Senior Library Officer

Job Purpose:

To develop and manage a comprehensive, innovative and integrated library service, community hub and visitor information centre.

Scope: 

• To demonstrate commitment to all aspects of Safeguarding to ensure our staff, customers and visitors are safe and to discharge our duty in terms of corporate safeguarding of all.
• To behave in a way that recognises the importance of organisational culture, values and accountability.
• To act in a socially responsible way at all times, ensuring your behaviour, actions and decisions consider sustainability of resources, the Climate and the Environment.
• To adhere to standards set to ensure health and safety at work, which includes following procedures correctly and participating in relevant health and safety training, in helping to create a safe and supportive organisation for all.
• To undertake tasks as required to support the Council’s range of events and festivals as directed. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Manage the frontline delivery of the library service.
2. Contribute to the delivery of the Town Council’s strategic objectives. Developing new ways to engage with customers, difficult to reach groups and create opportunities for outreach work and service development, to meet customer needs.
3. Work with the Town Clerk as part of the Senior Management Team on the strategic direction of the Town Council.
4. Play a leading role in working with partners and community organisations to develop and deliver events and innovative responses to the service offer, including the visitor information centre, whilst ensuring that the core service remains highly relevant and responsive to the needs of its customers.
5. Provide strategic direction for the development of an enhanced service model, delivering an innovative, outstanding and modern library service which embraces technology, increases participation, and develops opportunities to increase knowledge and learning.
6. Provide a comprehensive library service in line with the six universal offers, defined as: Reading, Health, Digital, Information, Culture and Learning.
7. Ensure the Library Information Service (LIS) team manages, maintains and presents books and other resources in an exciting format and customer friendly environment.
8. Oversee the co-ordination of the timetable of events and activities on and off site and innovate to deliver a lively and creative programme which nurtures the development of additional activities including reading and games clubs, arts and culture events etc.
9. Explore how the library supports the development of digital content and, working with the Communications Manager and Town Clerk, review the way computing and IT open access is delivered within the building.
10. Be responsible for the collection and analysis of key performance data to develop and enhance the service quality and direction and providing management reports to inform service development.
11. Work with the Communications Manager, to ensure that Library services and associated activities are widely promoted using a range of marketing tools including social media, printed and marketing material; and keep up to date on developments in the delivery of library services and technology through close collaboration with Cornwall’s library service.
12. Identify scope for new partnerships and explore the development of other local library sites.
13. Work with the Deputy Library Manager to ensure a positive team environment and a consistent high quality, professional service to all customers.
14. Undertake benchmarking to develop new models of service delivery, delivering outreach and engagement with an emphasis on difficult to reach groups. This will involve forging new, and strengthening existing, relationships with schools, community, voluntary groups and businesses that work with a range of groups.
15. To develop new opportunities for people to engage with the service, live and digital, broadening the service’s customer base with the aim of connecting with those who are the least engaged with the library, local events and activities and the local community and all it has to offer. This will include developing accessible and innovative activities that can be delivered in the library, as well as offsite within other settings across the area.
16. Work with the HR Manager to oversee the recruitment, training and celebration of volunteers.
17. Work with the Operations Officer to ensure that the Library space is maintained to a high standard, reporting facilities, maintenance and repairing issues as required.
18. Work with the Responsible Finance Office to be proactive in seeking external grant funding opportunities to support Library activities and outreach and engagement programmes, including working in collaboration with other partners in the voluntary and statutory sectors to broaden the reach and influence of the library, in community activities.
19. To act in a polite, professional and capable manner at all times.
20. To undertake any other duties required by the Council consistent with the level and scope of the post.
21. Any other task as directed by the Town Clerk. 

This Job description outlines the duties required of the post entitled Senior Library Officer to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exhaustive list and duties may be varied from time to time, which do not change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility.