Happy New Year! My name is William Nixon and I am delighted to start 2023 with a blog post to introduce myself as RLUK’s new Deputy Executive Director.
Libraries change lives both individually through our institutions and collectively by working together through member organisations like RLUK. I am excited to join RLUK to help foster and support that change and its impact on lives, research and teaching.
Prior to joining RLUK I was the Assistant Director (Academic Engagement and Digital Library) at the University of Glasgow Library leading our College Librarians, Digital Library and Repository teams. I led on a range of a research support, repository and building projects at Glasgow including the Library lead for REF2021 and our open access repository infrastructure (Enlighten). Beyond Glasgow, I have been active in the Open Repositories series of conferences and as a member of the COAR (Confederation of Open Access Repositories) and SPARC Europe Boards supporting Open Access and Open Research. I look forward to bringing this experience to RLUK and further developing cross-sector and international relationships which support RLUK’s members and mission.
RLUK recognises that its members expertise, experience and capacity are at the heart of successfully implementing The Library Transforming strategy and in recent years it has launched several new networks. These networks have enabled RLUK to tap into the expertise and experience of a much broader range of members and to provide development opportunities for both the members and the co-convenors. The networks are the key drivers for the delivery of the strategy’s strands and themes. I will take a lead on the Role of the Research Library and the Digital Shift strategic strands but as part of the Executive team I will work across the networks.
I have already had the opportunity to work with and lead some of these networks, as co-chair of the Associate Directors Network (ADN) and as chair of the Digital Shift Working Group over. Last March the ADN launched the Digital Workforce Development strategy, and this will be a key focus of my work with colleagues from across the networks.
Over the coming months I look forward to meeting with staff across RLUK’s libraries, to share and deliver The Library Transforming strategy, highlight upcoming events and explore the impact which RLUK can make for its members.
