Library Innovation Competition supporting information
Mentor information
The shortlisted finalists will benefit from tailored mentoring support to develop their ideas and presentation skills.
Meet the mentors
Marc Steward
Marc Steward has been a careers consultant at the University of Leeds for over 10 years. He has comprehensive experience in providing vocational support and guidance to students, delivering employability workshops and teaching about careers.
He brings this expertise to the competition, offering his knowledge to the finalists. He says: “I am always happy to support students and help them develop professionally and personally.”
Marc is also passionate about increasing access to libraries and their services. His enthusiasm and experience will be an asset to the finalists, preparing them for their live presentations.
It is important that we support libraries and make them accessible as possible.
Chloe and Abigail Baldwin
Chloe and Abigail Baldwin are sisters and owners of Buttercrumble – a creative studio that connects audiences to societal organisations and children’s brands. Each sister has their own skills and expertise to bring to mentoring the finalists.
We’ve always loved libraries and this competition shows how special places go beyond the book.
Abigail is creative, using graphic design and illustration to bring stories to life. She is an advocate for the creative industry and uses her platform to speak at national and international events. She has valuable expertise in public speaking and will work with the finalists to increase their confidence in presenting.
Chloe has varied experience in management, marketing and business development. She’ll coach the finalists on innovative thinking, problem-solving and entrepreneurship.
The sisters say: “As alumnae of the University of Leeds, we're passionate about giving back and helping students prepare for life beyond their studies. Innovation is one of those things that’s vital to every business, and so helping students to think creatively and critically, to apply what they learn to real-world contexts and challenges is a fundamental skill we care deeply about.”