M25 SpeedMeet
Welcome to M25 SpeedMeet and Spotlight. Every month we meet someone working in an M25 member institution or someone involved with an M25 Consortium Group, Network, or Committee. They tell us a little bit about themselves and how the Consortium has benefited them.
December 2025: Lydia Harris
Who are you, where are you based and what do you do?
Hi, I’m Lydia Harris, Collections Manager at King’s College London. I primarily manage the teaching and research physical collections across our seven libraries, AKA the books on shelves.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The ability to work across sites and different teams; I really enjoy getting out to our different campuses and talking with so many colleagues from across Libraries & Collections (and beyond). It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the collections and work with different people across the King’s Community. It’s also extremely satisfying when a project is completed, or a move has taken place that makes our collections more discoverable.
What motivates you in your work?
The ability to make a difference, however small, to the discoverability and access of our physical collections. It can sometimes feel like a Sisyphean task, collections management: the weeding, and moving, and analysing will never end but every time our resources are made more accessible and relevant to both our users and colleagues it makes a positive difference. My mantra is ‘A small amount of progress is still progress’ and every time progress is made, it’s intrinsically satisfying.
How has the M25 Consortium supported you in your career?
I’m a member of cpd25 Task Group One: Career Development. The M25 Consortium is such a great networking opportunity and way to increase skills, understanding and knowledge with colleagues across the sector. Talking with, and learning from, others is always such a great way to gain experience and understanding of roles, trends and potential avenues for future career development.
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I am, and always will be, an RPG obsessive, with a particular penchant for playing chaotic–good characters. Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, Planet of the Apes – I’ll give it all a go. I’m currently channeling the magnificence of Frank Finlay as Porthos in Three Musketeers campaign. If none of this makes sense, think Stranger Things on Netflix.
If I wasn’t working in a library I would be
Head Capybara Feeder at any wildlife park across the land…because…well, they’re the best, aren’t they? 😊
What’s your role?
We’re keen to meet even more members so if you’d like to feature in an upcoming M25 SpeedMeet or Spotlight send an email to Jill Howard, m25libadmin@london.ac.uk. You can send in your replies to our questions or alternatively video your answers and we’ll show the video here.
Read more SpeedMeet interviews :
2025
November: Alison Mackenzie, Research Support Librarian, RHS Libraries
October: Natalie Brown, Library Customer Services Team Leader, Anglia Ruskin University
September: Eloise Carpenter, Collection Services Manager at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
August: Leah Gulley, Academic Liaison Librarian, Buckinghamshire New University
July: Dr Janice Fernandes former Academic Support Manager, University of West London
June: Helen Curtis, Director of Learning Resources and University Librarian at Oxford Brookes University
May: Dan Herbert, Library Buildings Development Manager, Queen Mary, University of London
April: Polly Mortimer, Library Manager and Learning Support Lead, British Psychotherapy Foundation
February: Ian Clark, Academic Services Manager, University of East London
2024
Chris Foreman, Associate Director of Library Services at University of the Arts, London
Vicky Robertson, Deputy Librarian, UCL School of Pharmacy Library
Laura Scullion, Administrator (Events & Programmes), M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries
Dave Puplett, Associate Director, Libraries and Academic Enhancement, University of Greenwich
Fiona Ainsworth, Head of Library and Archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Dianne Shepherd, The British Museum, Senior Librarian
Jill Howard, M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries, Operations Manager
Cliff Van Dort, National Archives, Kew, Head of Library
Camilla Churchill, British Medical Association, Library and Archive Lead
Chloe Carson-Ashurst, The National Gallery, Library Assistant
2020-2023
Birgit Fraser, Anglia Ruskin University, Assistant Director – Academic and Content Services
Sarah Pipkin, UCL – Outreach and Exhibitions Coordinator, Special Collections Library
Anna Gillis, Royal Veterinary College – Research Support Librarian
Rachel Geeson, Anglia Ruskin University – Assistant Director, Customer Services
Jennifer Domingo, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine – Library Assistant
Emma Wisher, University of Essex – Assistant Director for User Engagement
Louise Ellis-Barrett, British Museum – Librarian Acquisitions and Projects
Paul Johnson, University of Surrey – Director of Library and Learning Services
Sara Burnett, Kingston University – Information Specialist
Robert Atkinson, Birkbeck, University of London – Director of Library Services
Laura MacCulloch, Royal Holloway, University of London – Curator
Rowan Williamson, UAL – Associate Director of Library Services and Support
Frances Willis, National Art Library at the V&A – Assistant Librarian
Robin Armstrong Viner, Courtauld Institute of Art – Head of Library Services
Adam Edwards, Middlesex University – Library Liaison Manager
Linda Coombs, Buckinghamshire New University – Library and Learning Resources Manager
Liz Pinel, Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive – Customer Services Manager
David Allen, Royal Society of Chemistry – Librarian
Russell Burke, LSHTM – Assistant Librarian
Verity Allison, St George’s, University of London – Journals and E-Resources Librarian