Gavin specialises in library supply, metadata and operational excellence.
Gavin brings over 20 years of experience as an academic librarian to his role. Before joining SUPC in January 2020, he was Acquisitions Manager for Library Services at Imperial College London. Here he developed extensive experience of library procurement from a stakeholder perspective, working directly with SUPC. Gavin is able to bring a direct understanding of stakeholder concerns to SUPC activities. He is able to spot these and engage with his wide network of library professionals in order to act proactively, whether during tender activity or contract management. Having direct experience of pressures and workload peaks allows him to target activity more effectively. Gavin has led and participated in several Operational Excellence projects designed to effectively define and address the root causes of issues. This translates easily into supply chain management.
Gavin’s library history also includes bibliographic cataloguing and he has a firm grasp of the importance of metadata in supporting value for money and improved student experience. He has introduced the role of SUPC Metadata Advisor from among the SUPC membership and has established the SUPC & LUPC Metadata & Discovery Special Interest Group, which provides members of both consortia an opportunity for networking and CPD. Gavin is an experienced communicator within the academic library sector, having presented at conferences around the UK and into Europe and the USA. He is now taking the opportunity to present on the ability of procurement processes to enable greater value for members, partnering with members wherever possible to demonstrate the strength of that relationship.
Since joining SUPC Gavin has been developing his procurement expertise to match his stakeholder knowledge. He is working towards his Level 4 CIPS qualification and is looking for opportunities to extend the Academic Services category beyond libraries and support student wellbeing.