About

About

I’m Lauren, a PhD research student at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. I’m interested in public libraries, democratic engagement, political knowledge and information seeking behaviour. I’m also a co-founder of Voices for the Library, a public libraries advocacy organisation.

Contact

Email: laurensmith2102@gmail.com or lauren.n.smith@strath.ac.uk
Twitter: @walkyouhome 

Education

MA Librarianship, University of Sheffield (2010)
BA (Hons) English Language and Literature, University of Leeds (2008)

Awards

• LIS Research Coalition DREaM Workshop Travel Bursary Award (2011)
• Library Journal Mover and Shaker 2011 (Advocates category)
• West Riding County Library Annenberg Prize for outstanding performance in public librarianship (2010)

Library-Related Work Experience

• Campaign Co-Ordinator and Media Representative, Voices for the Library
  August 2010 – January 2012
  Press releases, media liaison, interviews, public speaking, advocacy, blog posts, data collection, analysis.

• Learning and Teaching Support Officer, School of History, The University of Leeds
  August 2010 – January 2012
  Library liaison, teaching, information literacy support, VLE maintenance, workload planning, policy development, recruitment and support of teaching staff, undergraduate support.

• Campaign Co-ordinator, Save Doncaster Libraries
  June 2010 – January 2012
  Press releases, media liaison, interviews, public speaking, advocacy, blog posts, data collection, analysis.

•  SINTO Assistant, SINTO Information Partnership
  April 2010 – August 2010
  Event co-ordination, library and business support, database maintenance, data gathering.

• Self-employed on mapping project, Linda Laurie Associates, Sheffield
  April 2010 – May 2010
  Data gathering and data entry.

• Library Assistant, School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield
  January 2010 – August 2010
  Enquiries, circulation, updating journals, cataloguing.

• Volunteer Library Assistant, The Hayfield School, Doncaster
  January 2010
  Information literacy support, reading groups, classwork.

• Principal Library Assistant, Manchester Metropolitan University
  November 2009 – May 2010
  Enquiries, information literacy training, staff supervision and training, circulation, production of helpsheets.

• Relief Library Assistant, Doncaster Libraries and Information Service
  September 2009 – August 2010 
  Enquiry work, circulation, shelving, fines and charges.

• Library Graduate Trainee, Leeds Metropolitan University
  August 2008 – July 2009
  Enquiries, circulation, publicity and documentation, marketing, events coordination, cataloguing, acquisition, shelving, maintenance, weeding, stock relocation.

• Senior Information Services Assistant, Leeds Metropolitan University
  December 2007 – July 2008
  Enquiry work, circulation, shelving, fines and charges.

Credits

RSS icons are from the wooden social iconset at icon archive
Background is Doors by Colin Thompson (with permission)

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/