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The Guille-Allès Library has announced a new Chief Librarian.
Cornelia James has been appointed to the role, as Laura Milligan retires after eight years as Chief and nearly forty years at the Library altogether.
After many years working in the community as Outreach Librarian, since 2016 Cornelia has managed the Children & Young People’s service, including overseeing the transformation of the Children’s Library in 2018.
Laura Milligan said: “Cornelia is the perfect person to lead the Library in the years ahead. I know she will use her strong background in Children’s and Outreach services, together with her incredible passion and dedication, to continue evolving the library service and expanding our presence in the community.”
Laura led the computerisation of the Library in the 1980s and 90s, and became Chief Librarian in 2014. As Chief she has overseen a raft of service improvements, including the new Children’s Library, the expansion of digital services, and the opening of the Fab Lab last year, which provides public access to a range of new technologies.
Laura Milligan said: “Being Chief Librarian has been the highlight of my career. I’ve tried hard to keep the service moving with the times, just as the Library’s founders Thomas Guille and Frederick Allès always wanted. They had remarkable and rather un-Victorian foresight, and talked about the Library always adapting to the changing needs of the future. We’ve worked hard to do that through our expanding range of services, our community outreach, and our digital offering, while at the same time keeping focus on our core mission to make all kinds of knowledge and works of the imagination available to the public.”
Cornelia James said: “Laura has been an incredible servant to the Library, and I know I have big boots to fill! I’m looking forward to developing the service and leading the wonderful Library team. In 2022 we want to put a strong focus on celebrating our uniqueness – our unique history and heritage, our unique role in the community, and our unique range of services for people of all ages.”
The Library has a number of new initiatives launching in 2022, including a special project to bring to life the Library’s history and a new series of events in the Fab Lab. More information about all Library services can be found at www.library.gg
