Many members of our team work behind the scenes to support the smooth running of the library and the delivery of its services. To celebrate the diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills, and interests within our team, we are launching a series: Library insider: Who’s Who at the Sainsbury Library.
This series will feature interviews with individual members of the library team, sharing their insights into the library and its resources, their professional journeys, their interest and passions, the books they are reading and recommending, and much more. Through these conversations, we hope to highlight the wide range of expertise and perspectives that contribute to the library community.
In this first post, Jack Perkin, the Collections & Instructional Materials Manager for Executive Education, shares his tips for using libraries, discusses an interest project of Pierre Wack archive that he is working on, talks about how library services could be improved, and recommends the books he is reading.
If you have any questions you would like to ask Jack, please let us know!
Jack
Collections and Instructional Materials Manager – Executive Education
I manage the Sainsbury Library’s support for the School’s Executive Education programmes based at Egrove Park.
- One thing most people don’t realise about being a librarian.
It’s not all about books! While we have lots of books (13 million in the Bodleian Libraries), everybody in our team has a really varied job, with aspects of customer service, teaching, answering business information enquiries, digital accessibility, copyright and licensing, and supporting student wellbeing, as well as working with our physical and electronic resources.
- Tell us about a project you’re working on at the moment.
My team is working on the archive of Pierre Wack (1922-1997). He was a key figure in developing scenario planning at Shell in the 1970s, and we’re creating detailed descriptions of all of his papers…there are over 3,000, so it’s definitely a long-term project!
Find out more about Pierre Wack and his archive.
- How could the Sainsbury Library be improved?
That’s easy… we need a library cat. Unfortunately, there are no plans to get one, so here are some pictures of my cats at home instead.
Use ‘Find it @ Oxford’ links. This is an easy way to get full-text links to appear next to Google Scholar search results. Here’s a helpful blog post which explains how to activate them.
- A hidden gem in our collection that deserves the spotlight.
The library has a selection of iPads and e-readers available for loan. Just ask at the Enquiry Desk if you’d like to borrow one.
- Which library (apart from the Sainsbury Library of course) within the Bodleian Libraries is your favourite?
My advice to any new student is to play ‘library bingo’ at Oxford by trying to visit as many as you can. Our team were recently given a tour around the new Bodleian Humanities Library, which opened earlier this year. It’s incredible!
Use ‘Find a library’ to play library bingo.
- The book you are reading now.
I have a 1 year old daughter, so am mostly reading bedtime stories! Her favourites are Where’s Mrs Cat?, Hairy Maclary, and anything featuring ‘Mog’ by Judith Kerr. I recommend them all.