Meet the CILIP NE RMN committee: Beth Houlis

We wanted to introduce our committee members and enable them to share their experience of being a part of the North East Regional Member Network. Inspired by the CILIP Information Literacy Group we'll be asking our committee members some question. 

Thanks to the Information Literacy Group who have kindly let us re-use the questions they use on their blog.

Beth Houlis

What is your role on the committee?

I am the treasurer on the North East Regional Network committee.

When did you join and why?

I joined the committee in January 2020 after being invited to observe a meeting by my colleague, Holly, who was the Vice-Chair at the time. I was very new to the Library world and thought the committee would provide an opportunity to network outside of my institution and develop new skills that I might not have the chance to cultivate in my day job. 

I initially joined as an Ordinary Member but a few months later I decided to put myself forward for the Treasurer vacancy. This was a big jump for me as I had never been responsible for a committee’s finances but the support I received from the previous treasurer, Keith, and the patience of the rest of the committee helped make it easy to settle into the role (even during lockdown!).

What do you do in your role?

As the Treasurer, I lead the committee in financial matters by monitoring cashflow and advising on financial decision-making to ensure that the member network assets are healthy. I make sure that the committee is aware of the overall financial picture by presenting financial reports at our RMN meetings.

The busiest times for a treasurer are during the organisation of an event and in the New Year when the annual report is due. 

Aside from dealing with finances, I have also had the opportunity to take part in managing the committee’s events either by organising them or managing the chat during the actual event. 

What is your day job?

I am a Reading Lists Assistant at Northumbria University Library. In our team, we support academics in delivering and developing their online reading lists. Part of my job is to provide training on how to use our electronic reading lists and demonstrate the best ways to encourage students to engage with the module reading. I am also responsible for reviewing the lists and ensuring that we have access to all the items by ordering them from our suppliers. I also check for electronic versions in line with our digital first policy, check for new editions and ensure that we are in line with copyright when linking to webpages. Once the books have arrived in the Library, I am also responsible for processing them so they are available on our library shelves as soon as possible.

What are your other interests?

I spend a lot of my spare time with my nose stuck in a book whilst trying out new coffee shops. I’m lucky to live near a gorgeous park so try and go for walks there as much as I can.

I’ve just bought my first home so am looking forward to learning some DIY and gardening skills over the next few months. Oh, and filling my flat with lots of new books! 