What is your role on the committee?
I am taking over the role of Further Education Sector Representative for the ILG.
When did you join and why?
I was accepted onto the committee in February 2020, shortly before the Covid-19 lockdown began – I haven’t met the committee in person at time of writing! I decided to apply for this role as there is huge potential for raising awareness of the importance of information literacy skills for FE students and I felt that being an ILG committee member would help me to advocate for this at work and beyond.
What do you do in your committee role?
As yet, I am still learning the ropes – but I see it as an additional way to find out more about information literacy developments within the wider FE sector and raise its profile within this area.
What is your day job?
I’m Assistant Academic Librarian at the University of Derby. At first glance that doesn’t sound like I work in FE, but the University includes Buxton and Leek College. So my role spans both FE and HE and I am the librarian at both college sites. Particularly rewarding is the delivery of library skills / information literacy sessions to both sectors, from Level 1 through to Level 7. I have developed tutorial sessions for 16-19 FE groups on using library search systems, referencing and plagiarism and critical thinking – it’s rewarding to know that our students are equipped with these tools to take with them into the wider world.
What are your interests outside of work?
When I’m not at work, I spend a lot of time in the garden growing vegetables and looking after our small flock of chickens. We also have two elderly cats and of course I love reading – I read anything and everything! After that, I start to break the mould a little, as I am a classic Mini enthusiast, running the Clubman Estate Register (I have a very small fleet of these!) since 2002. I’m also a Morris Dancer, with Stoke-on-Trent’s Domesday Morris.