Marsco Information & Research

Katherine Ingham has been working in library and information services since 2001, and became a professional librarian in 2004 when she gained her PgDip in Information and Library Studies from Robert Gordon University, which she studied for online via distance learning.

Career history:

2001-2003 Learning Resource Administrator at Children’s Information Service, Sheffield. Here I developed and maintained a small library (around 4,000 items of grey on childcare and development) and created a library management system using Microsoft Access. I came up with marketing ideas on a tight budget, created webpages of quick links and negotiated discounts with our book supplier.

2003-2005 Librarian for Leeds City Council. Worked in several libraries in north-east and south Leeds, some in very challenging areas. I regularly worked on the enquiry desk at the busiest branch library and taught basic IT skills several times a week. I worked on projects on early years provision, information management and enquiry skills. I supported my colleagues when using IT and came up with creative activities for children.

I currently work for a national Scottish charity as a knowledge officer (details not published here for privacy reasons). I research, organise and write health information for young people. My colleagues and I created a classification scheme as part of the organisation’s knowledge management, and also undertook leading roles in organising the Microsoft Sharepoint intranet. I write for the website and extract and analyse data from online surveys.

Having had experience of working for two charities I can see how information professionals can help them organise their information needs. Over the next few years I aim to become a freelance information professional, specialising in working for charities. Many would benefit from knowledge management and information research but do not have the budget to employ someone full-time or on a long-term basis and this is where Marsco Information and Research Services can help out.

I have experience of researching information using online databases such as Medline, Ovid, LexisNexis and Web of Science. As part of my diploma course I wrote a literature review on health and safety for school trips for a university lecturer using databases.

I have been blogging on my personal site, Chatiryworld, since January 2004 and take an interest in how blogging can help organisations. I also have experience of web design.

I am 28 and live in Edinburgh. Marsco is the name of a mountain on Skye, an island I love.