Laura
Williams
School of Information, Journalism and Communication
University Teacher in Librarianship and Information Services Management
Full contact details
The Wave C251
The Wave
- Profile
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I joined the school as a University Teacher in Librarianship and Information Services Management in September 2026, teaching across both the on-campus MA Librarianship and the distance-learning MA Library and Information Services Management (LISM) programmes.
An alumnus of the school (MA Librarianship, 2011), I returned in 2020 as a part-time PhD researcher. My doctoral research uses digital ethnographic methods to investigate the information practices of the ultramarathon running community on Instagram.
Before taking on my current teaching role, I worked as a Subject Librarian for Art & Design at the University of Huddersfield, supporting disciplines such as fashion, costume design, architecture, interiors, graphic design, and photography. This background informs my interests in art librarianship pedagogies, visual literacy, and print collections. My broader professional experiences include reference management practices, library systems, reading list design, and user experience and service evaluation. Earlier in my career, I worked in broadcast media as an embedded information professional in TV production for BBC Archives and as an archive librarian at ITV. I also worked at the Bodleian Law Library at the University of Oxford as a graduate trainee librarian.
- Research interests
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My PhD research explores how ultrarunning practices are shaped by embodied information, platform affordances, influencer cultures, and self-presentation. This work has also sparked my broader interest in the methodological and ethical challenges of social media research. Beyond my doctoral focus, I examine information literacy in everyday contexts, most recently presenting on mushroom foraging at the 2026 LILAC Conference.
Throughout my career as a practitioner-researcher, I have published and presented across a range of topics, including reference management practices in higher education. My scholarship has focused on reflective writing about my teaching practice in librarianship, including a book chapter on personal librarian pedagogies and an article analysing the impact of COVID-19 on pedagogical approaches. I have also written about and presented work relating to my approach to library inductions. This body of work has looked at the importance of the library induction in shaping understandings about libraries to challenge assumptions and negative stereotypes.
Additionally, I bring extensive experience in user experience (UX) methods, workplace research, staff development, and conference presentations. I was invited to join the 2025 UX Libs Conference as a workshop host, delivering workshops about embedding UX research into information literacy teaching.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Reference management practices of students, researchers, and academic staff. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 50(3), 102879-102879.
- Pandemic pedagogies: reflections on pedagogical approaches to art and design librarianship during a pandemic. Art Libraries Journal, 47(4), 99-102.
Book chapters
- Developing a pedagogy for art and design librarianship In Aston S & Walsh A (Ed.), Library Pedagogies Personal Reflections from Library Practitioners Innovative Libraries
Conference proceedings
- Using digital ethnography to research embodied information practices on social media. Information Research, Vol. 30(CoLIS) (pp 656-663). Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2 June 2025 - 2 June 2025. View this article in WRRO
- Creating, using, and sharing embodied information in the ultrarunning community on Instagram. Information Research, Vol. 29(2 Special Issue) (pp 635-651) View this article in WRRO
- Performing information : exploring conceptualisations of embodied information. Information Research. Oslo, Norway, 29 May 2022 - 1 June 2022. View this article in WRRO
- Reference management practices of students, researchers, and academic staff. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 50(3), 102879-102879.
- Teaching interests
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I am interested in creative and playful teaching approaches and enjoy using low tech methods in the classroom. I have experience of using drawing, collage, Lego and zine making as in class activities.
- Teaching activities
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- IJC483 Management for Library and Information Services
- IJC431 Information Organisation
- IJC432 Information Organisation (distance learning)
- IJC423 Information Literacy
- IJC422 Information Literacy (distance learning)
- IJC438 Leadership, Strategy and Change (distance learning)