Job Purpose

Under the supervision of Line Manager, provide support for a variety of Archives & Special (ASC) Collections activities delivering services to staff, students and members of the public to promote and enable engagement with the University of Glasgow’s world class collection of archives, manuscripts and rare books.

To contribute to the supply of image content to users and support processes which enable the reproduction and reuse of the University’s unique and distinctive collections.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.      Supervise and invigilate the use of ASC collections by service users, providing guidance on access and handling where necessary, ensuring safe and secure access to collections

2.      Assist in-person and remote service users in identifying and using ASC collections effectively through a range of discovery tools (e.g. online and printed catalogues, collection overviews and source guides).

3.      Assist in answering enquiries to a consistently high standard and to agreed deadlines, to satisfy the research needs of service users.

4.      Act as Engagement Supervisor on a rota basis ensuring efficient service delivery.

5.      Contribute to the delivery of heritage collections engagement services, including events and displays

6.      Act as ASC Email Inbox Monitor on a rota basis, following procedures for triaging the messages, and escalating where appropriate.

7.      Contribute to the supply of image content to users and support processes which enable the reproduction and reuse of the collections.

8.      Create content for websites, blogs, social media and other relevant channels to promote ASC services and collections.

9.      Any other engagement duties as directed by the Line Manager, other Engagement Team managers and as directed in wider Library Collections or Information Services.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 5 or 6 (National 5 or 6, Scottish Vocational Qualification level 2 or 3) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role OR Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role.

A2 Knowledge and understanding of archive or library principles, practices and standards.

A3 Practical working knowledge of using library and archive catalogues.

Desirable:

B1 Honours degree at 2:1 level or above (or international equivalent).

B2 An understanding of the impact of data protection and copyright legislation on the work of information professionals.

B3 Knowledge and understanding of archives, early printed, manuscript and other heritage materials.

B4 Certification in the field of information management/library/archive studies or the intention to undertake for career development.

B5 Some ability in reading/understanding a language (other than English) relevant to ASC collections, for example, Scottish Gaelic, Latin, French or German.

Skills

Essential:

C1 Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (written & oral).

C2 Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

C3 Attention to detail and the ability to work to a high level of accuracy in all work undertaken.

C4 Excellent IT skills with knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications.

C5 Well developed skills to deal with challenging situations and achieve good outcomes.

C6 Ability to plan workload and react to changing priorities.

C7 Manual dexterity

Desirable:

D1 Handling unique and fragile heritage materials.

Experience

Essential:

E1 Experience in a customer service role.

E2 Experience of working in an archive, library, museum or other heritage environment.

E3 Experience of using social media – e.g. X/Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, Flickr, TikTok.

Desirable:

F1 Experience of supervising and training others.

F2 Experience of delivering engagement services in the heritage or higher education sector.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 4, £23,881 - £26,338 per annum.

This post is full time and open ended.

Closing Date: 23:45 7th May 2025

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension , benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community here.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/benefits-salary-and-flexible-working for more information.