Part-time! A leading European intellectual property firm requires a Library and Information Services Manager to be responsible for providing business and legal research support, as well as managing hard copy and online information resources, subscriptions, renewals, and document supply. As a leading IP firm they work across cutting edge scientific, engineering and technology sectors as well as requiring legal information resources, so this is a unique opportunity requiring a blend of knowledge across both technical and legal sources. This is a pivotal role and will involve a high level of interaction with partners and fee earners. This firm values a healthy work/life balance and is supportive of agile and hybrid working, while also striving to maintain its much-loved collegiate and friendly culture.
Main responsibilities include:
- Promote good knowledge and information practices across the firm, to ensure their information resources are relevant, accessible, and well-used.
- Provide help and support to fee earners with the use of information systems and tools, including working with suppliers to provide training and supporting staff inductions.
- Manage parts of the intranet, online collaboration platforms, and library resources.
- Manage hard copy collection of print resources, including cataloguing new resources.
- Assist fee earners and address novel and challenging research and information requests, conducting research as required, and work with document delivery suppliers to ensure provision of technical literature on request.
- Support the budget creation and tracking for library and information services and resources.
- Oversee the administration of contracts for print and electronic resources.
- Maintain high level of current awareness of industry trends in and new vendors of research services and the legal profession.
- Work with partners and fee earners and colleagues in other business services teams such as Marketing & Business Development.
- Evaluate resource use and make renewal and subscription decisions based on data, user engagement, and business requirements.
- Set up and monitor current awareness alerts from information resources and third-party news aggregator and assist fee earners to set up their own alerts.
- Oversee and direct contract negotiations for access to electronic products and print resources.
- Use data from enquiries to identify training needs of fee earners, or to investigate procurement of relevant resources.
- Give presentations in person or virtually to practice groups and as part of induction programmes to raise awareness of information services and resources relevant to that group proactively and on an “as needed” basis.
- Engage with Learning & Development in the support of training programmes including providing content relevant to the library and information function to the Learning Management System.
To be considered for this role you will need the following skills and experience:
- A self-starting, confident, and self-assured individual.
- A team player who builds effective working relationships at all levels.
- Have strong networking skills and the ability to create and maintain working relationships both internally and externally.
- Experience of using current awareness tools desirable.
- Experience of legal research databases desirable.
- Educated to degree or post graduate level, preferably in an information related discipline, and/or have previous experience working in professional services.
