Graduate Library Trainee
University of EdinburghUE04: £26,093.00 - £28,778.00 Per annum.
Information Services Group / Library & University Collections / Library Academic Support Team.
Full Time - 35 hours per week.
Fixed Term Contract - from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027.
The Opportunity:
Unlocking your career. Be part of something bigger.
Here, you can continue to make a difference in everything around you. Take on new challenges, grow your career, be recognised for your contributions, and benefit from our commitment to your wellbeing. Be part of something bigger — where your work has real impact and your development matters. There are so many reasons to take your next step with us.
The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We are a large University covering a wide range of activities. In Professional Services, we support the University’s research and teaching, offering many career and role specialisms.
The University of Edinburgh is offering a traineeship aimed at those interested in pursuing a career in the information and library profession and have a strong desire to learn. The UK library profession currently identifies as 92% white and we’ve created this opportunity to seek to directly enable underrepresented individuals in their library career. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, and particularly encourage applications from ethnic minority candidates, as we acknowledge the underrepresentation in the library profession.
This 12-month fixed term traineeship is an excellent opportunity for aspiring library professionals to join a friendly and welcoming Library team and aims to provide an individual with the experience required to undertake a postgraduate qualification in library or information studies. It’s an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic team and to get first-hand experience of delivering a wide range of high-quality services in a large and diverse academic library.
The traineeship is full-time (35hrs per week) but we will consider requests for part-time working. The working pattern will allow some hybrid working, with the individual required to work in person on-campus in Edinburgh for particular assignments. While it is a broad-ranging traineeship that will give the individual knowledge and experience of various aspects of service provision, there will be a focus on library services for medicine.
What the job involves:
- providing support for information skills development activities, such as assisting with inductions and teaching sessions, reviewing materials, and analysing feedback for quality improvement.
- Assisting with communications projects, including working with the Social Media team.
- Assisting with user enquiries received at in-person service points or via our online enquiry management systems.
- Contributing to the development of services in collaboration with colleagues, to improve our users’ experience of the library.
A bit about you:
- Have not already participated in a graduate library traineeship programme.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to sustain effective working relationships with diverse colleagues, partners and clients.
- Proven ability to be able to work independently as well as in a team.
- Good IT skills including familiarity with Microsoft Office and web technologies.
- An accurate and methodical approach to work.
- Good organisational skills, with the ability to be flexible and to deal with problems as they arise.
- Proven ability to be proactive and show initiative.
- From an ethnic minority background.
People have always been at the heart of our work. Our people are at the centre of the University community and everything we do. We value colleagues with drive, determination and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you in building the right meaningful flexibility that works for you.
A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:
- A chance to gain authentic experience of academic library work, and make a clear contribution to delivery of library services.
- Generous annual leave allowance of 40 days per year (inclusive of festive closure days).
- A range of flexible working options to help prioritise work/life balance.
How to apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
- A competitive salary.
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.
Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from ethnic minority candidates, as we acknowledge they are currently underrepresented in the library and information science profession.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab).
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 12 June 2026.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
Interviews will be held in-person during week commencing 15 June 2026.