Library Engagement Advisor

Job Summary

Library Engagement Advisors are responsible for providing an engagement service to Academic Schools. The ethos of the team focuses on collaborative working to ensure that all Schools receive a consistently high level of service from across Libraries and Learning Resources at all times.

Library Engagement Advisors work collaboratively with key academic stakeholders to inform the development and management of both collections and services. Key activities include promoting, and increasing engagement with, relevant services and collections; negotiating ways for Libraries and Learning Resources to support the strategic priorities of Schools; and ensuring, as far as possible, an equitable delivery of services and support.

The post holder is required to have a good working knowledge of the range of services and information resources available to support academic staff, students and professional services. The post holder is also required to show strong capabilities in the areas of, organisational understanding, communication, and resource management.

Main Responsibilities

• Developing knowledge and understanding of the strategies of designated Schools relating to education and research and considering their impact on Libraries and Learning Resources collections and services.
• Maintaining an excellent knowledge of curricula, learning & research developments within designated schools, and how they impact on the needs of Library users.
• Building credible, successful and productive relationships within Libraries and Learning Resources, and across the University, including designated professional services.
• Delivering agreed advocacy, communication and marketing strategies to ensure that key stakeholders are informed and engaged with the development of services.
• Obtaining school feedback on their collection development and management needs and working with Collection Discovery to ensure optimum access and value for money.
• Supporting collection promotion activity, including through applying usage data and metrics to designated Schools.

Person specification

Essential

• Formal education to degree level or equivalent
• A proven track record in the development and delivery of quality services to a diverse range of end users within a framework of accountability
• Experience of overseeing or managing budgets for collection development
• Customer-oriented approach to design and delivery of services.
• Knowledge base of issues in HE
• Good information technology skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, preferably with experience of negotiating with and influencing a wide range of stakeholders with diverse professional and academic backgrounds.
• Ability to critically analyse and interpret evidence and use confidently in discussions with stakeholders.
• An ability to prioritise and to schedule workloads in the face of conflicting demands
• The ability to respond with agility and initiative.
• Ability to translate learning, research and information strategies into operational plans
• An awareness of wider developments in library and information services which might enhance services at the University of Birmingham.
• An understanding of pedagogic issues as applied to Higher Education

Desirable

• A postgraduate qualification in Library and/or Information Science and/or postgraduate teaching qualification
• Full or Associate membership of the Higher Education Academy, or another relevant professional body
• Experience in HE libraries, preferably with some of that experience gained in academic liaison and / or academic skills roles.
• Experience of project management
• Evidence of familiarity of the changing culture of Higher Education 

Informal enquires can be made to Tamasine Ashcroft (t.a.ashcroft@bham.ac.uk) 

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

Advert information