| My library career started with West Lothian Libraries in 1963. I got my ALA in 1967, then did an Open University degree in Maths and Science (with a Distinction in Geology and Geochemistry), before moving to the British Geological Survey Library in 1973. I moved to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1988. I received a PhD from the University of Strathclyde in 1991, for research on the communication process in science. I served two terms on the Scottish Library and Information Council, and in 2000 I was President of the Scottish Library Association (now CILIPS). I still contribute a regular column to Information Scotland. I left the RBGE Library in 1998 to move into senior management, where I was successively Garden Secretary, Director of Corporate Services, and for a short period Acting Accountable Officer for the whole organisation, before returning to posts in planning and information services. In my last six months at The Botanics I undertook a total restructuring of the Garden's website, commissioning and editing wholly new content, sourcing images, and constructing the navigation system to link around 250 web pages. I retired in 2002. |
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Apart from my formal career, I served ten years on the Board of the Scottish Poetry Library, the last four as its Chair. I was heavily involved with the process of turning the dream of a new home for the Library into the reality of the splendid building which was opened in 1999. I joined the Board of Trustees of StAnza: Scotland's Poetry Festival, in December 2004, and one of my first tasks as the organisation's IT Officer was to redesign and reconstruct the StAnza website in time for the programme launch in January 2005. In December 2006 I succeeded Drew Clegg as Convenor of the StAnza Board. I met Sally Evans and Ian King in 1996, and we've been good friends ever since then. The relationship between poet and publisher is so important, founded as it is on trust, respect and honesty. Add friendship to these three and you've got the recipe for a successful and long-term relationship. I feel very fortunate, and I'm grateful that we met. As well as publishing many fine authors under the diehard publishers imprint, Sally started off the successful broadsheet Poetry Scotland. When it had been going a few issues I suggested we might start a website as an add-on to the magazine, and I'm delighted that it has gone from strength to strength since then. Please visit the site and interact with us. |
| The Workshops & Readings page contains the details on these activities, but I still find time for photography, amateur drama and choral singing. Jane & I have two grown-up sons - David and Duncan. David, Susanne and our two delightful grandchildren - Morten and Rebecca - live just outside Frankfurt. I wish they were closer. |