Policy Press

News

Sep 29, 2020

Bristol University Press announces the launch of new Library Advisory Board

Bristol University Press and its imprint Policy Press are proud to announce the launch of our inaugural Library Advisory Board (LAB).

Coming from a diverse range of institutions, the expert librarians will provide advice on strategic questions that impact our audiences and their libraries, helping us shape the future of the dissemination and use of Bristol University Press resources.

As a not-for-profit university press, we are committed to developing work that makes a positive impact in society and advances scientific research.

Libraries play a critical role in ensuring the vital research we publish reaches the academic communities to whom it matters most, and so, with the aim of working closely with librarians around the globe, we have created a common ground for collaboration.

The Library Advisory Board will be an invaluable source of advice and feedback, giving us an opportunity to hear directly from librarians as to how we can make our content more accessible to their users as we expand and develop.

We are excited to work closely with the Board members to facilitate this dialogue between the libraries and the academic publishing communities, gaining insights which we hope will benefit HE Library and Information Services, as well as the wider scholarly community in the face of a rapidly evolving and unpredictable landscape.

Bristol University Press Chief Executive Alison Shaw said, “Working collaboratively with librarians so we can create and make available content that scholars and students need and want is a key goal at BUP, and we are extremely grateful to the Board Members for giving up their free time to foster these discussions.

Personally, I am looking forward to learning a great deal and excited about working in partnership with our Board to ensure we are doing our best to support our readers and librarians in these fast-changing times.”

The Board members will be joining Bristol University Press Chief Executive Alison Shaw, Journals Director, Julia Mortimer and Institutional Key Account Manager, Simon Bell.

The Board chair Ed Fay said, “We are delighted to convene the Library Advisory Board as a forum to explore issues of scholarly publishing and the role of university presses in partnership between the Bristol University Press and the wider library community. As well as the immediate turbulence in higher education, longer-term strategies for sustainability and accessibility of academic research require collaborative approaches and we are extremely grateful to members of the board for contributing their insights and expertise.”

Bristol University Press Library Advisory Board

  • Ed Fay, Interim Director of Library Services at the University of Bristol Library and Chair of Library Advisory Board
  • Andrew Barker, Director of Library Services at Lancaster University Library and Chair of UKSG
  • John Furlong, Associate University Librarian for Research and Academic Collaboration Services at Washington University in St. Louis Library
  • Rebecca Gower, Development and Academic Liaison at Cambridge University Library
  • Debra Hiom, Assistant Director of Research Services and Manager of the Research Data Service at the University of Bristol Library
  • Pete Maggs, Director of Library Services at Western Sydney University Library
  • Anthony Sinnott, Access and Procurement Development Manager at the University of York Library
  • Pep Torn, Director of the European University Institute Library
  • Nicola Wright, Director of London School of Economics Library

Find out more about the Board