With more than 20 years of experience in Higher Education libraries, Stuart Hunt joined us in December 2023 as our Director of Library Services and Collections and University Librarian.
Stuart is responsible for the strategic and operational management of our libraries and collections. Eight months into the role, Dialogue caught up with Stuart to find out more about him and his role at Durham.
Stuart Hunt
What attracted you to Durham?
First and foremost, what attracted me was the opportunity to take on a fantastic role. The collections, facilities, services and staff are outstanding, and it is a genuine pleasure to lead University Library and Collections (ULC) at Durham. Clearly, working at a Durham University was a significant attractor. It is a world-leading university with a well-deserved reputation for excellence, and the opportunity to be a part of that was irresistible.
Is there anything you’re particularly proud of since starting at Durham?
I am particularly proud of the staff in ULC and what they have achieved and continue to achieve. It has been a real pleasure to see the work of colleagues recognised within the University at events such as the Global Awards and at the Teaching and Learning Awards. It would be easy for me to take credit for their hard work and dedication, but my colleagues have shown that they are outstanding members of the University.
For me personally, there are many things that are stand-out moments since I joined. To name one example, being involved in the review of digital humanities (DH) within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities has been an extremely positive experience. I am fortunate that I've been able to bring my previous experience to discussions around DH and how ULC can be involved in, and directly support, this work.
What are your priorities for the next six months?
One of my first priorities has been getting to know the staff in ULC. I have tried to meet with every one of them, which is no mean feat given the numbers. This has been a real pleasure. I hope this has been a two-way conversation for colleagues and I to get to know each other. Obviously, I have an agenda and things I would like to achieve in the near-term. A key priority has been taking the helm of ULC and understanding the strategic and operational priorities for us. Now is the time for ULC to focus on a new strategic direction and I am pleased to say that we have started on this work, which I know from my conversations with colleagues is needed.
On a personal level, getting to know Durham as an institution and as a place is a fantastic opportunity. Previously in my career I had never worked further north than Warwick so getting to know the North East is high on my agenda.
What is a regular day like for you?
Like anyone in a leadership role my day is usually one of meetings. These will be either within ULC or across the University. It's important for anyone in my role to participate in meetings and committees if we are to input into what is going on at the University. I also have external committee and advisory board commitments and these need to fit into my time, although they inevitably play second fiddle to the day job and work at hand. As a morning person I am usually up and about early in the day as that is when I feel most productive.
Book at Cosin's Library
What do you like to do outside of work?
There is a joke in librarianship that you shouldn’t employ anyone to work in libraries if they say they love books. Needless to say, the profession is full of people who entered precisely because of this reason. I am one of those people. This means that I spend far too much of my time than perhaps I should with my nose in a book. I am also passionate about museums and particularly enjoy spending my time in museums and galleries. When visiting a new place, I always like to visit the museums to try and understand the culture and see things that I probably didn’t know about before. Being a librarian is the only job I ever wanted to have so it would be a shame to just spend my working life being one; I can do it in my spare time too!
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve been given?
At the beginning of my professional career, just as I was leaving what was then called the School of Library, Archive and Information Studies at University College London (UCL), I was fortunate enough to have three job offers at the same time. My library school tutor recommended which offer I should accept, so I started my professional career at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). I have continued to work in or with university libraries ever since and don’t regret that decision.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I have a Danish wife and half-Danish daughter, so I studied the Danish language at evening classes. I try to keep it up, but inevitably without practice, I’m sure my language skills have declined. If any colleagues at the University know of any Danish language classes in Durham, I would be pleased to hear of them!