
Hampshire Library Service careers
Make a difference to your local community, build your skills and experience, and support literacy among early readers

Hampshire Libraries provides welcoming, vibrant and safe spaces in which our customers can socialise, learn new skills or attend groups, as well as enjoy the love of reading. We pride ourselves on providing high quality customer service and looking after all our visitors so they can use the full range of our services.
We recruit staff through our online recruitment page where you can view current job vacancies.
Take a look at the Hampshire Libraries website to find out more about the libraries’ services and branches.
Five great reasons to work with Hampshire Libraries
- No two days are ever the same working in a varied, fast paced and quickly evolving service
- Gain personal satisfaction from making a difference to local residents and communities
- Contribute and belong to a committed and enthusiastic county-wide team, working across different branches
- Work with a range of partner organisations to develop the service and contribute ideas to generate income
- Develop existing skills and learn new ones
As a team we are committed to helping those who live, work or study in Hampshire to be part of a strong and inclusive community. Research tells us our communities want a library service that: promotes and champions reading for pleasure; supports healthy, creative communities by bringing communities and services together; and is able to help improve digital inclusion, literacy and wellbeing. Our aim is to provide a workforce that will ensure those communities needs and reflect the diversity of the community we serve; so if you think you might be what we need, then please apply - you might just be right!
The role
If you have a flexible and positive attitude, we will support you to acquire the skills required to become an excellent Library Team Assistant.
You’ll provide a warm welcome and high-quality customer service to everyone who visits our libraries. You’ll plan and take part in activities for children, help customers with a range of queries, assist with stock management, as well as carrying out a range of administrative duties. You will work across library sites and teams to help deliver an exciting and vibrant service.
As an enthusiastic advocate for the library service, you will:
- Promote reading for pleasure among all age groups
- Take part in children’s activities such as Rhymetime and Story Time to help develop literacy and communication skills among pre-schoolers
- Work with partner organisations to engage with people living in some of the most deprived areas of the community
- Promote our digital services and provide access to technology, prioritising those at risk of digital exclusion
- Champion health and wellbeing through our learning and activities programme
What we're looking for
- A clear commitment to customer service with the ability to work with vulnerable and challenging customers, striving for equality and inclusion
- A flexible and innovative approach to delivering high quality services
- A positive attitude and ability to cope well with change
- Effective interpersonal and organisational skills
- Being competent in using a range of digital programmes skills, particularly social media
About our libraries
We are proud of our library service in Hampshire and we have a commitment to continue to unlock the huge potential that libraries offer. This includes promoting and championing literacy and reading, health and wellbeing, learning, as well as connecting people in our digital world.
We have 40 libraries as well as an online library which includes free-to-download ebooks and magazines, audiobooks and reference materials. All libraries have free Wi-Fi, free computer use, and offer a range of activities and events for adults and children.
To find out more, take a look at the Hampshire Libraries website.
Training and support
All staff complete a comprehensive induction programme for their role, as well as mandatory training or e-learning relating to staff wellbeing, fire safety, health and safety and data protection.
Training offered to assist with role - Breakaway skills, Dementia Awareness, the NHS’s Making Every Contact Count programme MECC, Autism Awareness.
The training and support provided empowers staff with the knowledge and skills to understand and respond appropriately to the variety of situations that can arise within library working.
Managers actively monitor performance and provide regular communication updates, training and support through local team meetings, weekly updates and one-to-one sessions.
Continuous professional development linked to business priorities and support to manage the complexities of the role is also provided.
Volunteering
There are many opportunities to volunteer with Hampshire Libraries. These include choosing and delivering books to those who find accessing libraries difficult, helping with children’s events or adult learning.
See Volunteering.