White Rose Libraries Office

The White Rose Libraries (WRL) Office team works with the Executive Board, and other colleagues across the three institutions, to deliver the White Rose Libraries’ shared strategic goals and operational requirements. The Office’s role is to:

  • Work with colleagues to identify and scope potential new services and initiatives that would add value or efficiency to the work of the three libraries;
  • Facilitate and support collaborative activities across all aspects of library services;
  • Manage existing collaborative projects and services such as the shared WRL Repositories and White Rose University Press.

In this capacity, the Office works with a wide range of colleagues in different roles across the collaboration, encouraging and enabling collaborative activities that benefits all three sites.

In 2018 our collaborative approach was recognised when the White Rose Libraries won the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Award for Outstanding Library Team, for our work on the Repositories, Staff Skills, and White Rose University Press.

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The WRL Office team

The White Rose Libraries (WRL) Office is located at the University of York, though the team of dedicated staff work regularly across the three sites.

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Kate Petherbridge

White Rose Libraries Executive Manager

A qualified Librarian, Kate has a long history of service development and delivery in complex library environments. She came to White Rose Libraries from the Bodleian Library in Oxford where she worked as Reader Services Librarian. The role of WRL Executive Manager includes managing the shared repository service and working as Press Manager for White Rose University Press.

Lucy Cook

WRUP Publishing and Communications Assistant

This role supports the Executive Manager in their work as WRUP Press Manager, with the commissioning, planning and production of our monographs and journals, and with targeted advocacy and communications activities promoting WRUP and its publications. Lucy moved to this role from another WRL post, and – prior to that – built significant experience working within the team in the library in York.

Katy Holmes

White Rose Libraries Administrative Assistant

Katy is the newest member of the WRL team, and provides all aspects of Admin support for the WRL office. This involves organisational support for all three strands of WRL’s activity, monitoring the Repository mailboxes, management of WRL’s social media and website, and liaising with colleagues across the three sites to facilitate collaboration.

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John Salter

White Rose Libraries Technical Support Officer

John looks after the technical aspects of WRL’s day-to-day running. Based at the University of Leeds, John works closely with colleagues at all three universities to manage WRL’s digital infrastructure, including the running of our two repositories. Currently, he is working hard on our Repositories Renewal Project to upgrade the Repositories infrastructure.