Senior Library Assistant (Acquisitions and Metadata)

Ever wanted to work in an institution that is home to one of the worlds greatest collections of cultural treasures and research materials?

Spanning thousands of years of human thought and discovery, the University of Cambridge Libraries and Archives house unique treasures and research materials, including one of the largest music collections in the country.

The role:

The main purpose of the role is to support current teaching and research needs through the optimization of resource provision and discovery, with a strong focus on acquisitions (purchases, donations, legal deposit) and metadata work.

As Senior Library Assistant (Acquisitions and Metadata) you will:

• Catalogue music materials following international standards.
• Place orders for new acquisitions and process invoices.
• Contribute to legal deposit workflows for notated music.
• Assist with the music teams teaching, learning and research support activities.

What we are looking for:

• Music literacy and a good understanding of musical formats and genres.
• Digital literacy, such as a knowledge of metadata requirements for music materials.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• The ability to organise your own work effectively, work under pressure and to deadlines, and establish priorities.

What we offer:

• Flexible opportunities such as job shares.
• Generous annual leave allowance of 36 days (inclusive of public holidays).
• 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.

For informal enquiries please contact Anna Pensaert, Head of Music Collections, amljp2@cam.ac.uk

Application closing date: 1 December 2025.

Interview date: 12 December 2025.

For further details please refer to the Further Particulars.

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

Please quote reference VE47887 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

£27,319-£31,236

Reference

VE47887

Category

Assistant staff

Date published

10 November 2025

Closing date

1 December 2025

Download further information

• Further Particulars