Young Librarians of the Future

Anthony Hopkins, 26

Stock Manager

London Borough of Merton Library Service

“ The feeling that I am delivering an integral service to many people’s lives drives me on and constantly reminds me why I wish to deliver the best possible service to the public that I can. Libraries are no longer a quiet place just for books, we are now a public service with an agenda to encourage people to enjoy reading, increase skills in either a formal or informal agenda, use computers and other technologies and raise awareness for other services. We are a service provider for all and the fact that anybody can utilise these resources is an empowering movement for change in people’s lives. ”

“ Being one of the Top Ten Librarians has certainly improved my profile in Merton and I am often recognised by staff who I do not know by this title. Since I was announced as one of the Top Ten Librarians I have continued to develop myself professionally and I have recently been appointed to the post of Library Operations Manager in Merton that has direct responsibility for managing all library sites and their managers. I am also looking to undertake a management course within the next six months. ”