Mr Craig Lancaster Marr, working as the school librarian at the International School Dhaka (ISD) in Bangladesh. Ms Syeda Mukta Begum talked to him about his professional journey, the library profession and related issues to get some insights to learn from his experiences. The conversation is published as the special feature on our 18 Issue, Volume 04.
Craig Lancaster Marr
Please share us something about your personal life and professional life.
My name is Craig Lancaster Marr, known as Harry, and I am 50 years old and from the UK. I work as a Librarian at the International School Dhaka (ISD) in Bangladesh. For me, home is the UK and the Philippines where my wife and children currently live. I have a BA (Honours) degree in librarianship from Leeds Polytechnic (now called Leeds Beckett University) and I became a Chartered Associate of the Library Association (UK) in 1991. Becoming Chartered was more common in those days than doing a Master’s degree.
How long have you been working in International schools and where have you worked?
I have been a Librarian for over 30 years, starting out in public libraries in the UK before moving to college libraries. I left the UK in 2007 to start working internationally, and have worked in Japan, the UAE, Qatar, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and now Bangladesh.
What was your career in the UK before you worked internationally?
I started my career in public libraries (because there were more job opportunities in that sector when I graduated) but in 1996 I moved to London as a college librarian. In 2001 I returned to my home county of Lancashire where I worked as a Reference Librarian, a prison librarian and finally again as a college librarian. In 2007 I decided to work overseas to gain new experiences.
What do you think about how we can make an effective school Library?
Involve your students and teachers – invite and encourage class visits to share research skills lessons and literature appreciation, encourage staff and student recommendations for new stock purchases.
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