Location:        Longtown Library, Lochinvar Centre, Longtown, CA6 5UG & Carlisle Library, 11 Globe Lane, Carlisle, CA3 8NX

Salary:            £25,989 per annum (£14,224 pro rata equivalent)

Hours:            20.25 hours per week

Contract:        Permanent

Mon:               12.45 – 5         (Longtown)
Tues:             9 – 5.30           (Carlisle)
Wed:               9.45 – 2           (Longtown)

Fri:                  12.45 – 5         (Longtown)

About the team and the Role

We’re excited to offer a part-time opportunity to join our dedicated team at Cumberland Libraries. As a Library Assistant, you’ll be at the heart of a vibrant community space, helping to deliver essential services and engaging activities to people of all ages.
This is a fantastic role for someone enthusiastic, community-minded, and eager to contribute to the development and daily operations of our much-loved local libraries.

As a Library Assistant, you will:

• Support the smooth day-to-day running.
• Provide friendly, helpful service to all visitors.
• Assist customers with borrowing, digital resources, and public computer use.
• Deliver and support a range of events and activities — from early years sessions like Rhyme Time to digital skills workshops and local history talks.
• Create engaging displays
• Promote library services, signposting and contribute to new community-focused initiatives.

Branch Library Responsibilities

• Primarily lone working
• Key holder duties
• Cash handling and banking
• Health & Safety responsibilities
• Reporting and communicating with off-site managers

About You

We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Confidence using ICT systems and helping others with basic digital tasks.
• Experience working with the public.
• A pro-active approach to working with children and teenagers. The successful candidate will be expected to actively promote literacy and reading to young people through delivery of story-times and book-linked events and promotions.
• Confidence to problem solve and deal with challenging behaviour.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work collaboratively.
• An understanding of the important role libraries play in local communities.

We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.

Guaranteed Interviews

We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.

• Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
• Armed forces veterans whose last long term substantive employer was the armed forces

If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.

Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments

We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Employer and also an Age Friendly Employer - to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing Resourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen, and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.

Easily apply by submitting your CV and answering a few short questions.

Application and Interview information

• Closing date: 15/02/2026
• Interview date: week commencing 23/02/2026  

Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.

Please Read The Supporting Information

• Post Specification
  
  

Please also refer to our Careers site to find out more:

• Our Staff Benefits
• Candidate Support
• About Cumberland Council