Conference Speakers Biographies
Lynne Brindley
Chief Executive, The British Library
Lynne Brindley is the Chief Executive of The British Library. She came to the BL from the University of Leeds where she was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Communications & IT and University Librarian. She held previous positions as Librarian & Director of Information Services at the London School of Economics, Principal Consultant at KPMG, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director of Information Services at Aston University. She spent the early part of her career at the British Library.
She chairs the UK Digital Preservation Coalition and Cobra, the CENL group for digital projects in European national libraries. She is a member of the Research Support Libraries Group (RSLG), a member of the Executive committee of the National Museums Directors Conference (NMDC) and is a Board member of the Resource steering group on libraries and their contribution to UK social and economic development. She is a member of the EPSRC/User Panel. She is on the Library of Congress Advisory Board for the National Digital Information Infrastructure & Preservation Programme (NDIIPP) and on the Advisory Council to the Stanford University Library/Academic Information Resources.
She is a visiting professor at the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University and City University. Her research and professional interests are in knowledge management and digital preservation.
Nancy Elkington
Manager of Member Services, RLG
Nancy Elkington is Manager of Member Services at RLG's New York office, responsible for supporting affiliated institutions in North America, Europe and the Middle East. RLG is a non-profit organization with 160 members worldwide committed to improving online access to teaching, learning and research resources.
Nancy Elkington has been with RLG since 1989, working with members on: resource sharing, preservation microfilming, digital preservation, use of online services, collaboration and a variety of key strategic issues facing today's research libraries and cultural institutions. From 1996 to 2002, she was based in the UK, working closely with RLG's UK and European members.
Helen Hayes
Vice-Principal for Knowledge Management and Librarian to the University of Edinburgh
Helen is currently Vice-Principal for Knowledge Management and Librarian to the University of Edinburgh, supporting the University's strategic agenda for information-related management, policy and planning. In addition, she is a member of the University's Senior Executive Team, contributing to a range of portfolios beyond her core responsibility.
Helen is an experienced Information Manager with a proven track record of leading change in Information and Information Technology environments.
A former President of the Council of Australian University Librarians, Helen is also an external member of other library bodies including the Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources Advisory Council.
The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education
Alan Johnson was educated at Sloane Grammar School in Chelsea, before becoming a postman in 1968. He has been involved in representing employees at local and national level since 1976, and was the General Secretary of the UCW 1993-1995 and Joint General Secretary of the CWU from 1995-1997.
Alan Johnson was a Member of the General Council TUC 1994-1995 and a member of the Labour Party NEC 1995-1997.
He was elected MP for Kingston-upon-Hull West and Hessle in 1997 and was also a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee 1997. He was previously Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dawn Primarolo MP, the Paymaster General, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Competitiveness at the DTI and most recently Minister of State for Employment Relations and Regions at the DTI.
Alan Johnson was appointed Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education in June 2002.
Professor Sir Gareth Roberts, FRS, FREng
President of Wolfson College, Oxford
A native of North Wales, Gareth Roberts began his academic career at the University College of North Wales, Bangor, where he obtained a first class honours degree in physics and a PhD in 1965. He has held Chairs at the New University of Ulster, the University of Durham and the University of Oxford. Since January 2001 he has been President of Wolfson College, the largest postgraduate college in the University. He serves on the Board of ISIS Ltd, the exploitation arm of the University and also chairs the management committee of its new Business and Science Park.
Sir Gareth is currently conducting a Review for the UK higher education funding councils of the Research Assessment Exercise, the method by which universities in the UK receive much of their income for research. He also recently completed a Review for the UK Government on the supply of scientists and engineers. All the recommendations in his Report were accepted by the Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Education and Skills. The UK Government published its positive response in a report entitled 'Investing in Innovation' published in July 2002 and the subsequent White Paper on 'The Future of Higher Education'.
Sir Gareth was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield from 1991–2001 during which time he was elected Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. He also chaired the Defence Scientific Advisory Council and served on the Prime Minister's Advisory Council on Science and Technology.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1984, of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2003 and President of the Institute of Physics in 1998.
He was knighted in 1997 for his services to higher education.
Karen Stanton
Director of Learning Centre, Sheffield Hallam University
Karen Stanton was the Director of Information Services at the University of Nottingham until the beginning of October this year. As Director she had responsibility for the delivery of information services to staff and students of the University, including computing, library, media and language support services. Among other strategic responsibilities she has overseen University ICT development programmes, including eNottingham and portal developments to support the University's eKnowledge and Information Services strategies.
She has been closely involved with a range of national electronic information services projects including the British Library's 'Full Disclosure' project and the BIOME hub of the JISC Resource Discovery Network. She was a member of the HEFCE Research Libraries Group and the HEFCE E-Science Group. She has recently taken up a new post as Director of the Learning Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.