About

If its just a contact you need, please contact ianlibrarian@live.co.uk.

I’m Ian Anstice, a lover of libraries for as long as I can remember and a professionally qualified librarian (MA Librarianship, Sheffield) since 1994. Since then I’ve worked as librarian and then manager of Winsford Library for Cheshire West and Chester Council. I’ve also been a reference specialist and a special projects officer during this time.  However, none of this website is in any way associated with the Council and it is done entirely in my own time.  Any views and opinions expressed are my own.

Why am I spending so much time (three hours most nights) on this website? Well, no-one else is doing it in the way I’d want it to be done. As a librarian, I think free access to information, facts and the views of all sides are necessary.  We’re living through the biggest changes to hit public libraries since there inception and it’s a privilege to be able to chronicle it.  My thanks to the many who email in information and, also, to the many that ask for information.  They’re all doing their bit to make libraries better than they would otherwise be and I am happy to be of service.

I’m very happy to do consultancy work (as for the NFWI), public speaking (as for CILIP and Speak Up for Libraries), articles (as for Politics, National Libraries Day or for CILIP Update), or advice (as for Unison, officials from all parts of the UK, councillors of all main parties or for the national Labour Party) and media interviews (as for BBC Six O’clock News, Channel Five, Radio Five Live, BBC Radio Scotland).   I am not of any political persuasion.  Bear in mind that I work full-time and so the time I can give may be limited unless expenses and lost earnings are paid.

In this day and age, I am also of course open to job offers.

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Awards

Libraries We Love interview

Media mentions