ALN Staff Development Update #103 – 10 June 2026
This weekly update is intended to keep you up to date on ALN’s staff development programme; to highlight interesting initiatives being undertaken by ALN or its members; and to promote job opportunities in our member libraries. If you have any queries or any content you’d like to include, please get in touch at: academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk
ALN Events
June 2026
ALN Data Showcase
Hosted by: ALN Service Engagement & Impact Group
Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026
Time: 10.00 – 3.00pm
Platform: Online via Teams
**New!** ALN Conservation Surgery Now open for bookings!
Hosted by: ALN Special Collections & Archives Group
Date: Tuesday 23 June 2026
Time: 2.00 – 4.00pm
Platform: Online via Teams
July 2026
Exploring AI in Academic Libraries: Voices, Views, and Visions
Date: Thursday 2 July 2026
Time: 10.00-12.30
Platform: Online via Teams
September 2026
**New!** Thriving in Your Career 2026 – a free face-to-face event for UK Ethnic Minority colleagues
Date: Monday 7 September 2026
Time: 10.00am – 4.30pm
Location: Manchester Metropolitan University
**New!** Free External Self Directed Opportunities
There are many different places where you will find a range of materials which are freely available.
After consulting with members of our Staff Development Group we have begun to pull these together in one document which helps to highlight resources that other information professionals have found useful or have recommended to others to use.
If you’d like to give us feedback on any resources you’ve used, want to suggest your own or report any broken links, we’d appreciate your thoughts via this webform.
Frontline Forum 2025/26
We held our final Frontline Forum as part this years staff development programme offer on Tuesday 2 June with a theme of supporting neurodivergent students.
Take a look on our Frontline Forum webpage for more information and our past Frontline Forums here.
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About the Forums
The Frontline Forum is an online discussion and development space for teams working directly with students and users. The forums are an opportunity to share best practice, engage with other ALN activities and learn about different service models and delivery types offered by different universities. The forum is aimed at staff who work on frontline desks and provide the first line of support to students and other library users.
ALN Conference 2026
Grab yourself a place at the online day or the in-person day – or both! The bulk booking option is still available (further details on the website).
Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal to present at the conference. The draft programme for the two days is now available – please take a look to find out what would be of interest to you!
As a reminder, the theme of our conference is ‘Reimagining Openness in Academic Libraries’ and will be looking at what “open” really means in academic libraries today. We are confident that the theme will appeal to a broad spectrum of library staff and we would love to receive submissions on scholarly communications, digital preservation, teaching and learning, metadata, collection development, or community engagement – and any other area of the library service to see how you’re grappling with openness in practice.
Dates for your diary:
Online Day – Wednesday 24 June 2026 – we’re delighted to announce that Professor Stephen Pinfield, Professor of Information Services Management at the University of Sheffield, will be our keynote speaker at our online day.
In-person Day – Monday 6 July 2026 (Dalton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University) – we’re also delighted to announce that Caroline Ball, Community Engagement Lead for the Open Book Collective (OBC), will be our keynote speaker at our in-person day.
If you have any queries about the conference, please contact ALNConferenceTeam@gmail.com.
ALN Skill Up Series
New series – Skill Up with ALN!
Have you seen that we introduced a new series last academic year called Skill Up with ALN? These hour long sessions offer an opportunity to learn about different roles and areas of library life and aim to demystify areas of the library service. We have already run two sessions this year and have some more topic ideas for the 2025/26 academic year but if you have any ideas, please do share them with us.
ALN SD Offer Infographic
Do you think you know all that ALN offers to support your staff development? Why not check out our Staff Development Infographic to see the full list of activities. Let us know how you got on. Did you get all of them?
ALN Group co-Chair Vacancies
We’re looking for co-Chairs for a few of our groups. It’s a great professional development opportunity – please get in touch if you are interested or would like to know a bit more about what it entails.
You can see more information here on what the groups do, along with videos of some of our current chairs talking about their experiences chairing a group, as well as our role overview, providing more details on the roles.
These are the groups with current vacancies:
- Leaders’ Network – 2 vacancies
- Metadata and Linked Data Group – 1 vacancy
- Technology – 1 vacancy
External Calls for Contributions
Dissertation survey on environmental literacy initiatives in academic libraries
Deadline: Friday 19 June 2026
My name is Amy and I am a Content and Discovery Assistant in the Library at York St John University. I am also a postgraduate student at Aberystwyth University, studying for my MA in Information and Library Studies.
I am currently writing my dissertation on environmental literacy initiatives in academic libraries in the North of England. I would be grateful if you could complete my short survey for my research project. I only need one library staff member per institution to complete the survey.
Environmental literacy initiatives include the dissemination and promotion of information on environmental themes, often including sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity, with the intention of educating library users on environmental issues and giving them the skills to take considered environmental action.
If you have any questions, please email me at amb84@aber.ac.uk.
If you are interested in filling out the survey, please use the link to the information sheet and survey questions at the link above. Thank you in advance for your participation.
Advancing Long-form Open Access Practice Project – Focus Group Participation
As part of the Advancing Long-form Open Access Practice Project, RLUK, in partnership with SCONUL, ARMA, and UKRI, has commissioned Information Power to investigate the challenges and opportunities that UK research institutions are facing in responding to the evolving OA long-form publishing landscape. You are invited to participate in one or more themed focus groups as part of the research. The goal is to plan and prioritise opportunities for UK institutions to accelerate their progress toward long-form open access (OA) publishing. During these discussions, they will explore how libraries are responding to the changing landscape of long-form OA publishing and the priorities and further steps needed for advancement. Participants in the focus groups will help inform future recommendations to stakeholders regarding open access for long-form publications. Together you will identify opportunities for UK institutions to accelerate the transition to long-form open access, contributing to a strategic roadmap that can be customised for different institutions, partnerships, and regions. Interest is welcomed from librarians and information professionals and research support managers. Participants will be selected to ensure participation from a diverse range of institutions and wide engagement.
The focus groups will be conducted online for 90 minutes each. If you would like to attend, please complete the sign-up form or email info@informationpower.co.uk including your name, role, and the specific workshop or workshops you would like to join.
Below are the dates and themes for each meeting (1 – 6 have already taken place):
7. Monday 15th June 2 pm – Developing a cost-effective safety net to support Green Open Access
This session acknowledges that while many academics view Green OA as a “last resort” access route rather than a valued dissemination route, they support the principle that everyone should have access to their book or book chapter. We will discuss how a cost-effective Green OA safety net could be created.
8. Monday 22nd June 2 pm – Influence funder long-form OA policies
This session will discuss what libraries would like funders to do, particularly for the REF and long-form OA. It will also explore what collaborations and evidence might be needed to influence funder long-form OA policies to achieve these objectives.
9. Monday 29th June 2 pm – Work with established long-form publishers on your terms
This session will focus on ways to encourage established book publishers to adopt innovative and sustainable long-form open access schemes. It will explore the necessary collaborations needed to create a sector-wide voice for engaging with these publishers, as well as the models or approaches libraries, research offices, and researchers would like them to implement.
SCONUL succession planning survey for Deputies and Associate Directors
Deadline Date: Monday 15 June 2026
The SCONUL Organisational Development Strategy Group is currently undertaking work on succession planning within libraries, including at senior leadership level. Further information is available on the SCONUL website (at the link above). The group is in the first phase of conducting market research to understand needs before considering how SCONUL can support opportunities for development and progression. All colleagues who report directly to a Library Director/Chief Librarian/Head of Library Service are invited to complete this confidential survey which is aimed particularly at those working in Deputy Director/Associate Director/Assistant Director roles. All responses are important, irrespective of length of service or career ambition. It is estimated this survey will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Data will be stored securely and accessed only by SCONUL staff. Responses will be analysed in aggregate form, and any reporting will be anonymised so that individuals cannot be identified. AI tools may be used to support free text survey analysis to assist in identifying patterns, categorising feedback, and generating insights. Personal data will not be included in this analysis. The survey is available here.
Job Opportunities
Location: British Library (Boston Spa)
Salary: £28,152 per annum
Contract: Full Time, Fixed Term
Closing Date: Sunday 14 June 2026
About the role
The world-famous British Library have a rare and exciting opportunity for a permanent Desktop Technician to join our existing Technology team based in Boston Spa.
Do you:
• Get a buzz from providing a first-rate level of service?
• Want a superb work-life-balance?
• Want to be part of something you can be proud of whilst being looked after in the Public Sector?
Therefore, we are looking for someone with the following essential skills:
– Have the ability to work flexibly and across teams;
• Have the ability to understand end-to-end systems and what is needed to support them, both in the office and via remote support;
• A proven track record in supporting Windows 11, MS Office 365 and Microsoft Teams;
• A good knowledge of our primary infrastructure and the support requirements;
• Have the ability to contribute to the collection, report and disseminate of Service Team metrics;
• Possess knowledge and expertise and be willing to share these with colleagues and users;
• Use continuous improvement to identify process improvements;
• Understand and promote the use of technical standards;
• Keep and maintain accurate records, for calls, inventory; and procedures;
• Have good oral communication skills and take an analytical approach to problem solving;
• Have knowledge and experience of IT Infrastructure Library (ITILV4) standards or similar methodologies.
For more information, please refer to the Job Profile.*Previous external candidates need not apply*
About us
We are the national library of the UK and we are here for everyone. Our shelves hold over 170 million items – a living collection that gets bigger every day. Although our roots extend back centuries, we aim to collect everything published in the UK today, tomorrow and far into the future. Our trusted experts care for this collection and open it up for everyone to spark new discoveries, ideas and to help people do incredible things.
Location: University of Liverpool
Salary: £33,951 – £38,784 per annum
Contract Type: This post is part time (17.5 hours per week) and is available for 12 months.
Closing Date: Sunday 28 June 2026
Libraries, Museums and Galleries are seeking a Rights Clearance Officer to support a major digitisation project focused on the Olaf Stapledon archive, part of our internationally significant Science Fiction Collections.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in enabling wider access to unique archival materials. Reporting to the Copyright and Licensing Manager, you will be responsible for assessing copyright status, identifying and contacting rights holders, and securing permissions for digitisation and online access. You will undertake detailed research, including genealogical investigation where required, and maintain accurate records to support a large-scale, time-limited project.
You will have excellent research and analytical skills, a relevant understanding of copyright and information management, and the ability to manage competing priorities to meet project deadlines. Strong communication skills and attention to detail are essential.
Please see the Role Description for the full Duties, Responsibilities and Person Specification.
Library Space and Experience Team Leader
Location: Liverpool John Moores University
Salary: £38,784 – £46,049 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time
Closing Date: Sunday 28 June 2026
About the Role
Liverpool John Moores University is looking for a Library Space and Experience Team Leader. You will be enthusiastic, proactive and an experienced leader and you will support the delivery of high-quality, user-focused services across our library spaces.
You will play a key operational role in the day-to-day management of our City Campus and Mount Pleasant Campus Libraries, ensuring that spaces are welcoming, inclusive, safe and conducive to study. You will lead and support a team delivering frontline services, ensuring consistent, high-quality user experiences for students and staff across both sites.
You should be educated to degree level or have equivalent relevant experience. You will demonstrate a strong understanding of academic library services and customer service principles, alongside experience of leading or supervising staff in a customer-facing environment. You will be confident managing operational services, resolving complex enquiries and incidents, and working collaboratively across teams to enhance service delivery.
Strong leadership, communication and organisational skills are essential, as is the ability to analyse user feedback and operational data to inform continuous improvement. You should be proactive, solutions-focused and committed to delivering excellent user experiences through innovation and teamwork. A confident approach to using digital systems and flexibility to work across multiple sites is also required.
Assistant Library Experience Manager
Location: University of Manchester
Salary: £37,694 – £46,049 depending on relevant experience
Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time
Closing Date: Thursday 11 June 2026
The University of Manchester Library is seeking an enthusiastic and customer-focussed Assistant Library Experience Manager to support the delivery of exceptional frontline services and create welcoming, inclusive, and high‑quality experiences for all library users.
About the Role
Working closely with the Library Experience and Spaces Manager, you will use your customer-service expertise to support and develop the Library Experience Team, ensuring the consistent delivery of excellent frontline services.
You will:
Support the development and delivery of inclusive library services and spaces.
Act as a first point of operational escalation for Library Experience Coordinators, using appropriate decision making to manage and resolve issues.
Take a lead role in the operational delivery of recruitment, performance management processes, and development of staff and services.
All activities will align with our commitment to service excellence.
The role is predominantly campus based but there will be opportunity to work from home from time to time.
About the Library Experience Team
The Library Experience Team serves as the first point of contact, handling membership, enquiries and accessibility support. By providing excellent frontline services and maintaining library spaces, they help all visitors feel welcome, supported and productive.
Lecturer in Library and Archive Studies (Teaching and Scholarship)
Location: University of Manchester
Salary: £37,694 – £58,225 per annum depending on experience
Contract Type: 0.5 FTE (17.5 hrs per week), fixed term for 24 months
Closing Date: Wednesday 24 June 2026
The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at the University of Manchester are seeking a motivated and collaborative individual to join their team as a Lecturer in Library & Archive Studies (Teaching and Scholarship). This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-quality teaching and pedagogical scholarship within the Department of Art History and Cultural Practices. You will join a dynamic and inclusive environment, supporting interdisciplinary learning and professional practice across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
You will be responsible for:
- Designing and delivering engaging teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including lectures, seminars and workshops
- Contributing to the development, delivery and administration of the MA in Library and Archive Studies and related programmes
- Assessing student work and providing high-quality feedback, as well as supervising dissertations and placements
- Engaging in teaching-related scholarship to enhance pedagogy and the student experience
- Collaborating with internal and external partners, including libraries, archives, museums and cultural institutions
Essential Criteria:
- A completed PhD in library science, archival studies, information science or a related field
- Experience of teaching in higher education with a strong commitment to teaching excellence
- Ability to design and deliver high-quality teaching and assess a range of student work
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively
- Commitment to innovation in teaching and enhancing the student experience
Desirable Criteria:
- Professional or practice-based experience in libraries, archives or records management
- Experience of curriculum development or supervision of student research
- Knowledge of sector standards (e.g. CILIP or ARA accreditation)
- Experience working with external partners or facilitating placements
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