Ben Elliott, Pembroke College

Hello! I’m Ben, the graduate trainee librarian at Pembroke.

Before Pembroke, I studied English Literature and History of Art at York. Deciding that staring at art and calling it “studying” was for me, I then completed a master’s in History of Art, also at York. Making the southerly trek from North Yorkshire and the beautiful city of York – a place I was lucky to call my home for 4 years – to Pembroke, I felt strangely at ease. Pembroke’s 1970s library building is scarily similar to York’s stunning, and monolithic concrete-acropolis of a campus (which I loved). This is not to say Pembroke is a 1970s creation. Its foundation in 1624 makes for some beautiful quads and buildings whilst being the stage for J.R.R. Tolkien putting pen to paper writing The Hobbit and seeing Samuel Johnson explore the English language.

In my spare time, I like to sketch. One of my recent sketches, see below, is of Pembroke’s Fellows Staircase:

 

Fellows Staircase in Pembroke’s Chapel Quad. Ben Elliott

 

Throughout university, I volunteered and interned with museums, galleries, archives and country houses discovering that collections work and education are what I found to be most interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling. So, for me, working in an academic library was a brilliant opportunity to explore these fascinations further. I look forward to delving into the bizarre world of college libraries exploring their endlessly unique special collections, and in Pembroke’s case, its art collection!

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