John Vincent has worked in the public sector since the 1960s, primarily for Hertfordshire, Lambeth and Enfield public library services. In 1997, he was invited to become part of the team that produced the UK’s first review of public
libraries and social exclusion (from which The Network, which he now coordinates, originated).
John runs courses and lectures, writes, produces regular newsletters and ebulletins, and lobbies for greater awareness of the role that libraries, archives, museums, and the cultural & heritage sector play in contributing to
social justice.
He is particularly interested in supporting the work that libraries do with young people in care, with LGBTQ+ people and with ‘new arrivals’ to the UK.
In September 2010, the book he co-wrote with John Pateman, Public libraries and social justice, was published by Ashgate (now Routledge); and, in January 2014, he published LGBT people and the UK cultural sector … (also by Ashgate, now Routledge). In 2018, John’s report to Arts Council England was published, Libraries welcome everyone: six stories of diversity and inclusion from libraries in England.
In 2021, the second edition of the Libraries of Sanctuary resource pack was published, and, in 2022, Facet Publishing published Libraries and Sanctuary: supporting refugees and new arrivals.
David Stewart - Deputy Chair
Until his retirement in March 2021 David Stewart was Head of NHS Knowledge and Library Services North for Health Education England. Appointed in 1999 David was responsible for leading the strategic development, co-ordination and
monitoring of all NHS library and knowledge services across the North of England. Previous posts include Director of Information Services at the Royal Society of Medicine; Deputy Director of Health Libraries in Oxford Region
and District Librarian for Medway Health Authority.
David was CILIP Vice-President in 2018 and President in 2019, serving as a CILIP Trustee 2015 - 2017 and has chaired CILIP’s Health Libraries Group and the NHS Regional Librarians Group. He was the founder of the CHILL network
in London and the co-founder of the HEALER network which brought together a wide range of people interested in health libraries research. Always in demand as a speaker David has contributed to the professional literature at
conferences and through publication in CILIP’s Information Professional and Health Information Libraries Journal.
David obtained his CILIP Fellowship in 2012 and was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours in 2021. David lives in Warrington and is keeping busy as a consultant in library and information sciences.
Richard Osborn - Treasurer
Richard has been a Trustee and Treasurer of the CILIP Benevolent Fund since 2018. Before taking early retirement in the summer of 2017, he worked for 32 years in health libraries, latterly as the Strategic Lead for Library Services
and eLearning for the NHS in London for 10 years. This role involved him playing a leading part in the national programme of work "Knowledge for Healthcare" in which he led the workstream on the national procurement of electronic
information resources. He was honoured to receive the CILIP Health Libraries Group Cyril Barnard Memorial Prize in 2018 for his contribution to medical librarianship. He continues to chair the Board of the Health Library and
Information Services Directory. Since 1992 he has been a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) in the Church of England and, in recognition of his contribution to the life of the Diocese of St Albans, was installed as Honorary Lay
Canon of St Albans Cathedral in November 2018. His interests include music, cricket and medical history.
Maria Grant - Administrator
Maria is a freelance trainer, coach and mentor working with colleagues in the library, health and social care, and charitable sectors. An esteemed information scientist, she is lead author of the widely cited "A typology of reviews:
an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies" (12,000+ citations). Maria uses the findings from her PhD thesis "Constructing an Understanding of Professional Academic Writing: The SEPIA Model" to support those
planning research projects through to publication. Her blog "The Grounded Theorist" and accompanying BlueSky (@groundedtheory.bsky.social) and X (@GroundedTheory) accounts provide a welcoming international community for fellow
grounded theorists. Maria has been a Fellow of CILIP: The Library and Information Association since April 2018.
Stephanie Kenna
Stephanie Kenna retired in 2010 after a long career at the British Library where her many roles included reference work, preservation, research grant administration, regional programme management and, finally, strategy and planning.
Since then she has, among other things, done some consultancy work, joined CILIP’s Audit Committee and enjoyed being Secretary to the Friends of the British Library. Her interests include crime fiction, horse racing, Coronation
Street, and long country walks - not necessarily in that order!
Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan is Universal Services Manager for Warwickshire County Council, with operational and financial responsibility for several front-facing departments - including Libraries. He started his library career 25 years ago, as a Saturday
assistant and has risen through the ranks. He is a Fellow and past President of CILIP, a Non-Executive Director and Treasurer of Libraries Connected, and represents the UK in the International Federation of Library Associations.
He is on the British Library’s Public Lending Right Board and Public Libraries Steering Group. He is also a peer reviewer of library and cultural services for the Local Government Association. Married with three children, Ayub
lives in the West Midlands. He was awarded an MBE for his services to libraries in 2013.
Judith Smith-Blow
Judith (Judy) Smith-Blow (formerly Powles) has been a Trustee of the Benevolent Fund since 2015 following her retirement in 2014 from her post as Librarian/Archivist at Spurgeon’s College, a theological college in South London, where
she had worked for nearly 30 years. Prior to that she worked in academic libraries at Royal Holloway College and the University of Exeter, followed by a post as Chief Cataloguer for the London Borough of Southwark. She was also
Chair of the Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries (ABTAPL) from 1991 until 2008. In retirement she has been busy helping with grandchildren but also remaining in touch with the profession.
Sian King
Sian’s career began in mental health libraries, followed by posts at Oxford Brookes University, Harrow College of Further Education, the National Archives and the House of Lords. During that time, Sian participated in ongoing voluntary
work for CILIP, including mentoring and being on the Assessment Panel for Professional Registration.
Following retirement in 2013, she has become the Professional Registration Support Officer for Wales, and Chair, then vice-Chair, of CILIP Retired Professionals Group. Serving also on the Steering Group for the development of CILIP’s
Community Strategy, she now sits on the new Member Council.
Whilst continuing with these aspects of professional work, Sian is a trustee of several other charities and participates actively in various local history projects. She achieved a Ph.D. in 2020, and was awarded a CILIP Honorary
Fellowship in 2022.
Jo Webb
Jo is Head of Library Learning and Teaching Support at Sheffield Hallam University, having worked in university library and learning services in roles from library assistant to director. She is a Chartered Fellow of CILIP, and also
holds a National Teaching Fellowship.
Jo is a former practitioner External Examiner to CILIP’s Professional Registration and Accreditation Board, a CILIP Trustee (2016-2021) and was an active committee member and officer of what is now called the Academic and Research
Libraries Group. She has co-authored three books for Facet Publishing on teaching and research support.
Jo is Chair of Governors at a large primary school in inner-city Leicester and has previously served as a Trustee of a local charity providing counselling to adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Print Page
