I just loved everything about Sheffield
I'm from Tyneside originally so I felt totally at home in South Yorkshire, in another gritty northern city with a warm heart. Broomhill was such a great place to live! I loved those tree-lined streets, Victorian villas and the villagey feel of the area.
The tutors were great, a lively bunch. They all knew their stuff and were right at the cutting edge of research and knowledge in their field.
Sheffield thinking was far ahead of its time
It amazes me to think back to 1985-86 and the fact that one of the subject options I chose was artificial intelligence! Here we are, some 40 years later, and AI is suddenly a big thing. To think that future librarians were learning about the application of AI, even then. For me, this typifies how Sheffield thinking was far ahead of its time.
People tend to assume that librarianship is all about books, but technology has played a far bigger part in my career than books ever have (although I do love books!) Indeed, my later roles did not involve books at all. My studies at Sheffield prepared me well for the use of technology in my field. Today, as a writer and e-commerce specialist, the same is true - I'm using databases and AI tools on a daily basis. There's a common assumption that people of my age are tech luddites. I love to say that I've been familiar with AI for 40 years!
I could never have imagined where I would end up
Librarianship, or knowledge and information management, can take you places far beyond the world of libraries and books (although you can be part of that world if you wish).
The profession has changed hugely since I joined it in 1984, but the world still needs library and information managers just as it still needs teachers. This means that if you're adaptable, you can find a rewarding career that can take you through a variety different sectors and even different countries. I could never have imagined where I would end up!
After graduating from Sheffield
After graduating with an MA in Librarianship, I joined Epsom School of Art & Design (now part of the University for the Creative Arts) as Assistant Librarian. This was a perfect first professional role, as being part of a small team requires that you do a little bit of everything! And sometimes, you're the acting boss. 3 years later, having obtained my Chartership, I moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as Assistant Librarian within a much larger team.
The FCO was a fantastic place to work, providing research and enquiry services to UK-based civil servants and diplomats in 200+ British Embassies, High Commissions and other posts overseas. I worked my way up through the ranks to mid-level management. A window of opportunity took me overseas to New Zealand, where I worked briefly alongside colleagues in the British High Commission, Wellington.
I ended up extending my time overseas, working for a NZ government department before becoming Head of Reference and Research at Victoria University of Wellington. This was a senior management post, managing 4 different teams.
After 8 years in Wellington, I returned to the FCO in London and took up the post of Head of Information Policy and Compliance. Initially a stand-alone role, this grew to becoming a team lead as the knowledge and information management responsibilities of our department expanded.
I took early retirement from the UK Civil Service in 2016 and returned to New Zealand, where I now live with my Kiwi husband and family. I now run my own blog and e-commerce sites, and undertake freelance writing commissions.
