Here’s the job post that turned up in our inbox yesterday……..
Herbert Smith Freehills Job Specification
Job Title: Assistant Librarian
Department: Library & Information
Contract type: Fixed term contract – 9 months
Reports to: Senior Librarian
Office: London
About us
With nearly 5,000 staff, including 2,800 lawyers, Herbert Smith Freehills is one of the largest, fully-integrated law firms in the world and is the leading firm in Asia Pacific.
We advise many of the largest and most ambitious organisations across all major regions of the world. Our reputation for providing outstanding legal expertise is thoroughly deserved: we are globally pre-eminent in all forms of dispute resolution and an international leader in corporate and finance. We are one of the world’s top-ranked energy and resources firms. We offer our clients a top-tier capability across a single global platform with a distinctive focus on industry sectors and an un-paralleled depth of expertise.
Join us, and you will work with inspiring people, many of whom are leaders in their fields. You will be faced with demanding and intellectually stimulating work that will require more than just technical ability. You will need to have a sense of the bigger picture, the ability to cut to the heart of the matter and a gift for developing exceptional working relationships. With more than 20 offices across the globe in fast-growing markets like China, Indonesia and Russia and established centres like the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, we can offer you the international opportunities that only a leading global practice can provide.
We recognise that the success of our business and our clients relies on the skills, knowledge and ideas of all our people. Our environment is one in which high performance is expected, in return, we will provide you with rewards and opportunities tailored to your personal and professional goals.
The London office
Located in the heart of the City of London, our Exchange Square offices give us easy access not only to our clients but also to many of the social and cultural attractions of one of the world’s most exciting cities.
Department
The main function of Library & Information (L&I) is to support the legal and business information needs of partners and solicitors of the firm. This team of highly experienced information professionals is led by Barbara Zolynski, the Head of Library & Information. L&I is part of the Global Knowledge group which is managed by the Chief Knowledge Officer Alan Peckham, a partner who is located in Melbourne, Australia. The L&I department currently has 11 permanent staff.
L&I manages an extensive range of printed and online legal and business information resources and an internal knowledge-management database, underpinning the firm’s wide-ranging expertise and business development strategies. Besides providing research and enquiry services, L&I has a proactive role in the promotion of new technologies, with a particular emphasis on the provision of services to fee-earners via their desktop terminals. L&I provides education, training and support for trainees and new solicitors. In conjunction with the Learning and Development Group, L&I is also actively involved in running one of the elements of the Trainees Professional Skills Course.
The Role
To share in the provision of a legal and business information and research service to the firm, to participate in the provision and maintenance of the firm’s legal Know How database, Libra, to contribute to the provision and maintenance of the firm’s online legal and business resources and to participate in our training programme.
Key responsibilities
Enquiry services
· Working on the busy enquiry desk (4 half days per week), making use of a wide range of printed and online resources to meet the information needs of the firm
· Recording research time spent on enquiries and recharging services to the firms’ clients for billing purposes
· Answering enquiries from staff in the London and international offices regarding the administration of existing or proposed information databases and Libra
Know How
· Maintaining the quality and consistency of entries on Libra, by checking new documents to be added, amending documents as required and assisting with any review of Libra documents that takes place
· Checking the suitability and consistency of taxonomy headings and revising document subject headings to comply with any taxonomy amendments
· Gathering and recording monthly statistics on the usage of Libra
· Advising and training the international offices on the creation, amendment and archiving of documents on the Libra databases, relevant to their offices
· Acting as back-up to the Librarian on Libra queries and advice
Online resources
· Assisting with the administration of our online database recharging
· Supporting the creation and delivery of client news alerts and maintaining records
· Supporting the administration of online services including the allocation of passwords, maintaining relevant records, arranging and assessing trials and usage reports
Print resources
· Managing book loans from the British Library
· Updating loose-leaf works as required
Training
· Training Professional Support Lawyers, paralegals and PAs on tasks associated with inputting data to Libra
· Training a range of fee-earners and trainees on legal and business information resources, in particular participating in trainee, new joiner and new qualifier inductions
· Providing written guidance and help texts for online resources, legal research and information on skills training
Additional duties
· Managing the payment of L&I’s credit card and ensuring all items are recharged correctly
· Participating in the promotion of the Department’s services to the firm
· Regular administrative tasks such as filing and tidying
· Assisting with additional L&I projects as required
· Covering for other duties as required
· Assisting other team members where necessary
The standard hours for this role will be 9.30am – 5.30 pm, but some flexibility may be required.
Person specification
Work-based competencies
· A good degree/postgraduate qualification in Information Management (or equivalent) essential
· Experience of business and legal information resources desirable
· Experience of know how systems/databases advantageous
· Intermediate Word skills
· Confident research skills
· Excel knowledge advantageous
Behavioural competencies
· Mature, confident and friendly disposition
· Attention to detail essential
· Strong organisational skills
· Professional personal presentation
· Good presentation and communication skills
· Ability to interact confidently with staff and partners at all levels within the firm
· Understanding of fee-earner needs, and a ‘can-do’ attitude in order to address them
· Ability to work as a team player
· Ability to plan and prioritise and cope with conflicting demands on time
