Collections & User Services Assistant

Ever wanted to work in an institution that is home to one of the world's great collections of cultural treasures and research materials?

Spanning thousands of years of human thought and discovery, Cambridge University Libraries and Archives house unique treasures and research materials made up of nearly ten million books, maps, manuscripts, photographs and priceless objects.

The role

Collections and User Services Assistants (CUSAs) play an important part in managing the physical collections of the library, in an active role fetching and re-shelving items, moving collections, scanning material requested by users via the Scan and Deliver service, and processing and packing stock prior to its transfer to the Library Storage Facility at Ely.

There are 5 CUSA posts, 3 of which are permanent and 2 are fixed term until 29 March 2027. All posts are full time but we welcome candidates looking for part time hours or seeking flexible arrangements.

As Collections and User Services Assistant you will

• Fetch and reshelve material requested by both readers and staff.
• Move collections within both the open and closed stacks of the University Library.
• Provide scans of material to users of the library's Scan and Deliver service.
• Process material for transfer to the Library Storage Facility.
• Work off-site at the University's Faculty and Departmental Libraries, assisting with collection management.

What we are looking for

• Someone with good communication and customer service skills.
• Someone looking to work in a team environment.
• Someone with excellent attention to detail, who can maintain a high level of accuracy during repetitive tasks.
• Someone who enjoys using their initiative and learning new skills.

What we offer

• Flexible working opportunities such as part-time hours.
• Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days inclusive of public holidays if working across 5 days.
• Exceptional parental leave (including maternity, paternity / co-parent, adoption and shared parental leave).
• Discounts on major retailers.
• Professional development opportunities such as apprenticeships and access to a variety of training courses.

We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.

We particularly welcome applications from women and /or candidates from a BAME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our department.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

For informal enquiries please contact Megan Green, Collections Services Manager.

Application closing date: Monday 25th May 2026.
Interview date: w/c 8th June 2026

For further details please refer to the Further Particulars.

Please specify in your application whether you are looking for a permanent post, fixed term or either as well as whether you are seeking full time or part time hours.

Please quote reference VE49532 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Apply online

Key information

Department/location

University Library

Salary

£25,249

Reference

VE49532

Category

Assistant staff

Date published

11 May 2026

Closing date

25 May 2026