Occupations and Terms of Reference › Library and information specialist
Universal terms of reference · POS-224 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Library and information specialist
To keep the library and information services working, so that staff can find trusted evidence and guidelines quickly.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You run the library and information service. You manage subscriptions, help staff find evidence, keep guidelines current, and teach search skills.
Reports to: Training and education manager.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Answer literature search requests.
- Manage journal and guideline subscriptions.
- Keep the guideline collection up to date.
- Teach search and evidence skills.
- Report library use each quarter.
Working conditions and demands
- Balances access with cost.
- Must check evidence quality.
- Works with many user groups.
What good looks like
- Staff find evidence quickly.
- Guidelines are current.
- Users are trained.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Patients are treated with dignity, respect and privacy at every step.
- Accurate information is given to patients and families, in a language they understand.
- Confidential information is protected and used only for care, legal and agreed purposes.
- Safety comes first: errors are reported, reviewed and learned from without blame.
- Medicines, records and appointments are handled to the standard, every time.
- Anyone can raise a concern without fear of reprisal.
- Waiting and flow are managed fairly, with patients kept informed.
- Work is done to written procedures, and deviations are reported.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-224 |
| ISCO-08 | 2622 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Education and research |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-166. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Training and education manager | Library and learning priorities. |
| Clinical governance lead | Evidence for guidelines. |
| Research team | Literature searches. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searches | Answers search requests within agreed time. | Requests answered in 3 working days | Weekly | C-01 | T-08 | – | 2 |
| Guidelines | Keeps the guideline collection current. | Guidelines checked quarterly | Quarterly | C-02 | T-06 | – | 2 |
| Teaching | Teaches search and evidence skills. | Sessions delivered each quarter | Quarterly | C-03 | T-08 | – | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Collection choices within budget | Subscription decisions above budget (training and education manager) |
| Search priorities within the service standard | Subscription cancellations affecting clinical use (training and education manager) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Degree in library and information science or a related field | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Library or information service experience, ideally health | 3 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | C-02 |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | C-01 · C-03 |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Evidence searching and appraisal | Searches simply | Searches complex topics | Designs search services | Search audit | Every 12 months | T-08 |
| C-02 | Collections and subscriptions | Manages records | Manages subscriptions | Designs collection policy | Collection review | Every 12 months | T-06 |
| C-03 | Teaching search skills | Teaches basic skills | Teaches advanced skills | Designs training | Training review | Every 12 months | T-08 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Search requests answered on time | 95% or more | request log | Weekly |
| PI-02 | Guideline collection current | 100% | collection review | Quarterly |
| PI-03 | Training sessions delivered | set in plan | training log | Quarterly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Library and information specialist | 3 years (recommended) | Q-01 | C-01 practitioner, C-03 foundation | T-08 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |