University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Librarian

The closing date is 14 July 2025

Job summary

Supports patient care and the research and educational needs of all NHS staff and students, clinical and non-clinical, by the delivery of effective and timely information and library services.

Ensures the work of the department runs smoothly and effectively.

Provides professional cover for the library enquiries and searching services, supervises the work of the library assistants, delivers user education and develops and maintains the library collections.

Main duties of the job

Responds to complex enquiries from library users, to support clinical practice, education, research or management decisions. The library provides a service to c.20K users across the acute trust, provider services, ambulance staff, commissioners, Higher Education, public health and social care.

Supports the aims and priorities of Knowledge for Healthcare[1] and its workstream priorities.

Supervises the work of 2.67WTE library assistants. Responsible for assuring the quality of information provided to library users.

[1] 1.

Health Education England. Knowledge for Healthcare [Internet]. Health Education England. 2021. Available from: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/knowledge-for-healthcare

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About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Details

Date posted

01 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year Per Annum Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

216-AJ-A7261985

Job locations

Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL6 8DH


Job description

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

SUPPORTING KNOWLEDGE FOR HEALTHCARE AND NATIONAL STRATEGY

  • Supports the workstreams of Knowledge for Healthcare: getting the right team, resources and services in place, mobilising evidence and knowledge, enabling resource discovery, assuring the quality of knowledge services, improving health literacy, developing the knowledge and library services workforce
  • Applies knowledge of Library Quality Outcomes Framework to service provision to contribute to service quality and quality submissions.

ACQUISITIONS AND STOCK MANAGEMENT

  • Selects and orders book and journal stock in an appropriate format (print / online), maintaining the balance of the collections across professions, subject areas and organisations. Ensures best value for money and that suppliers meet T&Cs offered.
  • Catalogues, classifies and indexes library collections according to best practice, to ensure effective retrieval by library users. This includes print and electronic resources to be catalogued onto a number of systems at an appropriate level of subject specificity and using the most appropriate techniques.
  • Consults with library users on stock revision to ensure that collections reflect developments in medical and health care practice and changing patterns of health education.

Contributes to the development of policy on cataloguing and classification at regional level on behalf of local libraries, updates library staff on current practice and gives advice to other librarians / library staff on best practice.

  • Oversees the systems of loans / stock circulation and document supply and provides technical assistance to the library and clerical assistants.

ENQUIRIES AND INFORMATION CONSULTANCY

  • Provides professional cover for the enquiries service; handles complex enquiries and requests for information from library users. Evaluates such literature using the principles of evidence based practice, ensuring that what is provided is appropriate for its purpose and user (e.g. for a consultant for patient care, clinical audit, legal evidence, or research which is to be published; for a manager for service development; for a nurse for an educational project, or a research overview for junior doctors' exam revision etc). This is a key result area as the information provided will be used in patient care.
  • Keeps up to date with the latest research and best practice in information retrieval techniques and finding the evidence.
  • Assists users with searches on an individual basis, carrying out searches with library users or on their behalf, refining results to provide an evidence based response to their questions.

CURRENT AWARENESS AND PUBLICITY
  • Generates general and individualised current awareness and publicity to promote new evidence, services and resources to all library users in a variety of formats as appropriate: print, email, social media, website / wiki.

STAFF MANAGEMENT
  • Supervises workflows and the work of the library / clerical assistants.

GENERAL

  • Works as one of a team liaising with other professional library staff to ensure that enquiries, cataloguing tasks and the user education programme are all carried out in an appropriate, timely fashion and adhere to the quality standards laid down in the library service specification.
  • Engages in a programme of continuous professional development, liaising with regional and national groups for own development and that of other library staff.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Delivers and evaluates teaching sessions in the use of bibliographic databases and internet sources and assists library users as required, promoting an evidence based approach at all times and introducing the concepts of critical appraisal.

Delivers and evaluates teaching sessions and assists library users as required in the use of quality assessment of information sources, physical and electronic, promoting an evidence based approach at all times.

  • Ensures that teaching and training delivered meets set learning objectives.
  • Participates in regional training and education groups, sharing best practice, and keeps teaching qualifications current.

INFORMATION RESOURCES

Designs and maintains appropriate retrieval and access routes to facilitate effective use of information resources, e.g. library website / wiki, library systems, catalogues and link resolver, and exploits existing tools from resource suppliers.

Ensures appropriate guidance is available for all library users on effective use of information resources, in a wide variety of formats, e.g. printed guides, website help, elearning objects.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Effective communication with library users at all levels of the organisations served is key to the delivery of services. Communication may be face to face, telephone or written.

Communicates with staff and students at all levels of the organisations to ensure that their information needs are understood and met.

Liaises with other members of department staff to ensure that workflows are adequately covered and jobs are not overlooked.

Establishes effective communications with other departments in the organisation to facilitate the maintenance of services, e.g. IT, Estates.

Maintains good working relationships with other libraries in the NHS, HE and local authorities to ensure that the co-operative services are maintained for the benefit of library users.

Liaises with regional and national groups on a range of professional issues and disseminates information to all library staff.

Represents the library at local / regional / national level as required

OTHER

Staffed library hours are 08.30 17.30 Monday-Friday. Core hours will be established but some flexibility may be required to cover other staff as a result of leave or absence.

The library operates as part of the SWRLIN co-operative of health libraries and local library networks; occasional attendance at events at other locations or in other parts of the south west may be required.

All Job Holders are required to

  • Work to the Trust values - Put patients first, Take ownership, Respect others, Be positive, Listen, learn and improve.

  • Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities etc.

  • Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job, participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff development and training.

  • Attend statutory, essential and mandatory training.

  • Respect the confidentiality of all matters relating to their employment and other members of staff. All members of staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

  • Comply with the Corporate Governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.

  • Comply with the codes of professional conduct set out by the professional body of which registration is required for the post.

  • Ensure they are familiar with the Risk Management Framework, follow policies, procedures and safe systems of work, make known any hazards or risks that they identify and take all necessary actions to reduce risk.

  • Ensure the welfare and safety of children within their care. This includes staff who come into contact with children and families in the course of their work as well as those staff who have a specific role with children and families.

  • Ensure they attend Child Protection training at the appropriate level within the specified time frame.

  • Staff must comply with Safeguarding Policies and Procedures in order to promote safeguarding and prevent abuse to vulnerable people using Trust services.

  • Maintain the prevention and control of infection and fully comply with all current Trust Infection Control policies and procedures.

  • Take responsibility for any records that they create or use in the course of their duties, in line with the Public Records Act and be aware that any records created by an employee of the NHS are public records and may be subject to both legal and professional obligations.

All Managers are responsible for

Assessing risks and implementing the necessary actions to minimise these risks within their sphere of responsibility. They must also enable staff to attend the relevant statutory and essential training.

Managing attendance in accordance with the Trusts Attendance Management Policy.

All Heads of Departments are responsible for

Ensuring all necessary risk assessments are carried out within their division, Service Line or department in liaison with relevant sources of specialist support and expertise within the Trust. They must also ensure that the risk management process is completed appropriately.

Note

This job description is neither definitive nor exhaustive and is not intended to be totally comprehensive. It may be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. This job description is to be read in conjunction with all current Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust policies, procedures & guidelines.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

SUPPORTING KNOWLEDGE FOR HEALTHCARE AND NATIONAL STRATEGY

  • Supports the workstreams of Knowledge for Healthcare: getting the right team, resources and services in place, mobilising evidence and knowledge, enabling resource discovery, assuring the quality of knowledge services, improving health literacy, developing the knowledge and library services workforce
  • Applies knowledge of Library Quality Outcomes Framework to service provision to contribute to service quality and quality submissions.

ACQUISITIONS AND STOCK MANAGEMENT

  • Selects and orders book and journal stock in an appropriate format (print / online), maintaining the balance of the collections across professions, subject areas and organisations. Ensures best value for money and that suppliers meet T&Cs offered.
  • Catalogues, classifies and indexes library collections according to best practice, to ensure effective retrieval by library users. This includes print and electronic resources to be catalogued onto a number of systems at an appropriate level of subject specificity and using the most appropriate techniques.
  • Consults with library users on stock revision to ensure that collections reflect developments in medical and health care practice and changing patterns of health education.

Contributes to the development of policy on cataloguing and classification at regional level on behalf of local libraries, updates library staff on current practice and gives advice to other librarians / library staff on best practice.

  • Oversees the systems of loans / stock circulation and document supply and provides technical assistance to the library and clerical assistants.

ENQUIRIES AND INFORMATION CONSULTANCY

  • Provides professional cover for the enquiries service; handles complex enquiries and requests for information from library users. Evaluates such literature using the principles of evidence based practice, ensuring that what is provided is appropriate for its purpose and user (e.g. for a consultant for patient care, clinical audit, legal evidence, or research which is to be published; for a manager for service development; for a nurse for an educational project, or a research overview for junior doctors' exam revision etc). This is a key result area as the information provided will be used in patient care.
  • Keeps up to date with the latest research and best practice in information retrieval techniques and finding the evidence.
  • Assists users with searches on an individual basis, carrying out searches with library users or on their behalf, refining results to provide an evidence based response to their questions.

CURRENT AWARENESS AND PUBLICITY
  • Generates general and individualised current awareness and publicity to promote new evidence, services and resources to all library users in a variety of formats as appropriate: print, email, social media, website / wiki.

STAFF MANAGEMENT
  • Supervises workflows and the work of the library / clerical assistants.

GENERAL

  • Works as one of a team liaising with other professional library staff to ensure that enquiries, cataloguing tasks and the user education programme are all carried out in an appropriate, timely fashion and adhere to the quality standards laid down in the library service specification.
  • Engages in a programme of continuous professional development, liaising with regional and national groups for own development and that of other library staff.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Delivers and evaluates teaching sessions in the use of bibliographic databases and internet sources and assists library users as required, promoting an evidence based approach at all times and introducing the concepts of critical appraisal.

Delivers and evaluates teaching sessions and assists library users as required in the use of quality assessment of information sources, physical and electronic, promoting an evidence based approach at all times.

  • Ensures that teaching and training delivered meets set learning objectives.
  • Participates in regional training and education groups, sharing best practice, and keeps teaching qualifications current.

INFORMATION RESOURCES

Designs and maintains appropriate retrieval and access routes to facilitate effective use of information resources, e.g. library website / wiki, library systems, catalogues and link resolver, and exploits existing tools from resource suppliers.

Ensures appropriate guidance is available for all library users on effective use of information resources, in a wide variety of formats, e.g. printed guides, website help, elearning objects.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Effective communication with library users at all levels of the organisations served is key to the delivery of services. Communication may be face to face, telephone or written.

Communicates with staff and students at all levels of the organisations to ensure that their information needs are understood and met.

Liaises with other members of department staff to ensure that workflows are adequately covered and jobs are not overlooked.

Establishes effective communications with other departments in the organisation to facilitate the maintenance of services, e.g. IT, Estates.

Maintains good working relationships with other libraries in the NHS, HE and local authorities to ensure that the co-operative services are maintained for the benefit of library users.

Liaises with regional and national groups on a range of professional issues and disseminates information to all library staff.

Represents the library at local / regional / national level as required

OTHER

Staffed library hours are 08.30 17.30 Monday-Friday. Core hours will be established but some flexibility may be required to cover other staff as a result of leave or absence.

The library operates as part of the SWRLIN co-operative of health libraries and local library networks; occasional attendance at events at other locations or in other parts of the south west may be required.

All Job Holders are required to

  • Work to the Trust values - Put patients first, Take ownership, Respect others, Be positive, Listen, learn and improve.

  • Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities etc.

  • Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job, participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff development and training.

  • Attend statutory, essential and mandatory training.

  • Respect the confidentiality of all matters relating to their employment and other members of staff. All members of staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

  • Comply with the Corporate Governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.

  • Comply with the codes of professional conduct set out by the professional body of which registration is required for the post.

  • Ensure they are familiar with the Risk Management Framework, follow policies, procedures and safe systems of work, make known any hazards or risks that they identify and take all necessary actions to reduce risk.

  • Ensure the welfare and safety of children within their care. This includes staff who come into contact with children and families in the course of their work as well as those staff who have a specific role with children and families.

  • Ensure they attend Child Protection training at the appropriate level within the specified time frame.

  • Staff must comply with Safeguarding Policies and Procedures in order to promote safeguarding and prevent abuse to vulnerable people using Trust services.

  • Maintain the prevention and control of infection and fully comply with all current Trust Infection Control policies and procedures.

  • Take responsibility for any records that they create or use in the course of their duties, in line with the Public Records Act and be aware that any records created by an employee of the NHS are public records and may be subject to both legal and professional obligations.

All Managers are responsible for

Assessing risks and implementing the necessary actions to minimise these risks within their sphere of responsibility. They must also enable staff to attend the relevant statutory and essential training.

Managing attendance in accordance with the Trusts Attendance Management Policy.

All Heads of Departments are responsible for

Ensuring all necessary risk assessments are carried out within their division, Service Line or department in liaison with relevant sources of specialist support and expertise within the Trust. They must also ensure that the risk management process is completed appropriately.

Note

This job description is neither definitive nor exhaustive and is not intended to be totally comprehensive. It may be reviewed in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. This job description is to be read in conjunction with all current Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust policies, procedures & guidelines.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • approved library qualification first degree / masters

Desirable

  • Demonstrable experience working within a large Library

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of enquiry handling, literature searching and cataloguing

Desirable

  • worked with in literature searching /enquiries handling team
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • approved library qualification first degree / masters

Desirable

  • Demonstrable experience working within a large Library

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of enquiry handling, literature searching and cataloguing

Desirable

  • worked with in literature searching /enquiries handling team

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL6 8DH


Employer's website

https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL6 8DH


Employer's website

https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Library Services Manager

Sarah Johns

sarah.johns3@nhs.net

01752439114

Details

Date posted

01 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year Per Annum Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

216-AJ-A7261985

Job locations

Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

PL6 8DH


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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