Staff Development Weekly Update

ALN Staff Development Update #110 – 12 August 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

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

Celebrating individual and institutional successes

We would love to create a space in our updates to help to celebrate the successes of individuals within our member libraries and those of the library services in general. Does your institution have something to share? Any project wins or individual achievements that you would like to share with your colleagues in other ALN institutions, both big or small? Please get in touch with us so we can start to share and celebrate together – academiclibrariesnorth@sconul.ac.uk. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Relationship Management Conference Group Opportunities

RLUK and ALN are inviting expressions of interest to join the planning team for a joint ALN and RLUK Relationship Management Community of Practice (RM CoP) two-day conference, to take place in April/May 2027. The intention is to follow the successful pattern devised by ALN, with an online event preceding an in-person conference a couple of weeks later (the in-person day will not be hybrid). The conference will be open to all, with preferential access for ALN and RLUK institutions.

At this stage, we are looking for colleagues with an interest in relationship management to form a planning team. Previous experience of conference or event planning would be helpful but is not essential. We’ve put together some brief descriptions of the roles involved. We’re aiming to have an initial meeting in September.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain experience working with colleagues across the sector, and we’d encourage anyone who thinks they might be interested to discuss with their line manager with a view to putting themselves forward. Please complete this survey by Friday 14 August: Relationship Management Conference Committee Members – Fill in form.

ALN Annual Review 2025

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

The Frontline Forum organising team has been busy planning dates for the 2026/27 academic year!

Please add the following to your calendars (more information, including the topic, to follow nearer the time):

• Monday 16 November 2026 – 10.00 – 11.30
• Tuesday 19 January 2027 – 2.00 – 3.30
• Wednesday 17 March 2027 – 10.00 – 11.30
• Thursday 3 June 2027 – 2.00 – 3.30

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.

EDI Innovation Fund Projects

In May 2025, we funded 4 projects, two of which have shared their findings – see below – and one project team contributed to the in-person day of the ALN Conference 2026:

• Calm Spaces. Aim: To evaluate and develop calm spaces at the University of Huddersfield and Sheffield Hallam University. It is hoped that the results of the project will have a positive impact on student wellbeing. (Huddersfield and Sheffield Hallam)
  Outputs: Calm Spaces Project Case Studies
• Accessible Library Induction Guides. Aim: To investigate offering basic library services guides in different formats: print, large print, audio, video, and online to make library guidance more accessible to students. The project teams will work with students in the creation of the guides and students will review the content of library induction sessions and create a list of “library essential facts”. (Chester)
  Outputs: Best practice in accessible library guides and Dos and don’ts accessibility checklist and Print accessibility checklist
• Inclusive Academic Reading Project. Aim: To investigate the habits, preferences, and motives of undergraduate and postgraduate students regarding university reading lists and academic reading preferences; and to develop an evidence base to enhance retention, progression, and completion rates, with a particular focus on students from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. (Manchester Met and Sheffield Hallam) You can see the presentation from Manchester Met and Sheffield Hallam colleagues at the ALN 2026 conference at this link (see 2b)

• Reducing barriers and supporting people seeking sanctuary in realising their academic potential. Aim: To evaluate, expand and evolve the University of Hull’s Sanctuary Associate Membership scheme, utilising UX research methods, for example, customer journey mapping, card sorting, creating user personas and user benchmarking to evaluate the use of our current provision and identify user challenges. (Hull) 

Outputs for the remaining project will be shared as soon as they are available.

ALN Conference 2026

Thanks to everyone who came to our online (24 June) and in person (6 July) days. We had a great time and hope you did too.

As a reminder, the theme of our conference was ‘Reimagining Openness in Academic Libraries’ and looked at what “open” really means in academic libraries today. We had such a broad range of speakers, workshops and keynotes that helped make both days of interest to colleagues working across all library services. Resources from both days are available on the ALN website – we’ll be adding to it as soon as recordings etc are ready to be shared.

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 2026/27 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:

• Academic Skills CoP – 1 vacancy
• Customer Services CoP – 1 vacancy
• Technology – 1 vacancy

Call for SCONUL Contributions/Involvement

SCONUL AI and Information Literacy CIG meeting
Date: Thursday 3 September 2026 (11.00 – 12.30)
Join us at the next AI and Information Literacy Community of Interest Group meeting, which will focus on AI, Academic Integrity, and the library’s roles and responsibilities. We look forward to hearing from colleagues around the sector on perspectives in developing practice and on the approach to developing teaching and guidance to help steer students and colleagues in making ethical use of AI in research habits and helping to address acknowledgment and citation concerns. The CIG officers are looking for volunteers to give a short presentation at the meeting. If you are interested in participating or have questions, please email the CIG officers: Ella Mitchell e.mitchell@mdx.ac.uk, Callum Perry Callum.Perry@uea.ac.uk, Anna Richards a.richards@ed.ac.uk.

SCONUL AI coffee mornings
SCONUL’s regular AI coffee morning will pause for the summer break and will be back on Friday 25 September at 10am where we’ll hear from Hannes Lowagie, Metadata Librarian at the Royal Library of Belgium. Hannes Lowagie will talk about metadata creation with AI. The coffee mornings brings together those with an interest in AI developments within libraries on the last Friday of every month. SCONUL members can register for future AI coffee mornings, as well as access recordings and resources here (once registered).

SCONUL Business Intelligence CIG meeting
Date: Wednesday 14 October 2026 (10.00 – 11.30)
SCONUL’s Business Intelligence Community of Interest Group is currently planning for their next meeting on 14 October. The topic for the meeting is the SCONUL benchmarking statistics and the CIG officers are looking for presenters for some lightning talks. Are you responsible for collating your institution’s SCONUL stats? How do you go about collecting them? What issues and challenges do you face? How do you make use of SCONUL statistics at your institution? If you have any questions, please contact the CIG officers: Michael Whitton m.whitton@soton.ac.uk, Philip Vaughan ab1409@coventry.ac.uk, Emma Hollinshead e.l.hollinshead@aston.ac.uk.

External Events and Opportunities

External Call for Contributions

Job Opportunities

Digital Librarian
Location: University of Salford
Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent
Salary: £38,784 – £46,049
Closing Date: Sunday 23 August 2026

The Digital Librarian is responsible for the effective operation, development and integration of key digital systems supporting Library, Careers and Skills services. The role combines day‑to‑day systems support with service improvement. If you have a strong understanding of library processes and a passion for technology, we encourage you to apply and be a part of our dynamic team.

The role holder will have primary responsibility for the management, configuration and ongoing development of core library platforms, including:

• Library Management System (Ex Libris Alma)
• Resource Discovery Tool (Ex Libris Primo)
• Authentication (EZProxy, Open Athens LA)
• Reading List (Ex Libris Leganto)
• RFID hardware (Lapsafe and Advanova)

In addition, the Digital Librarian will provide technical guidance and problem‑solving support for a broader range of systems used within LCS, such as the Research Data Repository, Careers and Archive systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the support, integration, configuration, and ongoing development of library systems, ensuring effective operation and timely issue resolution.
• Collaborate with IT, system suppliers, and LCS colleagues to ensure effective support and development of LCS systems.
• Gather requirements, analyse user feedback and system analytics to improve interfaces, workflows, and processes.
• Contribute to the evaluation, selection, and monitoring of new and existing library technologies, including supplier and market developments.
• Lead system-related projects, represent the library externally, and deputise for the Digital Library Manager when required.

Academic Librarian and Academic Skills Team Leader
Location: University of Greater Manchester
Salary: £42,254 to £48,823 per annum
Contract Type: Full Time, Permanent
Closing Date: Sunday 23 August 2026
Interview Date: Tuesday 1 September 2026

The University of Greater Manchester is seeking an experienced and motivated professional to join the Library in the Student Services & Experience team as Academic Librarian & Academic Skills Team Leader.

This is a key role responsible for delivering high-quality, inclusive, and student-centred library and academic skills services. You will play a central role in supporting student success by developing provision that enhances information literacy, digital capability, and academic skills across the student journey.

The Role:

Reporting to the Library Manager, you will manage and provide operational oversight for the Academic Librarians and Academic Skills team, ensuring a coordinated and effective approach to supporting both students and staff.

You will lead the development and delivery of an integrated programme of library and academic skills support, including workshops, embedded teaching, one-to-one support, and online resources aligned with curriculum and student needs.

This role requires strong partnership working across academic schools and professional services, alongside the ability to use insight and evaluation to continuously improve service delivery and impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Academic Librarian and Academic Skills team, ensuring high-quality, inclusive service delivery.
• Develop and deliver a programme of information literacy, digital literacy, and academic skills support aligned to the student journey.
• Work collaboratively with academic colleagues and stakeholders to embed library and academic skills within the curriculum.
• Support the development of library collections to ensure resources meet learning, teaching, and research needs.
• Use data, evaluation, and student feedback to monitor performance and inform continuous service improvement.
• Contribute to operational and strategic planning for library services and student success initiative.
• Lead on policy, quality, and compliance, ensuring services align with institutional and sector requirements.
• Build and maintain strong internal and external partnerships to enhance support for students and raise service profile.
• Deputise for the Library Manager as required and support wider library operations.

Positioned at the very heart of our community, Library, Archives and Learning Services (LALS) plays a vital role in enabling this vision. Renowned for service excellence and innovation, the department oversees three vibrant campus libraries and the world-class Borthwick Institute for Archives. From providing expansive print and digital collections to developing cutting-edge learning spaces, supporting digital education solutions, and delivering tailored academic skills provision, LALS empowers our global community of scholars and students to flourish.

As a key member of our senior leadership team, you will shape and drive the strategic vision for LALS. In this influential role, you will elevate our physical and digital collection environments, advance digital transformation and open scholarship, fuel York’s research excellence, and continually enrich the overall student experience. You will also contribute more widely to achieving the University’s objectives, through participation in and leadership of institutional projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Vision: Lead long-term strategy for library and archival services; advocate for York across Russell Group, RLUK, and international networks.
• Digital & Open Scholarship: Drive innovation in AI integration, digital research, open research and open access publishing (White Rose University Press), and digital preservation.
• Student Experience: Deliver high-impact physical and digital learning environments to enhance academic skills and support diverse students.
• Collections Stewardship: Direct the growth, curation, and preservation of physical, digital, and rare special collections.
• Leadership & Operations: Lead a multidisciplinary team of specialists and oversee multi-million-pound budgets.

Key Requirements

• Qualifications: Formal Library or related postgraduate qualifications (or experiential equivalent) with expertise in scholarly communications, digital tools, and AI-enabled learning environments.
• Senior Leadership: Proven track record of senior management, strategic execution, and leading large, inclusive, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Financial Stewardship: Demonstrated success managing multi-million-pound budgets and complex resources.
• Influence & Collaboration: Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills to engage, advise, and influence across the institution.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Paul Ellison (HR Recruitment Adviser) paul.ellison@york.ac.uk.

Head of Operations
Location: Open Book Collective
Salary: £40,000 to £48,000 pro rata
Contract Type: Part Time, Permanent
Closing Date: Wednesday 9 September 2026

About the Role
We are seeking a highly organised, proactive Head of Operations to help lead the day-to-day running of our growing organisation. Working closely with the Managing Director, you will ensure that our operations are efficient, our team is supported, and our projects and grants are well managed.

This is a broad and varied role suited to someone who enjoys taking ownership, solving problems, improving systems, and enabling others to do their best work. As a small charity, everyone contributes across multiple areas, and the Head of Operations will play a central role in ensuring that the OBC delivers its mission effectively.

The role offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape OBC’s operational systems as we grow. There are also opportunities to become involved in our wider areas of work, including supporting our outreach to libraries, open access publishers, and scholarly publishing open infrastructures.

About the Open Book Collective
Open Book Collective launched in 2022. It is a charity that engages scholarly publishers, libraries, and open infrastructure developers internationally, collaborating with organisations and communities across Africa, Australasia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Our particular focus is on raising funds to support open access book publishers and open publishing service providers, to help meet our ambition to develop a more sustainable and fairer future for open access books.