New Director: Cultural Collections and Curatorial Practice

Jane Gallagher has been appointed as the new Director of Cultural Collections and Curatorial Practice.

Jane will join University of Leeds Libraries from the University of Manchester where she currently holds the role of Head of Digital Special Collections.

University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection, Masud Khokhar, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Jane Gallagher as the Director of Cultural Collections and Curatorial Practice in the Libraries. Jane brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience to lead the excellent work of our cultural collections and curatorial practice team, in support of the Libraries vision for 2030 and the wider cultural engagement strategy. I am looking forward to working closely with Jane to strengthen our collaboration with key partners within and beyond the libraries, universities and cultural organisations across the city and the region.”

Jane brings substantial experience of strategic leadership. She has led digital development policies and programmes for advanced imaging and digitisation, with interests in digital innovation in cultural collections and leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. As Special Collections lead for Digital Scholarship, she works to harness the richness of collections for digital exploration, learning and access for all.

I look forward to supporting colleagues to deliver excellent services and I can’t wait to explore new opportunities to share and develop the wonderful collections

As Director of Cultural Collections and Curatorial Practice, Jane will lead on key strategic objectives of the Libraries vision and work to advance the University’s cultural engagement strategy. These objectives include delivering thought-provoking and inspiring cultural experiences, developing programmes that bring our galleries, cultural collections and public art to a global audience.

Increasing the global reach and impact of our cultural collections relies on improving the discoverability of our collections, and Jane joins the Libraries as the Digital Libraries Infrastructure Project is already delivering the technical foundations for this work.

Jane said: “I am delighted to be joining University of Leeds Libraries as Director of Cultural Collections and Curatorial Practice.

I look forward to supporting colleagues to deliver excellent services and I can’t wait to explore new opportunities to share and develop the wonderful collections. I'm excited about establishing and getting involved in collaborations and driving forward the Library's inclusive and ideas-led practice for the benefit of all communities, both within and beyond the University.”

Jane will join University of Leeds Libraries from 21 July 2025.