Jenny Blackhurst

Responsibilities

As the College Librarian, I am responsible for running the College Library and am also Head of Department for the Library & Archive.

Until July 2022, I was Fellow for Life & Study Skills and coordinated the “Thrive” programme, the pre-cursor to the Girton Skills Programme, supporting students' effective studying and effective learning at all levels as well as the development of life/transferable skills.

Other

I am responsible for all the College’s Library collections — the Main Library, the Special Collections and the Stanley Library — and for the Library's user education programme. I contribute to Freshers' inductions and the Girton Skills Programme. 

• Current members of College can contact me for help and advice on all aspects of information searching, the critical evaluation of sources, and referencing. One-to-one training is available as part of the Girton Skills Programme.
• Researchers wishing to make enquiries about the Library’s Special Collections should contact me for further information or to arrange a visit – see Archive and Special Collections.

Within Girton, I convene the Library Committee and I sit on a number of other committees, including Buildings and Estate Strategy Committee, Curatorial Committee, Education Board, Garden Committee, HR Committee, Information Management Committee and the Legacies of Enslavement Committee. I was a member of Council from 2022 to 2025.

Beyond Girton, I was Convenor (i.e. chair) of the Cambridge College Libraries Forum from 2022 to 2025.