John is interim Senate House Librarian at the University of London, and a member of LIBER’s Leadership Programmes Working Group.

Previously John spent nearly 40 years in libraries, including as Director of Academic Services at Royal Holloway University of London, where he was responsible for the embedding of a new Directorate reflecting a streamlined Professional Services structure for academic-related and student-facing services. For nine years he was Director of Library Services at Royal Holloway. Prior to that, having studied French at Manchester University, he spent another 20 years there in various roles within the John Rylands University Library of Manchester. In 1998 he moved to Oxford University as Deputy to the Director of University Libraries and to Bodley’s Librarian (1998-2002) and then to the role of Head of British Collections at the British Library (2002-2008).

Outside of Royal Holloway, John is a Trustee of Egham Museum, a member of the Senate House Library Board and Chair of the LIBER Leadership and Workforce Development Working Group. Outside work he plays cricket and watches football.

I am passionate about libraries and Europe, hence my dedication  and commitment to the Leadership and Workforce Development Working Group. It has given me great pleasure seeing so many leaders emerge through the LIBER programme and to be involved in the pioneering LIBER Journées events. There is so much enthusiasm, talent, camaraderie and expertise among the LIBER community.