Library, information and archive services assistant

Library, Information and Archive Services (LIAS) Assistants perform a front line/global role in all sectors (including public, health, legal, commercial, educational, government, heritage/cultural and entertainment), supporting society through anticipating, determining, stimulating and satisfying the needs of existing and potential users for access to information in an ethical and fair or appropriate manner. The broad purpose of the occupation is to: understand the needs of people using information in all its formats including digital (e.g. ebooks, video files, electronic documents, online content) and analogue/physical (e.g. collections, books, journals, newspapers, DVDs/CDs etc) organize and manage those information resources, including arranging and displaying the resources; marketing and promoting the resources; and providing access to the resources provide a range of services, such as library, archive, knowledge, customer services, learning support, etc, that help people to use and value the resources available. In summary, LIAS Assistants help users find the information and resources they need in order to resolve their specific query. User needs vary across sectors and could include finding textbooks to support their learning; legal materials to support law activities; images to create a design; trademark information to create a new product; health information to diagnose a patient etc. Digital services, digital literacy, information literacy, general literacy, customer service, problem solving, organisation of resources and systems underpin and characterise the work in this profession. They work with people from all parts of society and the workforce, providing essential digital and analogue information services – issuing and returning materials, organizing collections, answering research and information queries, improving customers’ literacy skills, – quite often at the forefront of innovation. In their daily work LIAS Assistants can interact with customers or service users, including the general public, students, researchers and academic staff, professional staff (e.g. in health, law, business) etc. They also work directly with other colleagues who perform different organisation functions such as IT support, purchasing, marketing, human resources, legal services, building facilities etc. Using highly specialised skills and knowledge LIAS Assistants are responsible for creating, gathering, organising, storing and accessing specific information,resources and knowledge that relates directly to the services offered within physical and digital collections. They also provide essential support to service users assisting them to search and make use of that information. They would normally be managed or overseen by the head of service, but there is a large amount of self direction/self management in this occupation and service assistants are expected to use their initiative when dealing with a customer query (internal or external). The duties typically take place in a public spaces such as libraries, archives, hospitals and other commercial/office or information-based organisations such as law firms, universities, schools, the media (e.g. broadcasting, journalism, film-making, social media) etc. In small organisations, such as law firms and schools, the services assistant will quite often be working on their own or independently , reporting directly to the head of the organisation/institution.