Jobs

Library Assistant

A common perception of my job is that I work in a quiet environment, stamping books all day - and even reading them! This could not be further from reality - life at Hertford Library is busy, varied, challenging and never boring.

All library staff work to a timetable which varies daily according to service demands. A typical day for me would include sessions of issuing and returning stock at the counter, answering enquiries at the Enquiry Desk and by phone and shelving stock. “Behind the scenes” tasks such as processing new stock, satisfying reader requests, stock editing and stock management are also a part of the daily routine. Some of these tasks can be quite physically demanding. On occasion I may be the senior member of staff, responsible for the building and opening/ closing the library.

Library Assistants often have additional responsibilities for specific areas of the service for example, young people’s services, reference stock, ICT, local studies, the Home Library Service, storytimes and promotions such as the Summer Reading Challenge.

The focus of my job is to provide an efficient and professional service to the Community. Frontline staff are the “face of Hertfordshire County Council” and customer care is of prime importance – the customer always comes first.
At Hertford we aim to provide a good service which is accessible to all members of the Community. I find working with the public rewarding, occasionally stressful but never dull. Our customers are from all walks of life and can ask you anything. Communication skills, teamwork, and flexibility are essential qualities for this role, particularly at busy times. A sense of humour comes in useful too! I appreciate having a team of supportive colleagues working with me.

Developments in the Library Service are moving rapidly, particularly in ICT. Libraries are now information providers from an ever-increasing variety of sources and the Library Assistant’s role is changing accordingly. The pace of change can sometimes be extremely challenging, but regular training to update skills helps to cope with this.

Customer appreciation of the Library Service is very obvious every day at Hertford and I enjoy being part of that.