Details
1107779
University of Edinburgh
01/06/2026
2 Months
14-21 hours per week, worked between 9-5 (Monday-Friday)
Not Applicable
Pay
£13.55
£2.45
Description
Role
The University of Edinburgh’s Information Services Group (ISG) are hiring an undergraduate (or postgraduate taught) student to work this summer as a Heritage Collections Accessibility Intern: User Experience Research. The key purpose of this role is to conduct research into the mental, perceptual, and emotional barriers people face when accessing Heritage Collections, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of ‘library anxiety’ and produce a summary report. The research will take the form of a literature review, gathering feedback from users, and delivering an in-person interactive workshop.
Within this role, you will gain practical experience in designing and delivering user experience research, undertaking a literature review, and recruiting participants for research. You will join the Heritage Collections team, who preserve, provide access to, and interpret the heritage collections looked after by the University. These collections include rare books, archives, artworks, musical instruments, and sound recordings.
You can expect to start work on the 1st June 2026 and work until the 24th July 2026. You will work between a minimum of 14 to a maximum of 21 hours per week (Monday to Friday). You will work in the Centre for Research Collections located in the Main Library, you will work mostly onsite, a hybrid split can be considered if necessary. Your preference on working hours within the above range can be discussed during the interview stage. You will be paid £13.55 per hour, plus £2.45 per hour holiday pay. Payment is one month in arrears, meaning your first payment date (should this position start when expected) will be 28th July 2026.
For more information on what to expect as an ISG Summer Intern and to hear from previous interns, please see our 2026 Summer Internships Webpage.
Duties and responsibilities
- Undertaking a literature review of existing research on the phenomenon of ‘library anxiety’;
- Designing and delivering two user experience research exercises, to include an interactive in-person workshop;
- Recruiting and selecting participants for the research exercises;
- Writing a summary report of the results of your research and making recommendations for service improvements;
- Sharing your experience with the Heritage Collections department through writing and delivering a short presentation at the all-staff meeting.
Skills and experience
Essential criteria:
- A current University of Edinburgh undergraduate or postgraduate taught student (you must be a matriculated student for the duration of your employment). Internships are open to all undergraduate students, except those in their final year of study. This is the only internship open to postgraduate taught students, who can work a maximum of 15 hours/week;
- Based in the UK for the duration of the work, within commutable distance of Edinburgh, and able to work on campus (we cannot accommodate individuals working overseas due to tax and legal implications), and able to attend a Right to Work Check in person if needed;
- You must be able to attend an in-person interview on campus on the 3rd April 2026;
- Evidence of an in-depth awareness and understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion principles;
- Experience of delivering interactive audience workshops or engagement events;
- Evidence of strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present verbal information confidently;
- A proven ability to work well both independently and in a team;
- Experience of completing an in-depth research project on a specialist subject, such as a university project, to a deadline.
- Previous experience undertaking user experience research or an awareness of its principles;
- A proven interest in the University’s heritage and cultural collections.
Location
Hybrid, split between working from home and in the Centre for Research Collections, Main Library
Benefits
- The full range of benefits as a Summer Intern is available on our 2026 Summer Internships Webpage;
- Being part of a welcoming community of over 50 ISG Summer Interns with opportunities to network, whilst working in a supportive and nurturing environment with a strong emphasis on work/life balance;
- Training and development opportunities, run by experts across a range of fields;
- Opportunity to participate in the prestigious Edinburgh Award for Work Experience.
Additional information
To apply for this role, please upload a CV and covering letter as Word documents that are under 4mb, saved with ".doc" at the end, these should clearly state how you meet the criteria for the role. To have the best chance of being offered an interview, we encourage you to view our two-page Application Guidance and attend one of our short, online internship overview sessions, bookable via the University System (you must use your UoE student login).
We ask that you carefully consider which internships best suit your interests, skills, and career goals, and apply for a maximum of 3 ISG internships. To view all our internships on offer this summer, please see our Unitemps Adverts page.
Interviews for this internship are expected to be held on 3rd April 2026, and will be in person.
The closing date for this advert is 23:59 on Sunday, 1st March. If you encounter any issues when applying, please e-mail unitemps@ed.ac.uk well in advance of the deadline, as we will only respond within office hours (9-5, Monday to Friday). Applications received after 23:59pm on 1st March will not be considered.