Details:
- Salary: £150 - Day
- Job Type: Temporary
- Job Status: Full-Time
- Salary Per: Day
- Location: London
- Date: 2 days ago
Description:
Job Title: Searchroom & Engagement Assistant
Location: Hackney Archives, Dalston E8
Rate: £150 per day PAYE
Hours 7 hours per day: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM - 2 Days a Week
Length: 6 Weeks
Reporting To: Archives Manager
Department: Libraries, Culture & Heritage
About the Role
Hackney Archives is seeking a dedicated Searchroom & Engagement Assistant to deliver exceptional, customer-focused front-line service. You will play a vital role in helping visitors explore, discover, and celebrate Hackney's rich and diverse history while ensuring our unique, irreplaceable collections are protected and preserved.
This role coincides with the Black History season. You will actively support events and initiatives focused on Hackney's African and African-Caribbean communities and historic collections. Candidates with research/events experience and lived experience of this community are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Responsibilities
Collections Access & Care
Invigilate the searchroom, ensuring the security, safe handling, and preservation of fragile historical archives and library collections.
Assist with book stock maintenance, accession preparation, retrieval, re-shelving, and organizing open-access materials.
Respond to public and internal inquiries via email, phone, letter, or in person.
Facilitate reprographics/digitized copy requests to improve collection accessibility and support revenue generation.
Support archival cataloging and data improvement processes.
Handle low-level cashless payment transactions in the searchroom.Community & Customer Engagement
Deliver welcoming, high-quality, and inclusive customer service to all searchroom visitors.
Greet visiting groups and lead engaging, informative tours to showcase the archives and services.
Create engaging historical content, research guides, and promotional materials for both physical and digital platforms (including social media).
Assist in organizing and delivering public engagement events, with a focus on African and African-Caribbean heritage projects.
Maintain accurate online information and distribute promotional literature.
Key Requirements & Skills
Experience
Proven experience in a customer-facing role, ideally within an archive, museum, or heritage environment.
Hands-on experience working with historical collections, catalogue databases, search engines, and indices.
Experience using historic collections for research and translating findings into compelling content or narratives.
Experience or strong interest in community engagement, events delivery, and promotional marketing (including social media).Knowledge & Capabilities
A strong interest in or lived experience of African/African-Caribbean histories.
Understanding of information legislation affecting access and heritage management (Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, and Copyright law).
Awareness of searchroom health and safety regulations and standards for historic collection care.Personal Attributes
Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with a patient, empathetic, and professional approach.
Excellent written English skills for answering inquiries and drafting clear collection materials.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and pick up operational processes quickly.
Excellent teamwork skills and a commitment to delivering fair, accessible services to all community members.
Commercial Services Trading Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy