Contract jobs

Casual Assistant

Ref: LL/26/05

£14.80 per hour

Casual worker on “zero hours” contract

St James’s Square, London SW1

About The London Library

For over 180 years, The London Library has stood as one of the UK's greatest literary institutions, inspiring creativity, and ideas. Our esteemed members, past and present, include literary giants like Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf, and contemporary authors such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Sarah Waters. Our collection boasts around one million volumes, a vast eLibrary, and an invaluable postal loans service, making it a sanctuary for those who cherish the written word.

We are championed by our President, Helena Bonham Carter CBE, and operate as a registered charity. We have over 7,500 members and charitable turnover of circa £5m per year.

About the role

We are looking for a Casual Assistant to support the effective day-to-day operation of the Library by assisting in one or more of the following areas

- Circulation and Stack Management

Shelving and maintaining the book collection, helping members use the Library and its facilities

- Events

Supporting evening and weekend events

- Building and Facilities Management

Contributing to the safety and security of the premises

Please indicate in your application, the area you would prefer to work in.

About you

· We are looking for a reliable and proactive individual who enjoys working with people and takes pride in delivering excellent service, who can:

· Provide excellent front-line customer service to members and visitors

· Support circulation desk and reading room activity, including answering enquiries

· Shelve, retrieve, and organise books within the Library’s collection

· Assist with tours for new and prospective members

· Support evening and weekend events (set-up, ushering, guest support, bar service) 

· Help maintain the safety and security of the building, including basic facilities and CCTV monitoring 

· Assist with general operational tasks across the Library as required 

· Assist with tours for new and prospective members

You will have:

· Experience in a customer-facing role

· Strong communication skills (in person, written and on the phone)

· Good general IT skills (e.g. Microsoft Office and ability to learn new systems)

· A flexible, team-oriented approach with a willingness to support different areas of work

· Good attention to detail and the ability to work efficiently and accurately

· Experience working in a library, cultural institution, or similar environment

· Experience supporting or delivering events

· Familiarity with library systems or stock management

Personal qualities we value:

· Friendly, polite, and approachable manner

· Reliable with good timekeeping

· Organised and methodical

· Self-motivated and adaptable

· Comfortable undertaking physical tasks (including lifting and shelving books)

Why Join Us?

The London Library offers a friendly, hardworking, and inclusive workplace where we strive to support the diverse needs of our team. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to equality and diversity. Specific adjustments and access needs can be discussed to make this role suitable for you.

If you’re passionate about delivering an exceptional Library experience and want to use your skills to help drive the success of The London Library, we would love to hear from you!

To Apply

Please visit our website & complete an application form including the Library's equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline: Monday 15 June 2026 @ 12:00 noon

The Library welcomes applications from all sections of the community - all applicants will be considered on the basis of their merits and abilities for the post. Please note we are unable to consider candidates without a current right to work in the UK.

We reserve the right to shorten or extend the closing date of any position where a high or low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged.