معرفی
Dr. Jayne Finlay is a Lecturer in Librarianship at the School of Information, Journalism and Communication, University of Sheffield, where she teaches on the MA Librarianship and MA Library and Information Services Management programmes. She joined the School in October 2022, having previously taught at Ulster University and worked in academic libraries at Oxford University, UCFB London, and Ulster University.
Her educational qualifications include:
- Bachelor of Theology (BTh) from Queen's University Belfast
- Master of Theology (MTh) from Queen's University Belfast
- MA in Librarianship from the University of Sheffield (2014)
- PhD in Education from Ulster University (2020)
Dr. Finlay's research focuses on prison librarianship and education, examining access to library services for incarcerated individuals and their families, and the information behaviors of people in prison. She also investigates social justice in library contexts and conducts pedagogic research on distance learning in LIS education. Her work emphasizes collaboration with prison library staff to improve professional development and networking opportunities across the UK and Ireland.
Analysis of her 2018-2025 publications reveals sustained focus on prison library services with evolving methodological sophistication, particularly in national review frameworks. Recent work expands into neurodiversity in LIS professions while maintaining core themes of correctional information access. Her interdisciplinary research bridges Library Science, Criminal Justice, and Education through qualitative approaches addressing systemic barriers in carceral settings.
Dr. Finlay secured significant research funding including a 2021 LGMA commission for Ireland's national prison library review. She actively shapes professional practice through CILIP membership, EPEA involvement, and current IPEA committee service as Liaison Officer, building on prior leadership as CILIP Ireland's New Professionals and Student Liaison Officer (2016-2018).
She coordinates international networks of prison library professionals across the UK and Ireland, developing communities of practice to advance sector knowledge sharing and evidence-based policy implementation.
