Library services staff in the NHS work within a health library or knowledge and information service that supports NHS staff, healthcare students and sometimes patients to access the latest, evidence-based information they need for patient care, research, or continuing education.
Working Life
Working in library services means that you’ll take part in a variety of different tasks during your working day. These can include:
- Carrying out literature searches on medical and healthcare topics to support clinical decisions, policy, or research.
- Teaching staff how to use databases, e-journals, and other digital resources.
- Cataloguing, maintaining, and updating library collections both in print and digital formats.
- Producing bulletins or alerts so clinicians keep up to date with new evidence or guidelines.
- Helping students, trainees, and staff develop information literacy skills.
Job titles you may see for roles in library services can include Library Assistant, Knowledge Specialist, Clinical Librarian or Knowledge and Library Services Manager.
Role Requirements
The requirements for library services roles vary by level but generally combine education, skills and experience.
For entry level roles, you will be required to:
- Hold GCSEs or equivalent (sometimes A-levels preferred) in maths and English.
- Have good IT skills including MS Office, online systems and databases.
- Have good customer service / communication skills.
- Be accurate and have good attention to detail for cataloguing, issuing books and general admin tasks.
- Have an interest in healthcare and learning.
For mid level roles, you will be required to have:
- Degree or postgraduate qualification in Library & Information Science (CILIP-accredited often preferred).
- Experience in information/knowledge management, ideally in health, academic, or research settings.
- Ability to carry out structured literature searches using medical databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane, etc.).
- Training/teaching skills to help staff use resources.
- Excellent written communication for producing evidence summaries or current awareness bulletins.
- Sometimes subject knowledge in healthcare is valued, though not always essential.
For senior level roles, you will be required to have:
- Postgraduate library/information qualification.
- Several years’ experience in health or research information services.
- Management and leadership skills.
- Strategic thinking – aligning library services with NHS priorities such as patient care, clinical governance, research and education.
- Hold membership of CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals) and often have a Chartered or Fellowship status.
Personal Characteristics
To work successfully in library services, you need to consider your own personal characteristics. You would need to have the following attributes or similar:
- Be curious
- Be able to problem solve
- Have attention to detail
- Be a good communicator
- Be able to handle sensitive information responsibly
- Be adaptable and flexible
- Have a commitment to learning
Skills Required
To work successfully in library services, you need to consider the skills that you have. You would need to demonstrate the following:
- Be well organised and able to plan your time
- Be able to communicate with a variety of people using different methods
- Be able to interpret data
- To work as part of a team
- Work well under pressure
- Have strong research and information management skills.
Further Training and Development Opportunities
Once working within library services, you can continue to develop your career over time. You’ll have access to a yearly continuing professional development (CPD) check-in where you can discuss any additional training needs or qualifications you would like to achieve.
Once you have experience in library services, you can specialise in a number of different areas including research, digital or training.
Pay and Benefits
Library services staff usually work around 37.5 hours per week. Depending on the role and the setting you work in, you may be required to work evenings or weekends.
Library services staff in the NHS are paid using the Agenda for Change (AfC) system and will typically start their career on AfC band 2 but with experience, further training and additional qualifications, can progress further up the pay scale.
Other benefits of working within library services for the NHS include access to a pension scheme, health service discounts such as a Blue Light Card and 27 days of annual leave in addition to bank holidays.