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?

Record it or write it

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. You can send in your replies to our questions or alternatively video your answers and we’ll show the video here.

March 2025: John Heyderman

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

My name is John Heyderman, and I am a Library Assistant at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in Bloomsbury, in the heart of London.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I most enjoy interacting with library users. My frontline role is focused on supporting students, researchers and members of the public, particularly staffing the library enquiry desk, and I get a wide range of queries. I have plenty of variety as well as the chance to use the skills and knowledge I’ve gained from 25 years working in academic and public libraries. I also have fantastic colleagues who are always ready to step in and help when needed.

What motivates you in your work?

I get a real buzz from helping people access the information and resources that they need and satisfaction from resolving a wide range of problems: from getting a visitor connected to our WiFi to helping an academic researcher find an obscure journal article. I am also involved in finding new ways to improve the service and library environment, for example, redesigning the library foyer to make it more welcoming to our users.

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

I have taken many courses with CPD25 and they have been excellent. Recently I have attended training on managing student behaviour, understanding libraries with qualitative techniques as well as going on visits to some fascinating libraries, including the House of Commons Library, the Marx Memorial Library and the British Film Institute Reuben Library.

What would it surprise people to know about you?

I played in an obscure punk band, the Milkmen (not to be confused with the Dead Milkmen) around 1979. About 15 years ago, two of our studio tracks were included on a compilation album of London DIY bands released by the Hyped to Death label in the United States.

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

If I wasn’t working in a library, I would love to be a local tour guide as I love sharing my knowledge and answering questions. My fantasy is to be a guide for time travellers from the seventeenth century but until this enters the realm of possibility, I am content to carry on working in libraries!