What is your role in the Committee?
I am a member of the Information Literacy Group’s sub-committee for New Professionals.
When did you join and why?
I joined in August 2025. Although I have worked in libraries for 25 years, I only recently moved into a professional librarian role in February 2024. I have taken the long road, working as a Library Assistant, Library Supervisor and then Study Skills Tutor, building on experience and working on my chartership (still in process!). I would like to represent colleagues who have also taken circuitous routes into the profession, some of whom have experienced barriers to achieving library qualifications such as financial issues or caring responsibilities. Being dyslexic, I am also aware of the additional challenges that this poses for new professionals. I am excited to be part of the New Professionals sub-committee and looking forward to sharing ideas and supporting fellow colleagues.
What is your day job?
I am a Teaching and Learning Librarian at the University of Bristol. My role is varied and includes editing our LibGuides and webpages, creating and delivering central workshops to students, making online tutorials and offering 1:1 support around referencing, discovering and evaluating information. I have a passion for information literacy and believe in the importance of developing information skills for students with the advent of AI technology. I am also passionate about inclusivity and how we can make our libraries and the sector more open to everyone, for example by supporting neurodivergent learners with activities and resources which are fun, engaging and adaptable to differing needs. I recently created an AI Literacy card game for students and am collaborating with colleagues to provide a resource bank for all our teaching staff to support their teaching of AI literacy.
What are your other interests?
Whenever I can, I love to swim in the sea or a nearby river – come rain or shine, winter or summer! I also enjoy cycling into the countryside around Bristol and walking the family dog, Bud the lurcher. I am obsessed by etymological facts and collecting old green penguins (penguin: noun, from the Welsh, pen “head” + gwyn “white”).
This profile highlights Kerrianne B. Orriss’s role on the Information Literacy Group committee and her journey into the professional library role, offering insight into her contributions and dedication to supporting new professionals in the field of information literacy.