Staff Development Weekly Update

ALN Staff Development Update #84 – 26 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

ALN Events

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

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

February 2026

** New ** Print Storage Solutions – BL High Density Storage 
Hosted by: British Library
Date: Thursday 5 February 2026
Time: 10.30 – 11.30am
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.

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 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 are being saved to the Frontline Forum pages. Get in touch if you’re interested in joining.

The provisional dates for the rest of the year are as follows and we’ll be confirming topics in the weeks leading up to each one:

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

SCONUL Initiatives

Job Opportunities

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).

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).

Registrar (0.5 FTE)
Location: University of Liverpool
Grade/Salary: Grade 6/£33,951 – £38,784 pa (pro-rata)
Closing date: Friday 5 December 2025

The University of Liverpool, Libraries, Museums and Galleries (LMG) is home to diverse and significant cultural and heritage collections, formed over the last 150 years. Our venues are the public interface between the University and wider community, with significant potential and opportunity to support the University’s goals for research, education, place making and innovation. Our strategy, Reimagining Libraries Museums and Galleries 2024-2031 outlines our ambitions.

Within the Cultural Heritage team, we run two Museum Accredited venues: Victoria Gallery and Museum (VG&M), home to the University Art Collection; Garstang Museum of Archaeology and Egyptology; and an Accredited Archives service through Special Collections and Archives, based at the Sydney Jones Library. We manage stores across the campus for our wide-ranging formats and care for objects and artworks on display in various campus buildings and public art. We take a continuous improvement approach to accessibility, visibility and sense of belonging in our spaces. Our partnerships are diversifying beyond the University in support of place making and innovation. Commitments to improve collections care and access are matched by major projects to improve collections data and information.

We are seeking to recruit a Registrar to support work across all our Cultural Heritage collections. The Registrar is central to activity across the service, responsible for the day-to-day movement of collection items into and out of the repositories. The Registrar is responsible for the administration and management of the cultural heritage service’s loans programme, and the transport and insurance of the collections. You will closely with exhibitions colleagues on specific projects and works with curators on specific collection acquisition tasks, reporting to the Head of Visitor Experience and Space development.

You will demonstrate attention to detail, good understanding of standards and procedures for the safe movement and display of cultural and heritage collections, knowledge of object handling, and packing requirements. You will have good database management skills, recordkeeping processes, and understanding of collections care. You will have a flexible approach to work, good organisational and planning skills, practical problem-solving ability and excellent communication skills. Some additional duties may be required occasionally.

Interviews anticipated to take place January 2026, subject to change.

Assistant Librarian
Location: Newcastle University
Contract Type: Open Ended/Part Time
Salary: £35,608.00 – £46,049.00 per annum
Closing date: Monday 8 December 2025

The Role

Newcastle University Library is a multiple-award winning service. We are the only University Library in the UK to have received the Charter Mark five times and now hold the Customer Services Excellence award which replaced it. This award illustrates our dedication to delivering a friendly, professional and efficient service to all our customers and putting them at the heart of everything we do.

This is a place-based role in a busy vibrant campus. You will play a key role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality frontline customer focused services across the Library’s extensive opening hours. We are looking for people who can co-ordinate and supervise colleagues as well as take responsibility for the secure operation of our Library services across all library sites.

Assistant Librarians play an important role across a range of functions, including service delivery, development, and improvement. They ensure the delivery of consistently high standards of customer service across the Library’s extensive opening hours. The ideal post-holder will be an excellent communicator with demonstrable experience of successful project management and an extensive knowledge of front-line library services including the use of integrated library management systems.

This is a part time post, 0.6 FTE/22.2 hours per week, equivalent to three full days. There will be some expectation of evening and bank holiday cover.

To apply, please upload an up-to-date CV and a letter of application (no more than one page) which outlines your fit for this role and any relevant experience to the key accountabilities listed below. Please note, you are only required to complete the mandatory application fields.

For informal queries about the role, please contact Anne Middleton at: Anne.Middleton@newcastle.ac.uk.

Library Services Coordinator (Stores)
Location: Newcastle University
Contract Type: Open Ended/Full Time
Salary: £27,319.00 – £29,588.00 per annum
Closing date: Wednesday 10 December 2025

The Role

Newcastle University Library is the only University Library in the UK to have received the Charter Mark five times, and now holds the Customer Services Excellence award which replaced it, illustrating our dedication to delivering a friendly, professional, and efficient service to all our customers.

Our Library Research Reserve provides access to state-of-the-art off-campus storage facilities, and houses both library and other University material. The Research Reserve provides a daily book retrieval, delivery and journal article scanning service.

This role is an excellent opportunity for someone who can line manage and supervise a small team, delivering a high-quality customer service, as well taking responsibility for the safe and secure operation of our Research Reserve. This is a full-time, place-based role, based largely at our Team Valley facilities, but will also include time in our campus-based stores and libraries.

To apply, please upload an up-to-date CV and a letter of application (no more than one page) which outlines your fit for this role and any relevant experience to the key accountabilities listed below.

Informal enquiries can be made to Anne Middleton: anne.middleton@ncl.ac.uk.