Trinity Appoints New Librarian and College Archivist

Posted on: 22 September 2014

Helen Shenton is Trinity College Dublin’s newly appointed Librarian and College Archivist. Joining Trinity in June 2014, Ms Shenton has a strong track record of leadership and management in world-class organisations – most recently as Executive Director of Harvard Library in the US where she co-led the transition to a new governance, funding and organisational model. With 73 individual libraries making up Harvard’s 378-year old library system, Ms Shenton managed multiple stakeholders, and used her strategic insight to develop one of the world’s most renowned research libraries in areas like digitisation, accessibility, collection and content development, and records management.

Ms Shenton has cared for world-class collections across several heritage sites. At the British Library, she led the care of the UK’s national documentary heritage collection and national printed archive, both physical and digital. At the UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum, she had responsibility for the care of one of world’s finest decorative arts collections. Ms Shenton is experienced in managing capital infrastructure projects, including historic building projects and major innovative library storage projects.

Ms Shenton brings an international network of contacts, executive Board experience, and new perspectives in global higher education. She has a background in philanthropy for projects in the UK and the US, as well as wide experience in exhibitions, making material accessible physically and virtually.

Ms Shenton’s appreciation of our huge cultural and literary inheritance, and deep understanding of the contemporary needs of the Library, make her appointment among the most important for Trinity in recent years.

In depth interviews with Ms Shenton will feature in the Provost’s Review and Trinity Today, both of which will be published next month.