Biddy Casselden

BA (Hons) PGCE MA MCLIP FHEA

Senior Lecturer in Information and Communication Management

I originally started out working in local government and the civil service administration before training and working as a teacher.  I then changed career by taking the Masters in Information and Library Management at Northumbria, and worked in a variety of posts including research associate, resources support officer, newspaper library information manager, study skills centre manager and academic librarian, before finally taking up a lecturing post at Northumbria in 2001. I am currently the Programme Leader for our distance learning MA/MSc Information & Library Management.

My teaching interests are wide ranging, but essentially fall into two broad categories – management (including marketing), and information storage and retrieval (including competitor intelligence).

Having originally studied Government and Public Policy as a first degree I am interested in the political dimension of libraries – particularly what is happening currently with library cuts and the Big Society agenda.  Being actively engaged in programme leadership of a distance learning course has fuelled an interest in issues to do with distance learning, together with consideration of the wider topic of information literacy.

I am a chartered member of CILIP, and involve myself at a regional level through membership of the NE CILIP Committee.  Recently I started reviewing articles for the journal, Library Review on an ad hoc basis.

Recent Activity, News and Selected Publications:

• Austin, M. And Casselden, B. (2010) ‘Reporting on Reading: A Survey into the Reading Attitudes and Personal Reading Habits of Year 2 Children.’ School Librarian. 58(3). Pp. 133-135.
• Casselden, B. And Urwin, J. (2010) Newcastle city library customer consultation results and analysis 2010. (unpublished)
• Newton, K. And Casselden, B. (2010) ‘Reinventing the wheels?’ Library + information update. Oct.  pp. 52-55.
• Currently researching into the topic of the Big Society and library cuts as part of a research methods module in preparation for a professional doctorate.