Dr Jayne Finlay

I began my career in Librarianship by working as a Graduate Trainee in the Taylor Institution Library at Oxford University. Following the completion of an MA Librarianship at the University of Sheffield in 2014, I then worked for two years as an Assistant Librarian at the University College of Football Business in London.

I completed a PhD in Education at Ulster University which explored prisoners’ engagement with library services during incarceration. Improving access to information and education in prisons has remained the focus of my research. I have held research positions in the School of Education at Ulster University and the School of Law at Trinity College Dublin, while also teaching on Ulster University’s online postgraduate Library and Information Management course.

In 2021 I was part of a research team commissioned by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to undertake a national review of prison libraries in Ireland and to propose recommendations for change in prison library policy and practice. Most recently I have been liaising with prison library staff across the UK and Ireland to improve opportunities for staff networking and professional development in this sector.

I joined the Information School as a Lecturer in Librarianship in October 2022.