Staff Development Weekly Update

ALN Staff Development Update #83 – 19 November 2025

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

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ALN Events

We’re busy on the new programme for 2025/26 and are excited to share with you those events already planned.

November 2025

Solo specialists/single point of expertise
Date: Monday 24 November 2025
Time: 12.00 – 1.30pm
Platform: Online via Teams
Programme now available at the above link

 

December 2025

Skill Up with ALN – Introduction to Academic Skills
Date: Monday 8 December 2025
Time: 12.00 – 1.00pm
Platform: Online via Teams

 

** New ** Green Open Access model in practice
Date: 10 December 2025
Time: 10.00am – 12 noon
Platform: Online via Teams
We are still looking for one more presentation – see below call for contributions

 

January 2026

** New ** The library role in wellbeing: an event for Blue Monday
Hosted by: ALN Mental Health & Wellbeing team)
Date: Monday 19 January 2026
Time: 12.00 – 2.00pm
Platform: Online via Teams

 

May 2026

Systematic Review Event (sponsored by Covidence)
Date: Thursday 14 May 2026
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm (TBC)
Location: Newcastle University

We are excited to announce that we are planning on hosting a Systematic Review event, sponsored by Covidence. This event will be an opportunity to share knowledge and network with fellow professionals.

We are currently seeking members who are interested in attending, presenting and/or assisting with its organisation. If you have an interest or knowledge in systematic reviews or related areas, we would love to hear from you.

If you are interested in attending, please complete this online form. If you are interested in presenting or helping to organise the event, please get in touch with Lorna Smith: lorna.smith@ncl.ac.uk.

Initially we will be limiting attendance to two members from each ALN institution.

 

Call for Contributions

Green Open Access model in practice
Date: 10 December 2025
Time: 10am – 12 noon
Platform: Online via Teams

The ALN Research Support Group welcomes volunteers to present/ talk about their experience around topics such as:

• Promoting green OA to academics
• Challenges of green OA
• Green OA for journals
• Green OA for books
• Green OA and discoverability

If you know of someone working on a project or doing research on green OA and want to suggest we reach out to them, please send us their contact details.

Responses to Delphine Doucet and Megan Kilvington please.

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Mental Health & Wellbeing Resource

Did you know that ALN has a Mental Health & Wellbeing Advocacy Resource, packed full of useful information, case studies and links to resources? A project team drawn from across ALN has worked together to create the resource to support library work around mental health and wellbeing. The resource consists of explanatory text and links to resources relating to this emerging agenda and case studies contributed by ALN libraries, so that we can learn from each other. We’d love more people to make use of the resource – and, if you have been working in this area, we would love to add your case study to our collection.

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 2024/25 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?

Frontline Forum 2025/26

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.

We are running the Frontline Forums again this academic year – the first one took place this yesterday, Tuesday 18 November, on the topic of social media and student engagement. Several institutions provided mini presentations on their social media engagement and there was time for small breakout group discussions. Resources will be saved to the Frontline Forum pages soon.

The provisional dates for the rest of the year are:

• Thursday 22 January 2026, 2.00 – 3.30
• Wednesday 25 March 2026,  10.00 – 11.30
• Tuesday 2 June 2026, 2.00 – 3.30

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External Events

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Job Opportunities

Study Support and Skills Adviser (Westlakes)
Location: University of Lancashire
Salary: £35,608 to £41,064 per annum
Contract: Fixed Term until 31 March 2026; Full Time
Closing date: Sunday 23 November 2025

The Westlakes Campus, located on the Westlakes Science and Technology Park in the tranquil surroundings of West Cumbria—just three miles from Whitehaven—is a bright, modern learning environment. It serves as the base for students from both the School of Nursing and the School of Medicine & Dentistry.

About the role:

The Study Support and Skills Adviser will provide academic study support to students, enhancing their learning experience and overall academic performance. The role focuses on improving student retention, completion, degree attainment, and graduate outcomes within our Student Achievement Service.

In this varied position, you will be based at the Westlakes Campus in West Cumbria, working closely with academic and student support colleagues, as well as with students, to understand the existing student achievement provision on campus. You will help implement improvements and contribute to the development of additional support initiatives.

You will be an integral part of the wider Student Achievement Services team, working with the Head of Student Achievement and key stakeholders across the University and Students’ Union. Together, you will make a real difference to our students and help deliver the targets set out in our institutional Student Opportunity and Success Strategy and Access and Participation Plan (APP).

About you:

As a Study Support and Skills Adviser, you will have experience delivering academic guidance and study support to individuals and groups, both online and in person. You will also need recent experience supporting students with an understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by different groups, particularly those under-represented in higher education.

Strong communication skills are essential, enabling you to explain complex concepts clearly, provide constructive feedback, and maintain effective communication with students.

An undergraduate degree or equivalent experiential learning is required for this role.

Applicants must meet all essential criteria on the person specification to be considered for interview.

This position is based at the Westlakes Campus (West Cumbria).

 

Customer Services Assistant
Location: University of York
Grade/Salary: Grade 2/£25,804 – £27,319 per year (pro-rata for part-time working)
Closing date: Tuesday 25 November 2025

The Library is seeking to recruit a Customer Services Assistant to join our Customer Services team who are responsible for the daily operational delivery of the Library’s core frontline services.

Department

The Library’s values of customer focus, collaboration and continuous improvement are central to our supportive and empowering working culture, and we take great pride in the high quality services we deliver to our user communities.

Role

As a Customer Services Assistant you will ensure that the Library buildings (JB Morrell Library, Raymond Burton Humanities Research Library, Harry Fairhurst building and King’s Manor Library) are ready for use during their opening hours. You will assist with providing reception services and regular patrols of library buildings and you will provide key elements of stock preparation, processing, replacement of items on shelves and stock tidying.

1 x weekend role working 15 hours per week from 8 am to 4 pm Saturdays and Sundays

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

You will have a good general education, as well as experience of front-of-house customer service. You will be flexible, self-motivated, reliable, and able to work effectively and communicate politely with colleagues and customers. A full clean driving license is essential and the ability to lift and move books, furniture and equipment.

For informal enquiries: please contact Nathan Williams, Services Manager, nathan.williams@york.ac.uk, 01904 323825.

 

Library Spaces Coordinator
Location: University of Manchester
Salary: £32,080 to £36,636 per annum, dependent on relevant experience
Employment type: Permanent
Hours Per Week: 35 hours per week (1 FTE)
Closing date: Wednesday 26 November 2025

The University of Manchester Library is looking for a Library Spaces Coordinator to help develop and maintain our spaces and facilities ensuring they support the development of welcoming, accessible and user-focussed library spaces.

About the Role

In this role, you will:

• Support the development of welcoming, accessible and user-focussed library spaces
• Coordinate health & safety activities across all Library sites
• The role is predominantly campus based but there will be opportunity to work from home on occasion.

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.

Recruitment Process

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, whether you already work in higher education or come from sectors such as education, student support, facilities management or community services.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please let us know.

Shortlist
As a first element of the shortlisting process, we will assess candidate’s applications against the person specification in the job description. To make the most effective use of your application, please clearly state what experience you have for each element of the person specification, doing your best to evidence all the essential knowledge, skills and experience.

Other requirements

• To work at any Library site as required
• To carry out such other duties as may reasonably be associated with the grade and a role of this nature
• To be flexible in relation to hours of work as may be reasonably requested from time to time

 

Library Support Coordinator (Print Services)
Location: University of Liverpool
Salary: £29,588 – £33,951 pa
Closing date: Tuesday 2 December 2025

Join our front-facing Customer Experience team within Libraries, Museums and Galleries (LMG) as a Library Support Coordinator (Print Technician). This hands-on role combines excellent customer service with practical coordination of our large-format print service. You will support students, staff and other users across the University.

You will manage print queues and equipment and ensure timely delivery of specialist print jobs. You will also assist in the running of our Maker Space, helping users to make the most of creative technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality and vinyl cutting. Working as part of our Customer Experience Team, you will also contribute to front-line support, resolving user enquiries, and implementing service improvements that enhance the student experience.

We are looking for someone with strong communication and customer care skills, experience of using relevant technologies, and confidence in engaging with users in a busy service environment. You will bring initiative, flexibility and a collaborative approach to supporting an inclusive learning environment.

This post is available on a permanent basis and is full time (35 hours per week).

 

Newcastle University is inviting applications for a vacancy:

Digital Preservation Project Officer
Location: University of Newcastle
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Working Pattern: Full Time
Salary: £35,608 to £37,694 with progression to £46,049 per annum
Closing date: Tuesday 2 December 2025

This post presents an excellent opportunity for a talented individual to join the Library’s Digital Library Services team as we embark on a project to develop the University’s digital preservation infrastructure. You will have opportunities to develop both your technical and team-working skills, while supporting this key strategic project involving our Special Collections and Archives team, as well as other stakeholders in the Library and the wider University.

This post is full-time (37 hours per week), fixed-term for three years and is suitable for blended working.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact John Williams, Head of Collections, Research and Digital Futures (john.williams@ncl.ac.uk).