Staff Development Weekly Update

ALN Staff Development Update #81 – 5 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

Skill Up with ALN – Introduction to Special Collections & Archives
Date: Tuesday 11 November 2025
Time: 2.00 – 3.00pm
Platform: Online via Teams

 

Solo specialists/single point of expertise
Date: Monday 24 November 2025 (date TBC)
Time: 12.00 – 1.30pm
Platform: Online via Teams

 

December 2025

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

 

Green Open Access Event
Date: 10 December 2025
Time: 10am – 12 noon
Platform: Online via Teams
See below for call for contributions

 

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 Event
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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ALN Mentoring Scheme – Apply to be a mentee today!

Recruitment to the next wave is now open (Tuesday 7 October 2025). The application form will be open for one month (deadline Friday 7 November 2025).

The next wave is due to begin in January 2026.

To help you to understand a bit more about what the scheme is all about, we set up two information sessions where members of the Mentoring Oversight Group will present an overview of the scheme and be available to answer your questions. The first one took place on 14 October and the second will be taking place on:

• Wednesday 29 October 2025, 2.00-3.00

You can apply to join the scheme as a mentee by completing our Mentee Application Form. Please note: in order to be involved in the scheme, it is important that you attend the ALN Mentee Briefing with our external trainer, Karen Hickman of the Coaching Bug (https://thecoachingbug.co.uk/). This session will run for 2 hours and will be with fellow mentees on the scheme. This year’s session will take place on Teams on Thursday 27 November 2025, 2.00 – 4.00pm. The briefing is essential to get the most out of the scheme and we ask that you do your utmost to attend; however, we acknowledge that it may not be possible if it clashes with holidays or other commitments. In that case, you may need to apply for the next wave of the scheme.

See our Mentoring webpage for more information.

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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 already have some topics 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 is taking place this month:

• Tuesday 18 November 2025, 10.00 – 11.30 – the theme is social media – find out more and book your place here
  Join us to learn about how frontline colleagues at other universities have developed and created their social media content to connect with students, promote services, build community, and enhance the student experience.

  You will have the chance to share your own experiences, ask questions, and gather new ideas to take back to your own library.

  The provisional dates for the rest of the year (subject to change) 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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SCONUL Events

SCONUL Small and Specialist Institutions Forum
Date: Friday 7 November 2025, 2pm – 3.30pm
The SCONUL Small & Specialist Institutions (SSI) Forum provides an opportunity for institutions which define themselves as small or specialist (or both) to come together to share knowledge and experience. This meeting will provide members with an update on the following topics:

• changes made to the Organisational Development Knowledge Base following feedback at the last SSI Forum
• work being carried out on the HE Reference Models to ensure that libraries are properly represented
• the new SCONUL groups being created
• an update on the Jisc’s “Big 5” negotiations and sector finances.

Members are also invited to suggest topics or issues to cover, these can be emailed to noura.mokhtar@sconul.ac.uk.

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Job Opportunities

Open Research Culture Engagement Officer 
Location: Teesside University
Salary: £31,236 – £35,608
Contract: Full time (37 h/w); fixed term 03/11/25 – 31/03/26
Closing date: Wednesday 5 November 2025
Interview date: Friday 21 November 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit an Open Research Culture Engagement Officer to support the development, promotion and embedding of open research culture practices across the University.

This is a fixed-term full-time position, which will coordinate current open research plans, projects, events and training and scope and develop opportunities to enhance engagement with the open research culture.

The successful candidate will join the Student and Library Services team and work closely with the Research and Enterprise Office.

If you would like an informal chat about the role please contact p.a.sls@tees.ac.uk.

If you are shortlisted, your interview will take place via Microsoft Teams.

Please note that the University may ask you to participate in a number of selection activities as part of the recruitment process for this vacancy.

 

Customer Services Co-ordinator 
Location: University of Leeds
Grade/Salary: Grade 4 / £26,707 to £28,778 per annum
Working Time: 100% FTE (35 hours per week, Sunday – Thursday 16:30-00:30 all year round)
Post Type: Full Time; Ongoing
Closing date: Thursday 6 November 2025

This role will be based on the university campus.

You will be working as part of a cross-site Library team providing high-quality front- line support to the University’s staff and students, and to external customers.

You will assist with the day-to-day supervision of Library Customer Service Assistants and allocation of team tasks and act as an escalation point for day-to-day frontline issues. You will also be responsible for carrying out administrative tasks and coordinating cross-service operational activities.

You will be based at one of our main campus Library sites but will be expected to work cross-site on a regular basis to support the successful delivery of cross-service activity.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: Paul Gatehouse, Customer Services Manager – libpga@leeds.ac.uk.

 

Academic Engagement Librarian 
Location: LJMU
Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time
Salary: £32,080 – £37,694 per annum
Closing date: Friday 7 November 2025

Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is a distinctive, unique institution, rooted in the Liverpool City Region and with a global presence. Our students and staff, past, present, and future, are the beating heart of our city and can be found in every corner of every industry and community. We couldn’t exist anywhere else and have shaped the city in which we belong. Working with the people of Liverpool to improve lives and support communities is at the heart of why we were founded and why we exist today.

The University Library provides a range of services to support the student experience, teaching and learning, research and scholarship and civic and global engagement at LJMU. It delivers an outstanding level of service recognised by Customer Service Excellence®.

The responsibilities of this role include developing relationships with staff and students within Faculties, Schools and other Professional Services to strengthen the strategic embedding of information and digital literacy skills within the curriculum. In addition, you will engage in innovation and development of all aspects of learning support, with emphasis on digital capabilities.

In return, we offer an excellent benefits package including generous annual leave entitlement, pension scheme, induction and development support as well as family-friendly policies.

This is an exciting time to join the university as we deliver the LJMU Strategy 2030 and its vision of LJMU as an inclusive civic university transforming lives and futures, by placing students at the heart of everything we do.

If you feel that this is the role you have been looking for and your skills and experience can make a real difference at LJMU, we look forward to hearing from you.

LJMU is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and communities irrespective of age, transgender status, disability, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and religion or belief. All our appointments are made on merit.

Please note all of our vacancies will be closed to applications at midnight on the advertised closing date, unless otherwise stated.

 

Learning Developer (Faculty of Science and Technology)
Location: Lancaster University
Salary: £39,906 to £48,882 full time, indefinite with end date
Contract: 1 FTE
Closing date: Sunday 9 November 2025
Interview date: Friday 21 November 2025

We are seeking to appoint a Learning Developer to join our well-established team at Lancaster University.

The successful candidate will be responsible for learning development for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Faculty of Science and Technology. The role involves collaborating with faculty staff in the teaching of academic skills, offering in-person and/or online workshops, drop-ins and one-to-one appointments. The postholder will also be expected to contribute to the creation of interactive online learning development resources as well as coordinating the Scientific Writing Centre.

We are looking for someone with a good first degree, experience of teaching academic skills in higher education and, ideally, a teaching qualification. The successful candidate will have knowledge of the writing challenges experienced by students and be able to respond flexibly to evolving student needs. They will have a strong track record of working in a collegiate and supportive way with colleagues and students from a diverse range of educational and cultural backgrounds.

We will provide an inclusive, supportive and safe environment where everyone belongs and can contribute to our distinctiveness. We welcome applications from people in diverse groups, particularly encouraging applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.

We are a Disability Confident employer and we work to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for our colleagues to reduce barriers to inclusion at work.

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. Consideration will be given to job share applications. We also provide a comprehensive set of staff benefits and development opportunities.

Please address any enquiries to Louise Innes, Head of Learning Development – l.innes1@lancaster.ac.uk.

 

Digital Engagement Officer 
Location: University of Sheffield
Contract: Full Time (Hybrid), 1 year fixed-term
Grade/Salary: Grade 6 / £32,080 – £36,636
Closing date: Sunday 16 November 2025

Overview
The University of Sheffield Library is seeking a passionate and driven individual to join our team as a Digital Engagement Officer. This role presents an exciting chance to have a substantial impact on enhancing cultural engagement and accessibility to the National Fairground and Circus Archive (NFCA). Join our world-class institution and be part of a team dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of travelling popular entertainment. Through the use of digital technologies and outreach initiatives, you will help expand access to this unique collection to research and wider communities, and engage with new audiences. If you possess a strong determination to create positive change and have a talent for turning imaginative ideas into reality, we encourage you to apply for this exceptional opportunity.

Main duties and responsibilities
Enhance the visibility of key materials within the NFCA collection by delivering digital projects, exploring opportunities to use AI, handwritten text recognition (HTR), and other technologies to create valuable data sets for the research community.

Coordinate and undertake digitisation projects, ensuring adherence to standards, and manage the upload of data to relevant systems, creating necessary metadata.

Gather feedback and evaluate the impact of our online and in person activities, including our use of online platforms and social media, collecting statistics to assess their effectiveness in engaging with our target audiences.

Oversee and develop the use of social media, online platforms, relevant publications, and mainstream media to increase awareness and promote the NFCA collection..

Curate accessible digital content for outreach and exhibitions.

Explore the potential for new projects, such as crowdsourcing initiatives, to further enhance the NFCA collection.

Assist in planning and hosting captivating outreach events both in person and online, focusing on schools, the local community, and special interest groups, occasionally requiring evening and weekend work.

Provide guidance and supervision to student placements and volunteers.

Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

 

Digitisation Officer 
Location: University of Sheffield
Contract Type: Full Time (Hybrid), 2 year fixed-term
Grade/Salary: Grade 6 / £32,080 – £36,636
Closing date: Sunday 23 November 2025

Overview
The University of Sheffield Library is seeking a skilled and passionate individual to work as part of the Special Collections, Heritage and Archives (SCHA) team on a project to develop a Digital Scholarship Suite and services within the library. This project has been enabled by a generous legacy gift left by Eric Pattison, an Alumnus of the School of English at the University of Sheffield. This role presents an exciting opportunity to provide greater digital access to our unique and distinctive collections and to input into the development of digital scholarship services. As well as carrying out digitisation of the collections, you will coordinate external digitisation projects, establish and improve our digitisation workflows, and work with academics and other key stakeholders, SCHA and the project team to develop new ways to access and use our collections for education and research. Your work will support fulfilling the Library’s objective to increase the cultural impact and engagement of our collections.

Main duties and responsibilities
Use specialist skills to digitise materials from Special Collections, Heritage and Archive’s (SCHA’s) unique and distinctive collections, in a variety of formats, using a range of equipment.

Coordinate external digitisation projects, ensuring adherence to standards.

Store digitised outputs and create metadata for access and preservation following international standards.

Assist with the fulfilment of digitisation requests, advising on copyright and GDPR, selecting the best method to fulfil requests, and produce digital copies.

Carry out copyright and GDPR risk assessments.

Establish workflows and standards for loading metadata and files into discovery and delivery systems, and oversee that process.

Enhance the visibility and usability of key material and collections by leading and contributing to digital scholarship projects, including supporting researchers to use digital collections and metadata as datasets for computational analysis.

Work alongside library colleagues to contribute to an integrated approach to digital collections management for the SCHA collections.

Supervise and plan the work of student placements and volunteers.

Support SCHA outreach, including assisting with exhibitions and events, which may involve occasional evening and weekend work

Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.