Vacancies: General Bookshop Assistant I Book Cataloguers
General Bookshop Assistant (part-time initially – potential for full-time)
BookAddiction sells collectible, antiquarian and general used books and ephemera online. We are looking for an assistant to help in all aspects of our home-based, family business.
Role: Online Bookshop Assistant
Hours: 15 hours per week (ideally 9.30am to 12.30am, Monday to Friday, with flexibility)
Pay: £11.50 per hour (on contract/invoice)
Location: Based in our home office in Chartham Hatch (with partial home working if preferred)
The role involves:
- Cataloguing books following House style
- Helping in stock and inventory management (loading and unloading deliveries, moving and shelving books and bookshop equipment)
- Helping in picking and preparing books for dispatch to customers
- Customer relations
- Writing and proof-reading
- General office duties
- Other duties reasonably requested such as event assistance.
Full training will be given in describing, cataloguing and valuing books and related ephemera.
There is exciting potential for the right candidate to take on a wider range of duties (including for instance book photography and/or dispatching orders.), work other hours by agreement and to increase regular hours over time.
The successful candidate will need:
- Strong IT user skills – knowledge of MS Word and MS Excel would be advantageous
- Capability to lift and move boxes of heavy books
- Capability to assemble and manage equipment and supplies
- Strong people and communications skills
- A good standard of both written and spoken English
- Resilience, flexibility and adaptability
- Good learning skills
Desirable skills include:
- A demonstratable interest in books, reading and literature
- Experience of working in a retail environment and/or or with customers and clients
There is a romance to working in a bookshop but please be aware that used books can be dirty and dusty and managing them can be heavy duty. The successful candidate(s) will be subject to a probationary period.
Should you wish to work from home from time to time, you will need access to a quiet, clean space away from children and animals with a safe and comfortable desk to work at, storage space for books and a reliable internet connection. Appropriate IT equipment can be provided on loan if needed.
To apply for this job, please send your CV and a covering letter, setting why you would like the job and how your skills match the requirements of the role to admin@bookaddiction.co.uk. Selection will be by interview and practical tests of writing and IT skills.
Please note that there is there almost no public transport provision to and from Chartham Hatch. You will need your own transport.
Please visit the BookAddiction website for more information. If you wish to discuss the role or have questions before applying, please call and ask to speak to Jessica
Book Cataloguers
Want to work for a bookshop? Looking for some part-time, flexible work? Live close to Chartham Hatch? If so, we may have a great work-from -home, piece-work role for you as a book cataloguer.
The Role
Our catalogiers inspect books for condition, edition and history and describe its features and flaws thoroughly and accurately in accordance with House Style. They also determine market. Many of the books we deal with are old, interesting or rare so some research may be required.
Essential skills for this role:
- Good IT skills, with competency in using web browsers, word processors and spreadsheets
- Good typing skills and strong attention to detail
- Good written language skills
- Good communication skills
- The ability to self-motivate and work independently
- An interest in books, book collecting and/or reading
An interest in books, book collecting and/or readng and fluency in a language other than English is advantageous.
We give full training and support in assessing and cataloguing books. You’ll need to have good internet access, space to work in comfortably and to store a few boxes of books. We can loan a computer (and other equipment) if you don’t have one. Books for cataloguing can be collected and catalogued books returned at a pre-arranged times from BookAddiction.
Occassional office attendance is required for training and development, quality assurance and team communications. Cataloguers can work as much or as suits them, from half a day a week to full-time, and at times that suit them. You will need to work consistently and frequently to maintain skills.
Payment is per book catalogued. Potential earnings for fully trained and experienced cataloguers are an estimated £10-15 an hour.
How to apply
To apply please email admin@bookaddiction.co.uk with a cover letter and CV, setting out why you think you are a good fit for the role and any relevant experience and skills. If you have questions about the role, please call and ask to speak to Jessica.