What is your role in the committee?
I am a new member of the ILG New Professionals Sub-committee.
When did you join and why?
I joined at the end of 2023. My previous career was as a primary teacher, where I championed information literacy against a fast-evolving internet that offered ‘cut and paste’ homework authored by Google! AI is now creating new challenges around authorship, plagiarism and copyright, and is an area I watch with interest.
Education segued into libraries, which have always been a part of my life, and the fact that I have now began a career within them amazes me every day.
Life-long learning and equitable access to information are passions of mine. I am in the middle of an MSc in Information and Library Studies, (on-line and part-time) and completed an MA in International Relations in 2022. Research for my dissertation involved analysing the rise of mis and dis-information within a geopolitical context of soft power. This global perspective has informed my understanding of information and news consumption, and enthused my desire to educate and facilitate for critical analysis of sources and context.
What is your day job?
I am an Assistant Librarian working for the UK Health Security Agency, and previously worked as a Library Assistant for an NHS Health Library. My role involves supporting research based on academic studies and evidence-based practice to improve health, address health inequalities, and protect the population. I think it is important that new professionals are aware of the variety of roles available within libraries and information, and the possibilities to specialise in new and evolving areas.
What are your other interests?
Current affairs, psychology and magical realism are what I am mostly reading at the moment. I am also part of a textile printing group that meets regularly to create and share ideas and projects with a view to starting a gallery. I want to have a go at paddle boarding but just don’t seem to have the time!