Ciara Eastell
President
The Society of Chief
Librarians
Ciara has 20 years of experience
working in various library and library
management roles and she brings a
fresh perspective to public libraries
and a passion for the impact libraries
make in their communities.
Biography
Ciara began her professional career working for Gateshead
Libraries and Arts Services, after a pre-professional
traineeship at Nottinghamshire County Council. Since
Gateshead, Ciara has worked for Cambridgeshire, as Service and
Financial Planning Manager, and Somerset as Principal
Assistant County Librarian. Ciara then spent 3 years leading a
national programme to co-produce better library services for,
and with, young people in a role at The Reading Agency. Ciara
moved to Devon in 2008 as Head of Libraries, managing a large,
predominantly rural public library service with over 60
service points. Today Ciara is Head of Libraries, Culture and
Heritage for Devon County Council.
Ciara has significant experience of large scale capital
projects and major service transformation and modernisation.
The first Library Fellow to participate in the Clore
Leadership Programme for cultural leaders, Ciara is
particularly interested in public sector innovation, workforce
development and digital literacy. She is passionate about the
potential of public libraries, the value of reading and the
power of information to transform lives.
Ciara is a frequent guest speaker at conferences on the
importance of public libraries and her work has helped Devon
Libraries to be shortlisted for Library of the Year in 2013.
Ciara has a young family and works hard to maintain a good
work/life balance. In her spare time, she has previously been
Chair of People United, a pioneering charity that works to
grow a kinder and more caring society through the arts.
is now actively involved in her daughter’s school.
She