Library Assistant

Posting date:	01 May 2026
Salary:	£24,796 to £25,185 per year
Hours:	Part time
Closing date:	15 May 2026
Location:	Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1BN
Company:	West Sussex County Council
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	CPP01338_1777619644

Summary

Are you passionate about helping people and creating welcoming community spaces?

West Sussex Libraries are looking for a friendly, confident, and resourceful Library Assistant to join our high-performing team.

Our libraries are vibrant, inclusive spaces that serve a wide range of community needs. As a Library Assistant, you will be at the centre of this service, providing excellent customer support, helping visitors access resources, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the library.

Salary: £24,796 to £25,185 per annum, (pro rata for part time) and an entitlement to Saturday Enhancement for working 7 hours 5 minutes, 1 in 2 Saturdays.

Contract Type: Fixed term contract until 31 March 2027. Final start and end dates will be confirmed with the successful candidate.

Working Pattern: Part-time (31.5 hours per week)

Location: Haywards Heath Library 34 Boltro Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1BN

Interview Date: Tuesday 19 May 2026

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We encourage you to submit your application at your earliest convenience.

Shifts:

Week 1:

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: 9:00am to 6:05pm

Wednesday: 9:00am to 6:05pm

Thursday: 9:00am to 5:25pm

Friday: 9:00am to 6:05pm

Saturday: OFF

Week 2:

Monday: 9:00am to 6:05pm

Tuesday: 9:00am to 6:05pm

Wednesday: 9:00am to 6:05pm

Thursday: OFF

Friday: OFF

Saturday: 9:00am to 5:05pm

About the Job

Haywards Heath Library is a vibrant, welcoming community hub, conveniently located opposite Mid Sussex District Council and home to our Registration Service. It's a lively, accessible space that offers a great environment to work and connect with residents.

Watch a video tour of Haywards Heath Library.

We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic, and resourceful individuals who have exceptional digital skills and a genuine passion to make a difference to the local community.

It's not just about the books! We are looking for someone who understands the power of community and the importance of fostering a love for reading in people of all ages.

Library Assistants welcome everyone with a positive attitude and a resilient approach to every request. Providing excellent customer service is central to our library service, creating dynamic and engaging environments. Flexibility, creativity, and initiative are essential qualities for success.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Being the dedicated go-to person for customers at the library, passionately helping them with their questions and sincerely guiding them to other services
• Supporting the delivery of a wide range of reading events, including Rhyme Times and author talks.
• Using a variety of IT systems and services confidently and effectively including entering basic data into the library system, such as registering new members.
• Responding to enquiries from customers and colleagues, both in person and over the phone.
• Helping with reading recommendations
• Creating new themes for book displays.
• Maintaining, presenting, and processing book stock.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead engaging in person Story-time and Rhyme Time sessions, helping to inspire a love of reading, music, and language in young children.

We are looking for a confident individual who can bring stories, nursery rhymes, songs, and simple musical activities to life, using props such as action rhymes, instruments, and puppets to create a fun and welcoming experience for families. To get a feel for what we deliver, you can listen to one of our online Storytimes on YouTube or watch a Rhyme Time session here: West Sussex Libraries - YouTube

The variety of our work means that no two days are the same. We get huge job satisfaction from helping everyone who comes through our doors, and you could too!

Required Qualifications and Skills

• 4 GCSEs with 9-4 / A-C passes including Maths and English, or equivalent qualification/experience.
• Experience working collaboratively within a team to complete shared tasks.
• Digital skills to effectively assist customers, including navigating emails and accessing the library website, app, and eLibrary.
• Strong communication and customer service skills to engage effectively with the public.
• Good interpersonal skills with the confidence to engage effectively with children, families, and customers of all ages.
• Capable of consistently meeting deadlines and adapting to the varied demands of each day, ensuring smooth and effective service.
• Skilled in taking initiative and applying sound judgment, while unwaveringly adhering to library practices and procedures.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Rewards and Benefits

From access to our Employee Assistance Programme to training and development opportunities, we aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

We think libraries are great places to work, where you can make a difference to local communities every day. Find out more about the variety that comes with working in a library and hear first-hand from some of our library staff here: Library Jobs at West Sussex Libraries

You will benefit from 25 days annual leave (pro rata for part time) rising to 28 days (pro rata for part time) after 5 years' service plus the opportunity to buy additional leave, an excellent local government pension scheme as well as a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CPP01338.

Click apply below, upload your CV, and complete the application form, explaining how you meet the key skills in the attached job description and experience you can bring to the role. Please ensure that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

Struggling to apply? Book onto a Digital Support Session in a library near you to get help navigating our application form.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, , satisfactory references, and health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

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