Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas has been Associate Librarian at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha / University of Canterbury since 2015. She is responsible for the strategic management of research services, as well as acquisitions, cataloging, and discovery. Her work includes expertise in collections and technical services. Her extensive leadership experience in academic libraries includes strategic planning, governance, stakeholder engagement, and leading large and diverse teams. She was previously a librarian at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales from 2002 to 2015, where she was involved with the Welsh Higher Education Libraries Forum's partner-led procurement of a shared library management system.

Helen's areas of focus include examining bias in computer systems, and the challenges of countering in-built technical bias. She enjoys working on projects where relationships are built, and knowledge is shared to improve outcomes for library users. She also advocates for adequate funding and resources for libraries worldwide to ensure they can meet modern challenges.