John Dolan
(to serve until 31 December 2013)
Postnominals
BA MCLIP OBE
Email
john.dolan@cilip.org.uk
Biography
As a child in Manchester I went to Harpurhey Library recently replaced by North City Library. At 13, wise teachers sent me on my first quest to Central Library for a history project. Learn to learn was the real purpose – and that’s how I’ve felt about libraries ever since. I read Spanish at Leeds including a year in (Franco’s) Madrid.
In Manchester I worked reshaping library services in the diverse inner city, addressing literacy, reading, learning, community information. Supporting cohesion from within the community, we 60’s kids had become committed community librarians.
1986 to St Helens, to manage libraries, archives and museums in a refreshed community leisure service. Great colleagues who knew the place, its needs and the legacy of a closing coal industry.
In Birmingham from 1990, eventually taking responsibility for the city’s huge and elaborate library and archive services, we were responding to a youthful, dynamic city of a million people. Brilliant experience. Latterly I oversaw adult education, youth service, early years, family and lifelong learning.
I was seconded to the LIC (1997) with fantastic leadership and a great team, to devise what became The People’s Network. Subsequently implemented by MLA, this was the most transformative intervention in public libraries for decades.
From 2000 I started to plan the Library of Birmingham. Not merely big, this would be a new library model for learning, heritage, cultural and community services, in spatial design, digital technologies, partnership, staff and community engagement.
From 2006 I headed library policy at MLA but chose to move on in the 2008 restructuring. While there I was privileged to assist with national developments in Bulgaria and India – unique, gratifying experiences.
Recently, consultancies include library and regeneration projects. More of this in 2011. I am an Honorary Fellow at the Department of Information Studies at Aberystwyth.