Natural History Museum
Project Library and Archives Assistant
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Project Library and Archives Assistant
About Us
We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.
Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.
We employ 1100 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.
Diversity and inclusion matter to us.
Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment.
We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.
About The Role
Working closely with the Library & Archives team, this role will support the preparation of Modern and Special Library collections for relocation. Focus will first be on collections in our Botany Library, and move onto other collections, when necessary, as directed by Collection Managers. Library material is being audited, metadata enhanced to minimum standards, conservation-assessed, and barcoded. Library material consists of pre-1850 published works and modern published material, books and journals. The role will also assist with the review and processing of the modern collection following collection management principles. This work will enhance discoverability, enable electronic circulation and effective tracking of the collection and ensure the collection meets current collection management principles.
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In addition, the role will support wider collection management of the Library collections, specifically processing new print books and journal parts on the Library Management System and getting them shelf ready.
The post holder will be required to work at the Museum site at South Kensington full time. The post will involve physically moving collections between spaces using book trollies and ladders.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will have experience of working in a Library environment and have an interest in print collections and effective collection management of those collections. You will be able to demonstrate effective teamwork, organisational and communication skills, and be able to work to set targets whilst maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
Please use your application to explain to us why you are suited to the role, explaining why you have an interest in working at the NHM Library and Archives, and address each of the person specifications.
Thriving at the Museum: the way we work
We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.
Find out more here
What We Offer
- 27.5 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays (full time equivalent)
- Generous defined contribution Natural History Museum Pension Scheme (employer contribution 4 - 10%)
- Season ticket, bicycle and rental loan
- Life insurance
- Free admission to our exhibitions and many other paid exhibitions at museums, galleries and institutions across London and the UK.
- Staff discount at our Museum shops and cafes
- We offer a wide variety of training initiatives and opportunities to build skills. Investing in staff development is important to us, and we are ambitious about helping staff to grow and fulfil their potential.
- Affordable membership to the Civil Service Sports Council which offers a range of benefits including an extensive list of special offers and reduced entry fees at a selection of cinema chains, theme parks, theatres, retailers and supermarkets. It also provides entry to up to 300 English Heritage sites and other national treasures. For more details, visit https://www.cssc.co.uk
- Membership to our Sports and Social Association (for a small fee), which includes access to our in-house gym and clubs such as football, softball, table tennis and tennis and classes in Middle Eastern dance, yoga and Tai Chi
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Hybrid working
We are working towards a vision where both people and planet thrive, and nothing gives a greater connection with this, than seeing first-hand, the visitors, scientific research and collections that all of our work is inspired by and working side by side with the teams delivering the visitor experience and events. We also recognise the benefits and flexibility that hybrid working brings. We usually operate a hybrid working model that requires regular, weekly attendance for this role, with the precise pattern of days on site and worked from home to be agreed with your manager.
However, due to the nature of this specific role the work pattern will be 100% on site.
How To Apply
If this sounds like you, please apply below by clicking on Apply for job.
Please note that as part of our commitment to anonymised shortlisting, panels do not view CVs during the recruitment process. If you choose to upload your CV, our system will automatically pull information from your CV into our application form. We advise you to double-check your application form data before submitting as the tool may interpret CVs differently.
Closing date: 16 July 2026 at 23:59
Panel Interviews expected: w/c 3 August 2026
Please note that this role does not qualify for Museum sponsorship so the successful postholder will need to have a valid right to work in the UK at the point of offer.
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