Appointments to the National Library of Wales

The newly appointed members will serve terms from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2025, and were selected following a joint recruitment campaign between the National Library of Wales and Welsh Government. 

Lord Elis-Thomas, said:

“I am very pleased to announce the appointment of David Hay, Janet Wademan, Lydia Rumsey, Elaine Treharne and Susan Davies as new trustees for the Library. Drawn from very different backgrounds, these individuals will bring a wealth of experience and specialist knowledge to the Board at a time when the Library begins to implement its ambitious 2021-2026 strategic plan, A Library for Wales and the World.”

Meri Huws, whose period as the Library’s interim President has been extended for a period of up to twelve months to allow the recruitment of a new President to take place following the forthcoming elections, added: “At a time of immense challenge but tremendous opportunity, we welcome these appointments to our Board of Trustees. To respond to these challenges and opportunities we need a resilient and agile Board and workforce, and a drive to change for the better. I’m confident that our new trustees’ impact on our work will bring many benefits to the people we serve.’

David Hay

David is a qualified archives and heritage professional, with experience in archives, information management, stakeholder engagement and digitisation.

Janet Wademan

Janet is an ICT specialist with an interest in innovation and technology, She has a deep understanding of the principles of corporate governance and is committed to organisational excellence.

Lydia Rumsey

Lydia has worked at major museums and in library services. She has experience of digital technology and innovation within the cultural heritage sector, and of increasing the availability and accessibility of collections.

Prof Elaine Treharne

Prof Elaine Treharne from Stanford University, California, specialises in the history of information technologies, especially manuscripts and digital humanities. She is a trained medievalist and archivist and has expertise in working with special collections.

Susan Davies

Susan is a culture and heritage consultant based in Wales. She is an experienced cultural leader, educationalist and senior arts manager, and was formerly Head of Learning and Audience Development for Leeds museums and galleries.

These appointments have been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. 

All appointments are made on merit.  In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for political activity of appointees (if any has been declared) to be published.  None of the appointed Trustees have carried out political activities in the last five years and one appointed Trustee holds one other Ministerial appointment.  The appointments are for an initial term of four years and are unremunerated, based on a minimum time commitment of 12 days per year. 

The interim President holds one other Ministerial appointment and has not carried out any political activity in the last five years. The appointment is for a term of up to 12 months and whilst the role is remunerated at £17,591 per annum, Meri Huws has decided not to accept the remuneration.