Health expert is new British Library Chair

Dame Carol Black has been appointed as Chair of the British Library, replacing Baroness Tessa Blackstone who held the post for two four-year terms.

Dame Carol’s current roles include Principal of Newnham College Cambridge and Expert Adviser on Health and Work to NHS England and Public Health England. She started work as a junior doctor in the early 1970s, later becoming one of the few women medical consultants in the UK and stepping down from full time hospital work in 2002. She is a past-President of the Royal College of Physicians, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and of the British Lung Foundation.

On accepting her appointment as Chair of the British Library, she said: “It is an enormous pleasure to be taking over as Chair of the British Library following in the distinguished footsteps of Baroness Blackstone. I very much look forward to working with Roly Keating, the Board and all the staff of the Library.”

Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, said: "I’d like to extend a big welcome to Dame Carol from everyone at the British Library. We very much look forward to working with Carol over the years ahead, during this period of exciting transformative change for the Library."