Introducing Our Experts: Special Collections staff and their specialisms
Special Collections at the University of Manchester employs a range of professionals, from conservators and photographers to archivists, librarians and curators. Between them they hold an in-depth knowledge of our world-leading collections and their significance for scholarship and teaching. We all share a keen interest in developing, promoting and enhancing access to the diverse range of Special Collections held by the University so please do get in touch if you have any questions.
Head of Special Collections
Dr John Hodgson
Associate Director: Curatorial Practices
Special Collections (including Imaging and Reader Services), Collection Care, Visitor Engagement at the John Rylands Library, and the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre; business partner for the Cultural Institutions.
Email: john.hodgson@manchester.ac.uk
Managers
Jane Gallagher
Digital Engagement Manager
Enabling Special Collections to embrace innovative digital developments in order to facilitate outstanding research, teaching and learning and public engagement, with a particular focus on Digital Scholarship and imaging; Curator of post-1500 religions & theology printed collections; SC subject lead for Modern Languages.
Email: jane.gallagher@manchester.ac.uk
Dr Janette Martin
Student Engagement Manager
Leading the development of innovative student engagement with Special Collections in order to ensure an outstanding student experience; managing and developing the SC Reader Service; Curator of history archives (social, industrial, economic and political history); Special Collection Subject lead for History (modern) and American Studies. Read more about Janette’s work here
Email: janette.martin@manchester.ac.uk
Julianne Simpson
Research Engagement Manager
Leading development of innovative research engagement, particularly through The John Rylands Research Institute; Curator of foreign language, literature and East Asian printed collections, incunabula (early printed book created using movable type), history of science, technology & medicine; Special Collection subject lead for History (medieval, early modern) and Chinese Studies.
Email: julianne.simpson@manchester.ac.uk
Curators
Anne Marie Anderton
Curator
Curator of western manuscripts and visual collections (art, photography and objects); Special Collections Subject lead for Art History.
Email: anne.anderton@manchester.ac.uk
Elizabeth Gow
Curator
Curator of non-western manuscripts and archives; Special Collections subject lead for Japanese Studies. Elizabeth is currently completing a PhD investigating Enriqueta Rylands who founded the John Rylands Library and was a gifted book and rare manuscripts collector.
Email: elizabeth.gow@manchester.ac.uk
Charlotte Hoare
Librarian
Responsible for cataloguing medical printed collections in a project funded by the Wellcome Trust; developing access to these collections through contributing to reader engagement, promotions, exhibitions, events and other strategies.
Email: charlotte.hoare@manchester.ac.uk
Dr James Peters
Archivist
Curator of University, scientific, technical and medical archives; Special Collections subject lead for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine; SC lead for digital preservation.
Email: james.n.peters@manchester.ac.uk
Julie Ramwell
Rare Book Librarian
Curator of post-1500 English printed collections and modern French literature; Special Collections subject lead for Drama and Music; Special Collection lead for stock and locations.
Email: julie.ramwell@manchester.ac.uk
Donna Sherman
Map Librarian
Curator of map collections and printed atlases; Special Collections subject lead for Architecture, Geography and Planning; Special Collection lead for teaching and learning.
Read more about Donna’s work and research interests here
Email: donna.sherman@manchester.ac.uk
Jessica Smith
Archivist
Curator of Literary, Performing and Visual Arts archives; Special Collections subject lead for English Literature, Creative Writing and Institute for Cultural Practices.
Email: jessica.smith@manchester.ac.uk
Lianne Smith
Archivist
Curator of books, periodicals and archives relating to the Christian Brethren. Responsible for archive cataloguing training. Special Collections subject lead for Religions and Theology.
Email: lianne.smith@manchester.ac.uk
Collection Assistants
Clare Baker
Supporting academic and public engagement activity and collections activities across Special Collections.
Email: clare.baker@manchester.ac.uk
Karen Jacques
Supporting academic and public engagement activity and collections activities across Special Collections.
Email: karen.jacques@manchester.ac.uk
Thomas Gordon
Supporting academic and public engagement activity and collections activities across Special Collections.
Email: thomas.gordon@manchester.ac.uk
Imaging Team
Gwen Riley Jones
Imaging Manager
Leading imaging activity and development to support research, teaching & learning and public engagement activity; developing the implementation of advanced photographic methods and liaising with researchers and curators to support and develop activities of Special Collections.
Email: gwen.rileyjones@manchester.ac.uk
Tony Richards
Photographer
Supporting research, teaching and learning, and public engagement with Special Collections using a range of advanced photographic methods.
Email: tony.richards@manchester.ac.uk
James W. Robinson
Photographer
Supporting research, teaching and learning, and public engagement with Special Collections using a range of advanced photographic methods.
Email: james.robinson-3@manchester.ac.uk
Jo Castle
Project Photographer
Supporting research, teaching and learning, and public engagement with Special Collections using a range of photographic methods.
Email: jo.castle@manchester.ac.uk
Lisa Risbec
Project Photographer
Supporting research, teaching and learning, and public engagement with Special Collections using a range of photographic methods.
Email: lisa.risbec@manchester.ac.uk
The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE (Race Archives and Community Engagement) Centre
The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre is an open access library specialising in the study of race, ethnicity and migration.
Safina Islam
Head of the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust
Email: safina.islam@manchester.ac.uk
Jo Robson
Library Manager
Email: joanne.robson@manchester.ac.uk
Maya Sharma
Collections Access Officer
Email: maya.sharma@manchester.ac.uk
Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library. All images used on this page are licenced via CC-BY-NC-SA, for further information about each image, please follow the link in the caption description.
