National Army Museum

Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HT

Post: Librarian

Post No: 183

Reports to: Head of Archives, Library and Information

Job role

Responsible for the development, management, and care of the National Army Museum’s book and periodical collections, the Librarian plays a key role in delivering an exceptional service to staff and researchers. As a member of the Archives, Library and Information team, the Librarian provides information and access online, as well as supporting the day-to-day operation of the public reading room, known as the Templer Study Centre (TSC).

Job Description

1. The post-holder is responsible for:

(a) Providing library collection management and care, including the development, cataloguing and documentation of the Museum’s library collections and digital resources to sector leading standards.

(b) Driving forward the Museum’s reclassification and retrospective book cataloguing projects, and systematically processing the backlog of uncatalogued books and periodicals.

(c) Recommending any necessary disposals from the book and periodical collections.

(d) Supporting the Museum’s public enquiries services for incoming enquiries related to the library collections, library collection donations, or TSC access.

(e) Working with the Archives, Library and Information team to deliver reader services to sector leading standards, including reading room supervision as part of a rota, collections care work, revising policies and procedures as required, obtaining user feedback to inform service development, and the production of user statistics.

(f) Liaising with Curatorial and Research teams to develop the library collections in line with research and collections priorities.

(g) Identification of grant and fundraising opportunities to support specialist acquisitions, conservation and digitisation work.

2. Resource Management

(a) Supporting and supervising staff, contractors, volunteers, interns and apprentices working in or using the Templer Study Centre and Archive Store and exercising a proper duty of care over them.

(b) Supervising staff, volunteers and interns to maintain the provision of readers services, including reading room retrievals and returns, proper object movement and accurate maintenance of location control.

(c) The post-holder is responsible for the proper use of budget allocations, in particular supervision of the book and periodicals acquisitions budget and subscriptions budget.

3. Internal Relationships

(a) Working closely with the Head of the Archives, Library and Information team to manage the Archive Store, including all aspects of collections management, collections access, location control, auditing, shelf utilisation, and oversee regular and routine maintenance, cleanliness and contractor access as required.

(b) Working closely with the Head of Collections Standards and Care to ensure the highest standards of collections care and security for the Museum’s library collections, including advocacy of proper handling, transportation, storage and environmental conditions, to ensure preservation in adherence with museum policies; and support the routine review of those policies and procedures to ensure best practice is maintained.

(c) Working with staff from other teams to provide a range of access methods to the Museum’s collections of books and periodicals.

(d) Working with Curators to ensure prioritisation of cataloguing/access work, and library collection development to support their work as required.

(e) Working as part of inter-disciplinary teams to deliver special exhibitions, public programme digital campaigns, social media and blogs, and support the Museum’s fundraising and membership programmes as required.

4. External Relationships

(a) The post-holder should develop and maintain links with sector bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP: The library and information association), the British Library, the National Archives and other libraries and museums to shape best practice in regard to provision of readers services and library collection care.

(b) The post-holder may be required from time to time to provide advice and guidance to regimental and corps museums, including speaking at the Regimental Curators Course to assist them with library management standards.

(c) Publicising and promoting the TSC and library collections to the widest possible audience utilising the NAM website, social media, promotional materials, events and participation in sector-wide activities.

5. Knowledge Management and Development

(a) The post-holder will develop a sound working knowledge of the story of the British Army, its history, structure and associated collections.

(b) The post-holder will further their specialist areas of expertise by undertaking scholarly research and publication around the staff training and development plan.

(c) The post-holder will further their subject-specialist knowledge as a library and museum specialist, including maintaining an awareness of new developments, initiatives, standards etc, and participating in conferences, training and professional development within librarianship in order to maintain best practice.

(d) The post-holder will disseminate knowledge through the delivery of internal and external lectures, gallery talks, guided tours, publishing and digital delivery, and assisting where necessary with the delivery of outreach activity and the development of exhibition and digital content.

6. Health & Safety and Security

(a) Being committed to good health and safety and access practice, ensuring familiarity and compliance with Museum policies, procedures and guidelines and the health and safety of visitors, staff, volunteers and contractors at all times.

7. In addition, the post-holder is required to:-

(a) Act in every way so as to preserve the Museum’s reputation and good name in all areas of its work and be fully committed to openness and transparency in all its dealings.

(b) Ensure that the Museum’s Accounting and Financial procedures are strictly adhered to and embed a culture of control and financial discipline.

(c) Play a full part in the generation of income, and to avoid breaches of financial regularity and propriety, the misapplication of funds, or waste of resources. Effectively managing delegated budgets and projects and be responsible for the proper exercise, as instructed, of any delegated financial powers, having express regard to the Director’s appointment as the Museum's Accounting Officer. To promote efficient and costeffective methods of working to keep strictly within planned budget allocations, as set by the Senior Leadership Team.

(d) Take due care to assess and manage risk, having regard to the NAM's Risk Management Policy; (Risk Management at the NAM: Matrix of Risks).

(e) Carry out his/her duties in accordance with the NAM’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

(f) Travel to and operate from the National Army Museum’s outstations or locations where the Collection, or parts of the Collection, or other NAM property or services are held, or carried on, as and when necessary. UK and some foreign travel may be required.

(g) The post-holder will be based at the Museum in Chelsea but will be required to work at NAM Stevenage on a regular basis.

(h) The post-holder must co-operate fully with the Management of the NAM in pursuance of the Museum’s aims, as set out in its Royal Charter, and to enhance the Museum’s standing and reputation through its contacts with the public and the media. This will include membership of various development and other teams set up from timeto-time and reporting to the Director and Senior Leadership Team.

(i) Chair Museum committees, teams and working parties, as delegated by the Director, Assistant Director (Collections and Research) or Head of Archives, Library and Information, and represent the Museum on external committees as required.

(j) Make presentations to the NAM Council (Trustees), the Director, Senior Leadership Team and members of staff.

(k) Deputising for the Head of Archives, Library and Information, as required.

(l) Staffing the Templer Study Centre, as required. This may occasionally involve irregular evening and weekend work.

8. The appointment is permanent (subject to a four-month probation period) and full-time, working 37 hours per week (net), 5 days out of 7. Additional evening and weekend working may be required. The salary is £34,040pa (inclusive) with a Joint Contributory Pension operated under the NEST Scheme. The post-holder is required to give a minimum of three months’ written notice in resigning.

9. The appointment will be subject to security clearance.

10. This job description sets out the key responsibilities and tasks of the post and is not exhaustive. It may alter with the changing needs of the Museum. This job description may be reviewed and updated annually.

11. The National Army Museum is an equal opportunities employer.

Justin Maciejewski, Director National Army Museum

July 2026