Jobs

Job Opportunity: Head Librarian (fixed-term to 31 March 2022)

Salary: £27,500 per annum

Closing date for expressions of interest: 12 noon, Wednesday, 22 January 2020

Interviews dates: Monday, 17 February 2020

The Scottish Poetry Library is seeking a motivated and innovative individual to join its small but dedicated team as our Head Librarian to manage and develop our physical and digital collections, and library service staff. The successful candidate will be a professionally qualified librarian. A commitment to providing high-quality customer services to develop a welcoming environment is important. Candidates should be able to demonstrate an affinity for and understanding of the cultural, social and wellbeing benefits brought about by public engagement and participation with poetry and poets.

As part of the Senior Management Team, the successful candidate will be able to help shape how the library service will deliver to the ambitions of our business plan and support our values of being welcoming, being compassionate and transforming lives through poetry.

To apply: Please send your CV with a covering letter to Asif Khan, SPL Director at asif.khan@spl.org.uk

If required, please have permission of your line manager before expressing an interest in the role.

For more information (Job Description, Role Summary, Specific Responsibilities, Person Specification), click here.

Volunteering

At the SPL volunteers are a major resource, making a vital contribution to the achievement of our aims.

Volunteers complement and support rather than replace the roles of paid staff, and we believe our relationship with our volunteers is one of mutual responsibility and commitment. Volunteers contribute to many aspects of our work. In particular, volunteer assistance on Saturdays and during evening events allows us to maintain our current opening hours and host many events more fully than we would otherwise be able to. Event volunteering involves setting up and running a donation bar, selling books, using our website to manage attendance and generally helping out on the night. Saturday volunteering involves shelving, labelling and tidying collection items, helping with enquiries and customer service, and getting the opportunity to help with the SPL podcasts.

The Scottish Poetry Library is an ideal environment in which to gain experience of how a library and an arts organisation works, and we can offer the opportunity to develop new skills or enhance existing ones whilst connecting us with the wider community in our commitment to bringing people and poems together. In exchange for your experience, passion, skills and time-commitment, we offer you the opportunity to strengthen your CV, network, forge friendships and participate in creative activities. We aim for this relationship to be one of mutual value and respect.

We recruit volunteers to assist us on an ongoing basis, based on suitability and relevant skills and experience. Please consider joining our team.

Please contact beth.cochrane@spl.org.uk to find out more.

About us

The Scottish Poetry Library is a unique national resource and advocate for the art of poetry, and Scottish poetry in particular.

Support us

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Our people

Learn more about the staff and board of the Scottish Poetry Library.