1. What do you enjoy most about your role at Heythrop Library?
I enjoy issuing and returning books for the readers and helping them to find books when they are not sure where a particular subject might be located. I am also very keen on the cataloguing.
2. Where did you work prior to Heythrop Library?
Prior to working at Heythrop I worked for a short time cataloguing at the Transport Museum Library and before that I was at the University of the Arts, cataloguing for all six of the art libraries in that institution.
3. Why does Heythrop Library’s collection interest you?
I am keen collector of books on a wide variety of subjects. I think the philosophy section is particularly interesting to me. I do have the King James Bible at home and some books about the translators of that celebrated work.
4. Are there challenges of working at Heythrop Library?
I suppose the main challenge is making sure which location the book is in as the collection is spread across a number of sites. The Library of Congress classification requires some concentration at first in terms of where to place the book and searching for books for readers.
5. Favourite book inside and outside the collection?
My favourite book is usually the one I am reading at the moment, which is currently Spike Island: The Memory of a Military Hospital / Philip Hoare
Julian Allen
Temporary Assistant Librarian (February to April 2025).
What are your thoughts about the above?