)* has also undertaken work in this area by collecting data on the ethnic diversity of the workforce to improve diversity and to address inequality.  SCONUL (2023)* also published its first statistics report on the make-up of the academic library workforce in 2023. 

*Positive action is covered by section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 

Positive Action Graduate Trainee Library Assistant 

The post is a one-year fixed term training post designed for graduates carrying out a year of work experience and training prior to obtaining a professional qualification. Each trainee is initially based in one of the library’s three departments. After each period of four months, trainees change roles so as to experience working throughout the library in the course of their contract. This timetable enables them to develop an overall understanding of the links between the different teams and how the library fits together as a whole. The trainees are entirely integrated into the smooth running of the Library, undertaking essential back-office duties as well as working on our busy Issue & Enquiry Desk. An extensive staff development programme is detailed elsewhere and monitoring and feedback from that programme takes place. 

For a full role profile, please refer to the job description.

Further Information 

To be considered for this opportunity, please submit your Application (by clicking ‘apply’ at the top of this page) before the closing date at midnight, 31st January 2025.

The University will be unable to sponsor candidates for a visa for this role. Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK for the duration of their employment. 

The University of London is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive working environment where we can all be ourselves and succeed. For this post we ask for applications from members of Black, Asian, and Global Majority Ethnic communities as this group is currently under-represented at all levels within the University. 

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