M25 SpeedMeet

Welcome to M25 SpeedMeet. Every month we meet someone working in an M25 member institution and ask them to tell us a little bit about themselves.

One of the three strategic themes of the M25 Strategic Plan is connecting and collaborating through our network. Our aim is to provide a regional network whose members offer multiple perspectives that can inform decision making, and facilitate opportunities for networking and joint working on shared issues. What better way to do this than to meet?

In past months, we’ve met the Senior Librarian at the British Museum, Library Assistants at the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and The National Gallery, a Research Support Librarian at the Royal Veterinary College and the Director of Library and Learning Services at the University of Surrey.

We’re keen to meet even more members so if you’d like to feature in the M25 SpeedMeet, please contact m25libadmin@london.ac.uk.

December 2024: Chris Foreman

Who are you, where are you based and what do you do?

I am Chris Foreman, Associate Director of Library Services at University of the Arts, London. I have a particular remit around Library Collections; Special Collections; Digital; Discovery and Archives and I work all across UAL’s 8 sites at Stratford; Wimbledon; Kings Cross; High Holborn; Shepherd’s Bush; Elephant and Castle; Chelsea and Camberwell!

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Aside from the kick-ass Librarianship, working across so many colleges and campuses, every challenge and day is different. I love seeing the ever–abundant creativity of an Institution like UAL – where the scenery is forever changing and student work is continuously celebrated and displayed.

What motivates you in your work?

Supporting our Library users; supporting colleagues on their professional journey and celebrating their successes. Transforming spaces and helping to tell stories that are otherwise overlooked or uncelebrated.

How has/can the M25 Consortium support you in your career?

Personally, I think “lift off” for my career was doing the CPD25 programme in about 2008/9. The programme really helped me make a leap from being a Systems Librarian at the time into more mainstream roles and gave me the tools and confidence to take on broader responsibilities and push into operational and strategic management roles. I have continued to dip-in to M25 events ever since and, of course, every time I do – I hear from amazing people doing incredible things who are always happy to share their experiences.

I also love visiting other Libraries and have a particularly fond memories of visiting Wormwood Scrubs Prison Library and the Museum of Freemasonry with M25.

What would it surprise people to know about you?

Well, Librarians are a pretty talented bunch – they are often talented musicians, artists, academics etc. – so I’m not sure I have too much in my locker to surprise them but I can play the piano and, as I played football through my 20’s – I can still do lots of tricks and keepie-uppies with a football.

Complete the sentence: If I wasn’t working in a library I would be

…working in some form rehabilitation or Occupational Therapy because I am obsessed with design and in re-thinking individual problems and challenges. I am a nearly lifelong amputee (hang on, I could have put that in the “surprises” section…) and volunteer with the Limbless Association. Through that, I meet a lot of amazing people who are trying to achieve dreams or ambitions while overcoming a life-changing event and – through their successes and achievements (and in realising that there are actually very few immovable constraints) you truly do start to believe that anything is possible. That, like Librarianship, would be super-rewarding.