Good news for the St Bride Printing Library. The St Bride Foundation has announced the appointment of Sophie Hawkey-Edwards as Foundation Librarian. The appointment signals the Board’s ongoing commitment to the maintenance and development of the unique, world-class collection of the St Bride Printing Library.
The St Bride Foundation Printing Library contains one of the largest collection of books on printing and publishing in the world, as well as a museum of early printing presses and type, and is a world-renowned resource for specialists, academics and enthusiasts alike.
In addition to 60,000 catalogued books and pamphlets, the library houses over 10,000 individual type specimens, wood engravings and original drawings by Eric Gill and Margaret Calvert.
In recent years the library has been run solely by a small team of dedicated volunteers, with reduced access for the general public, but secured funding has now enabled the appointment of a full time Librarian whose role it will be to reinvigorate and lead the process of improving access to this historic, national gem for a larger audience.
Sophie Hawkey-Edwards joins the Library from Conway Hall where as a senior manager she has overseen development of a strategy to make creative learning integral to the organisation and reviewed and rationalised the library’s unique humanist collections.
Following degrees in history of art and librarianship she has worked extensively in the library sector, managing young people’s library services for West Dunbartonshire Council before becoming Head of Creative Learning for the service.
On her appointment, Sophie said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to be joining St Bride Foundation and look forward to working with the library and wider team during this exciting time of development to ensure this unique, world renowned resource remains as relevant for future generations as it has been during its illustrious past.’
Sophie will take up her role this April.