Catherine Tranmer
Joining Oxford College of Technology as assistant librarian in January 1969, I became the Subject Librarian for architecture and planning in 1972, with responsibility for book acquisitions, enquiry work and instructing students in information resources in those subjects, which also encompassed construction and surveying.
In 1974-5 I was released on sabbatical in order to gain a Master’s degree in Information Science at Loughborough University, and was subsequently able to develop areas of professional interest as Oxford Polytechnic grew in size and numbers. Projects I was involved in included founding ARCLIB, the UK architecture librarians’ group, through which I developed useful overseas links with similar groups in France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia and Germany.
Along with the University of Hertfordshire’s Department of Engineering, I developed an early web resource for urban design, later spun out by Oxford Brookes as its first commercial company in 1998. Leaving the Library staff I became CEO of RUDI, the Resource for Urban Design Information.
I later chose to become self-employed and worked on various research projects for government and associated bodies, including some with Brookes’ Schools of Planning and Architecture. I was always happy working at Oxford Brookes/Polytechnic/College of Technology, where I made many friends and since retiring in 2008 I have enjoyed meeting up with former colleagues at Brookes Society events. In joining the Committee I hope to continue the good work of those colleagues who originally set the Society up.
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