Andrew Barker
Director of Library Services & Learning Development, Lancaster University

Andrew Barker has been Director of Library Services & Learning Development at Lancaster University since September 2019. Over the last year, and looking beyond the pandemic, he has worked with colleagues to develop a new library vision.
 
Prior to that he held a number of senior roles within a wide range of universities, including both Russell Group and Post 1992 Institutions. Within these institutions he has been responsible for all aspects of library leadership, including content, academic liaison, customer services and archives and museums. 
 
Throughout his career in HE Andrew has worked visibly, and actively, across the sector, often working closely with publishers on projects and advisory boards. He has been a trustee of UKSG since 2014, chairing the UKSG Insights Editorial Board between 2015 and 2018, prior to taking on the role of chair of its trustee board in 2018, of which he is now in his final year. During his time as Chair of UKSG, Andrew has restructured its governance and staffing and has worked closely with UKSG staff throughout the pandemic to ensure UKSG continues to prosper. Andrew has been a member of the SCONUL Executive Board since 2020, and has recently become Chair of its Trends and Futures Strategy Group.

Ken Chad  
Director/Owner, Ken Chad Consulting

Ken set up his consulting business in 2007. His mission is to help make libraries, information services and archives more effective. Ken works with libraries, archives, universities, local and central government, sector bodies, the NHS and businesses to help with strategy, user experience, understanding needs, business models, value propositions and innovation. He also reviews services and helps procure new technology solutions. Over the years Ken has been involved in over 100 library technology procurements including, in 2021, advising Health Education England (HEE) on a major library system procurement. Ken has published and presented widely and manages a number of free, open community resources including Higher Education Library Technology (HELibTech) and Local Government Library Technology (LGLibTech). 

Mark Hughes
Head of Libraries, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Mark has been working in Libraries, both public and academic across a range of different roles and institutions for over 20 years, and is currently in post as Head of Libraries at Cardiff Metropolitan University. 
Mark’s community involvement includes the role as Vice Chair of the Wales Higher Education Libraries forum (WHELF) group, and he also sits on the JISC Library Hub Advisory Board, Sconul Technology & Markets Strategy Group, and the Proquest UK & Ireland Advisory Board
Mark has significant experience of working with technologies & digital products in Libraries, having co-authored the BIC / NAG ‘Tendering for RFID’ specification and guide in 2011, been heavily involved in the WHELF ‘Shared Library Management System’ work, which won a Times higher Education Leadership & Management award in 2015, and chaired the Wales Higher Education Electronic Library (WHEEL) joint purchasing group for over a decade. He most recently contributed a chapter to the book “Technology, Change and the Academic Library’, published through Elsevier in 2020

David Mantle
Information Product Management Manager - Baker McKenzie

Having studied Heritage Conservation at university and discovering that researching historic sites was much warmer and more comfortable than digging in trenches, Daivd got his first information role almost 25 years ago at CMS Cameron McKenna as a library assistant and developed from there. During his working life he has also had commercial focussed roles with both revenue and savings targets, which combined with his experience and background in information management, led to a move into information procurement in the legal sector which has been his specialism for the past 10 years. David is currently heading up the information product management team at Baker McKenzie, which has a global remit and support from their 4 service centres. When he is not working you might find David out with his dog or wrangling his 2 cats, wandering about various historic sites, or trying to sound tuneful on a variety of folk instruments.

Jon McDowell
Senior Procurement Specialist

Marion Tessier
Development Officer - Events / Digital & Innovation, Kingston Libraries

Marion Tessier is working in Kingston Upon Thames Libraries as a development officer. She has been working in multiple public libraries in France and in London and specializes in digital, video games and board games in libraries. 

Ciaran Talbot
Head of Digital Services, University of Manchester Library

Ciaran is Head of Digital Services at the University of Manchester Library, a team providing a range of digital support services.  These services include the e-resources helpdesk, support for the library management and discovery platforms, and supporting staff and students in their use of digital across the physical and virtual Library presence. 
 
In 10 years at the library Ciaran has led on deploying innovative solutions, such as the BookedIn gamification platform and Book-a-space project. He has an interest in digital transformation and new ways-of-working. Most recently working in partnership with the University's IT Services team to deploy Microsoft Teams across the Library as part of the University's early adoption programme.