What does it mean to be a Subject/Liaison Librarian? [TG1/SubLib]

This online event is aimed at library staff looking to acquire additional skills and knowledge or staff working towards Chartership.

The position of Subject Librarian – or Liaison Librarian, or Information Specialist, or any number of other variations – remains a key one in most academic libraries and is one that many new professionals aspire towards.

However, it can be difficult for staff in Library Assistant or similar roles to make the move up into this area of library work as it is often a significant leap up the career ladder. It can also be difficult to gain experience in these areas of librarianship, partly because few libraries have roles such as Assistant Liaison Librarians that could allow a smoother transition.

In this event, three Subject/Liaison/Specialist Librarians will discuss their roles and what they have learned over time. They will highlight some of the skills needed in the role and provide advice for those who want to take a similar path. Presentations from the speakers will be followed by a panel Q&A, where you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Programme

‘Leading from the middle’, Helen Biggs, University College London

Subject librarians are often considered to be senior members of the library team, but may not be managing staff or contributing to high-level strategies. What, then, does leadership look for a subject librarian?

‘What does it mean to be a Subject/Liaison Librarian?’, Antonis Sideras, Royal College of Art

10 minute comfort break

‘What is it like to be a Subject Librarian at the National Library?‘ Dorothea Miehe, The British Library

This talk will describe my career route into subject librarianship and “doing the job” at the UK’s national library, giving the example of a career path into subject librarianship and being a professional librarian at the national library, in comparison to a university library.

Panel Q&A

Speakers

Helen Biggs (MIS, BCom, BA) is a subject librarian at UCL Institute of Education where her work focuses on academic liaison, information literacy, and managing a diverse array of collections. In 2025 she helped to deliver strategic change for the IOE Library through the library’s redevelopment. She is a strong believer in creating opportunities for colleagues to upskill and progress their careers. Previous roles include exhibition and event management, audio-visual cataloguing, and acquisitions.

Antonis Sideras (They/he) is an Artist and Librarian, originally from Limassol, Cyprus. They have worked in a variety of roles in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museum (GLAM) over the past 11 years. Sideras completed a distance learning PGDip in Library & Information Services Management course at Sheffield University, before starting work as an Assistant Academic Support Librarian at Central Saint Martin’s (UAL) in 2022. They are currently the Academic Liaison Librarian for the School of Arts & Humanities and the School of Architecture at the Royal College of Arts and have been so since 2024. Sideras’ professional values are kindness, collaboration, criticality, equity, playfulness and transformation.

Dorothea Miehe, Arts and Humanities Subject Librarian, The British Library:

After a Master’s degree in German, English and Scandinavian Literature from Kiel University (Germany), I obtained my MA in Library and Information Studies at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1992. I began my professional career at Durham University, working firstly as a Project Assistant to the Head of Technical Services and Collection Management, followed by a secondment as Information Officer to Durham University Business School (1992–94) in charge of its library, where I became chartered with the then Library Association (now CILIP).

From 1994 to 2015 I was Curator of German and Scandinavian Collections at the British Library, and as part of the curatorial team in West European Collections had sole budget and collection development responsibility for Austria and Sweden, and shared responsibility for Germany.

I have served as Chair of the German Studies Library Group (GSLG) since 2014.

And since 2015 I have been Arts & Humanities Subject Librarian in the BL’s Content and Research Services directorate, where I am also responsible for Library and Information Studies content development and drawing up the BL’s LIS content strategy and content development plan

Information for joining:

• This session is virtual and will run via Zoom. Once your booking has been confirmed, joining instructions will be emailed the day before the event.
• Electronic CPD attendance certificates can be provided on request. Please request via cpd25@london.ac.uk

Cost
£25 members
£50 for other institutions.

Cancellations less than one week before the event will be charged a 50% cancellation fee. In the event of a ‘no-show’ on the day, the full fee will be charged.

To book a place, please use our online booking forms.