Dawn Grundy – Chair

Academic Librarian

Dawn has undertaken various roles within the University of Bolton Library and her current role is the Academic Librarian for the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing. In addition to the management and the teaching of library resources for the Faculty, she co-leads LEAP Online the University of Bolton’s online skills portal. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, recent achievements include University of Bolton TIRI Teaching Award (2017), LILAC Digital Literacy Award (2018) and the Director of Health Libraries North Award (2018).

Dawn joined the ARLG committee as a student rep in 2006, web editor between 2007-2011 and was Secretary until 2018 when she became Acting Chair.

Karen Hardman – Secretary

Resource Librarian

Karen is a Chartered Librarian at Bury College. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she works with people of all ages and abilities and has an interest in information literacy and HE in FE. Previously Karen worked on a project funded by HEFCE to improve the information literacy skills of the HE students.  This proved successful and was rolled out to all first year HE courses and embedded in the curriculum. Last year she worked on a NCOP (National Collaborative Outreach Programme) project in conjunction with GM Aim Higher with Level 3 vocational students to improve their information literacy skills and aspirations to higher education. She works closely with academic departments and the wider college community, delivering training and supporting staff to embed information literacy within the curriculum. Karen joined the ARLG NW committee in July, taking on the role of secretary.

Jacqueline Ponka - Treasurer

Head of Library

I am Head of Library at Holy Cross Sixth Form College and University Centre. I have been a member of ARLG since its inception and was previously on the committee of CofHE and am currently the treasurer of the NW branch of ARLG. I have had the honour of being a mentor to both chartership and certificate candidates. My professional interests are HE in FE, digital literacy and e-learning.

Louise Minta - Web Editor and National Committee Rep

Liaison Librarian

Louise Minta has been the Liaison Librarian for Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Liverpool since July 2018, and is currently involved in the creation of the Library’s new Information and Digital Literacy Framework. Prior to this, she worked as a Librarian at an FE College where she successfully co-delivered a HEFCE project to embed information literacy skills in the HE-in-FE curriculum across 10 subject areas, which was shortlisted for the Information Literacy Award 2019. Louise is interested in technology-enhanced teaching and learning, and trying to make the teaching of reference management software less boring!

Louise joined the committee from its inception, having previously served on the committee for UC&R NW, and has been Web Officer since 2011.

Edmund Wilkinson - Social Media

With a passion for teaching and a fascination for all things Information Literacy I'm a ILM accredited trainer and gained chartered Librarian status in 2018. During my itinerant wanderings I've worked as a library assistant and librarian across the British Isles in roles at Northamptonshire, North Somerset, Cardiff University, Middlesex University and the University college Isle of Man; I'm a certificated proofreader and have also been involved in a range of cataloguing and digitisation projects at museums on the Isle of Man and in Leicestershire.

Currently working as a teaching librarian, I'm a founder of the Isle of Man Libraries Forum and was honoured to be one of the LILAC 2018 bursary winners. I'm an Aberystwyth alumni with an undergraduate degree in law and postgraduate qualifications in Information Management and History & Heritage. My research interests include historico-cultural aspects of Knowledge Behaviours, Augmented Reality in libraries and various elements of Information Literacy teaching. Alongside reading, writing and research I enjoy fencing (epee and sabre) & historical sword-fighting, playing pool and have just started learning the complex rules of real tennis!

John Hilton - ARLG Newsletter Co-ordinator

Collections Development Librarian

John joined the University of Liverpool (UoL) Library in 2001 soon after completing his MA degree in Librarianship at Liverpool John Moores University. He was assigned his first professional post as a cataloguer in 2005. After working for both the Enquiries Services and Collections Management teams for some years, he is now a full-time Collections Development Librarian based at UoL's Sydney Jones Library. John joined the ARLG NW Committee in 2010.

Zoe Collyer-Strutt - ARLG Newsletter Co-ordinator

Academic Support Manager

Zoe manages a small team of Academic Support Librarians and Academic Skills Tutors at Wrexham Glyndwr University. She supports a variety of subject areas, a role that incorporates academic liaison and collection development, alongside supporting students and teaching information literacy and academic skills.

Zoe has been working in the library and information sector for 30 years, and has experience of both public and academic libraries. She has previously worked at Chester University, Edge Hill University and Chester Public Library, and has a wide ranging experience of customer service management. She has recently completed her BSc in Library and Information Studies and is currently undertaking her Chartership.  

Anna Theis - Blog Co-ordinator and Social Media

Teaching and Learning Assistant

Anna works in the University of Manchester Library’s Teaching and Learning team where she designs and delivers information literacy and academic skills training to students and researchers. As well as teaching, Anna co-ordinates ‘My Research Essentials’, the University’s researcher development programme. Previously Anna has worked in Customer Services and Academic Engagement roles. Passionate about teaching academic skills and information literacy, in 2018 became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Anna joined the ARLG NW committee in 2017, just after she completed her MA in Library and Information Management and has been involved in social media and co-ordinating the ARLG NW blog since she joined.