Leaders Council
Helen Thomas
Associate University Librarian, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha/University of Canterbury
Helen Thomas has served on OCLC Councils since 2022 and is currently Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. She has been Pou Turarua (Associate Librarian) at the Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha in New Zealand since 2015 and was a librarian at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales from 2002 to 2015. She is responsible for the strategic management of research services, as well as acquisitions, cataloguing, 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.
Ms. Thomas' areas of focus include looking at bias in computer systems, and the challenges of countering in-built technical bias. She enjoys working on projects and changes where relationships are built, and knowledge is shared to improve outcomes for library users. Ms. Thomas was a chartered member of the UK's Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and is now a member of LIANZA (Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa). In 2024, she was featured in SAGE Publishing's "Dialogue with a Librarian" series, where she discussed innovation in education and research libraries. She highlighted the need for creativity and flexibility in library management and underscored how rapidly evolving technology demands new skills from librarians. She also advocates for adequate funding and resources for libraries worldwide to ensure they can meet modern challenges.
Member institution
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha/University of Canterbury
Otautahi, Aotearoa/Christchurch, New Zealand
Term end date: 31 October 2027