About us
Algirdas (Al)
Librarian, London
Al has been working as a library assistant at QA since 2016. Initially, he came to the UK to complete his undergraduate and master's degree in music composition. With a stroke of luck, he discovered his passion for working in libraries and has pursued this career ever since. Al’s experience in academic environments proved useful in giving support to students. In his spare time, he still enjoys practicing music and will appreciate suggestions for his to-read pile.
Al is based at the London campus and specialises in supporting Degree Apprenticeship learners.
Book an individual consultation with Algirdas online, face to face.
The QA Higher Education Library is here to support you with:
premium learning and research resources;
study facilities; and
support, advice and guidance.
Depending on the programme you study, some or most of your learning and research resources (eg, ebooks, databases etc) are provided to you via your partner university, as well as the QA Higher Education Library.
If your classes normally take place at the QA Higher Education campuses in Birmingham, Manchester or London (Rosebery Avenue), you are welcome to borrow textbooks from campus libraries and use their facilities.
If your classes would normally take place remotely, please utilise the digital resources of the QA Higher Education Library.
For support (anything related to sources of your knowledge and learning, and the skills needed to utilise information effectively), please see the Contact page.
Benedict (Ben)
Library Assistant, London
Ben is an enthusiastic library assistant who joined QA in mid-2021. He started his further education career in IT and moved onto working as a customer service apprentice in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama Library. Ben loves to talk and help people, so he continued his library career to do just that. He also loves using computers, reading novels and non-fiction, and learning useful things.
Dan
Librarian, Birmingham
Dan has been working with QA since 2019. Dan has an interest in computing technologies and contributes to learning resources that include the library portal. He has a BA in philosophy and English and an MA in digital cultures. He has worked in academic and public libraries in both Ireland and the UK. He enjoys reading Irish poetry, writing music, and working on digital projects.
Book an individual consultation with Dan: online or face to face.
Ihar
Head of Library Services, London
Ihar manages the QA library services. He is a chartered librarian and a Fellow of the HEA. Ihar is a strong believer in the power of social knowledge creation; this has led him to get involved with Wikipedia authoring in several languages. He is also into book publishing.
Book an individual consultation with Ihar: online or face-to-face.
Jodie
Librarian, Birmingham
Jodie joined QA in May 2023. After previously studying Computer Science and Mathematics at university she began her career in libraries. She has worked in public and school libraries for the past seven years and is currently working towards her CILIP Chartership.
Jodie is an avid reader. She enjoys fantasy & science fiction and she’s a big fan of comics and Marvel. Her other hobbies include diamond painting, embroidery, and Warhammer.
Book an individual consultation with Jodie: online or face-to-face.
Lucy
Library Assistant, Birmingham
Lucy joined the library in June 2023. Before QA, she studied English literature and creative writing at Manchester University under the renowned poet Carol Ann Duffy.
Her final piece of work at university was a TV pilot exploring the surge of young people moving back home on the cusp of Covid lock-downs. Furthermore, literature determined her career as a librarian as she loves being around books. Lucy also enjoys art, music and games.
Theo
Library and Student Services Assistant, Manchester
Theo joined QA in 2022. They have been interested in a library career since their days as a student librarian in high school and is excited to have joined the QA team. They are a keen reader and music fan. Most of their time is spent taking photos of their cat, being sat on by said cat, listening to Taylor Swift and reading queer novels.
Thi
Library Assistant, London
Thi's passion for working in the library began when she started volunteering as a library assistant at the Design Museum, and she has chosen this path ever since. She has a background in art and design and enjoys watching drama and movies, listening to music and reading Anime/Manga.
Silvia
Librarian, London
Silvia joined QA in December 2023. Having worked for both public libraries (as a Children's Librarian) and museum libraries across Europe, she is now dedicated to helping students in higher education. She has a BA in Cultural Studies and Modern Languages (Spanish, Italian and English) and a MA in Management of Culture and the Arts. In her spare time, she visits art galleries, cycles around London and cooks Italian meals.
Book an individual consultation with Silvia: online or face-to-face.
Misha
Library Assistant, London