About
Dr. Leo Appleton is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield's School of Information, Journalism and Communication. With a PhD in Library and Information Science from Edinburgh Napier University (2020) and two Master's degrees (Music, Education), he bridges interdisciplinary expertise into his work.
- Education: BA (Northumbria), PGCert (Edge Hill), MA (Liverpool/Edge Hill), PhD (Edinburgh Napier)
- Professional: Chartered Fellow of CILIP and Senior Fellow of HEA
His research focuses on academic and public libraries, examining performance measurement, space design, user experience, and their sociopolitical roles. His 2020 PhD thesis explored public libraries' epistemic and political functions in the UK's public sphere through longitudinal studies.
Recent publications highlight trends: decolonising learning environments (2025), AI integration in libraries (2024), climate action (2023), and classification system biases (2023). His work emphasizes critical librarianship, digital equity, and adaptive strategies post-pandemic.
- Scientific Award: 2016 Research Practitioner Excellence Award (CILIP)
As Director of Education and Module Co-ordinator for leadership courses (INF6005, INF6513), he shapes LIS pedagogy. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the New Review of Academic Librarianship since 2020.
