I am 66 years old and have been working full time since I matriculated at 16 years, studying mostly part-time or by correspondence. I have studied politics (M.A.); Library Science (diploma); and adult workplace learning (certificate).
I am an autodidact and have a lasting love, respect and allegiance for informal learning spaces, individual and group, specifically public libraries (and more recently, online resources) and the learning which occurs in social, cultural and workplace associations. I worked as a public librarian for the first decade and a half of my working life. I developed an internal training programme for rural and urban librarians, ran a youth drama group and became the trade union representative for the amenities and cemeteries sector of the municipal union.
I began working at the Trade Union Library in 1990, later to merge with the Labour Research Service in 1999, and spent the next 20 years doing information provision, research and education for trade unions and developing programmes, projects and publications.
I joined the IFWEA Executive Committee in 1996 and was elected General Secretary of IFWEA at the 20th General Conference held in Ahmedabad, India in 2007. I stood again for election at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 General Conferences. I will stand down at the upcoming General Conference in 2023 and commence my retirement.
I have loved every moment of my work for the IFWEA.
