Meet the staff Lucy Welch! Cyfarfod â’r staff Lucy Welch!

What is your name and job title?

I’m Lucy Welch, Subject Librarian working with Alyson Edenborough and Liz Gillen to support the school of Healthcare, based in the Health Library, Cochrane Building. I will be focussing on supporting undergraduate programmes in particular so please do get in touch (WelchL@cardiff.ac.uk / 02920874717).

Beth yw eich enw a theitl eich swydd?

Lucy Welch ydw i, Llyfrgellydd Pwnc yn gweithio gydag Alyson Edenborough a Liz Gillen i gefnogi’r Ysgol Gofal Iechyd, yn y Llyfrgell Iechyd, Adeilad Cochrane. Byddaf yn canolbwyntio’n benodol ar gefnogi rhaglenni israddedig, felly cysylltwch â mi (WelchL@caerdydd.ac.uk / 02920874717).

What are your Qualifications?

BSc (Hons) in Psychology, MSc in Information & Library Management.

Beth yw eich cymwysterau?

BSc (Anrh.) mewn Seicoleg, MSc mewn Rheoli Gwybodaeth a Llyfrgell

Where did you live as a child?

I grew up in the small town of Haverhill, near Cambridge.

Ble oeddech chi’n byw fel plentyn?

Cefais fy magu yn nhref fach Haverhill, ger Caergrawnt

What do you like best about Cardiff?
I’ve only been here a week but I can already give you a Top 3! I’ve been amazed by how friendly everyone I’ve met has been – I’ve felt enormously welcome. I’m also very excited to be so close to hills. Cambridge is in the fens, so flat as a pancake. Finally, Cardiff has a very competitive (and friendly!) roller derby league that I am super excited to join – the Tiger Bay Brawlers. They have a home game coming up on 16 March, so come see what all the fuss is about: http://brawlers.co.uk/games-and-events/

Beth ydych chi’n ei hoffi orau am Gaerdydd?

Rwyf wedi bod yma am wythnos yn unig ond gallaf enwi 3 ffefryn yn barod! Rwyf wedi fy syfrdanu gan fod pawb yma’n gyfeillgar iawn – rwyf wedi cael croeso anhygoel. Rwyf hefyd yn gyffrous iawn i fod mor agos at fryniau. Mae Caergrawnt yn ardal y Fens, sy’n hollol wastad. Yn olaf, mae gan Gaerdydd gynghrair gornest rasys sglefrio cystadleuol iawn (a chyfeillgar!) Rwyf yn hynod gyffrous i ymuno â’r Tiger Bay Brawlers. Mae ganddynt gêm gartref ar 16 Mawrth, felly dewch i’w gwylio: http://brawlers.co.uk/games-and-events/

What did you do before you worked here?

My background is fairly varied – I’ve worked at a fudge shop, sight-loss charity and legal aid office. However, I fell in love with libraries from a very early age and have spent the past 6 years working in libraries at the University of Cambridge. Most recently I was working as Assistant Librarian (Teaching) at the Department of Engineering Library, primarily working with undergraduates. Before this I worked as Outreach & Engagement Coordinator for the Office of Scholarly Communication, managing the University Library’s 600^th anniversary events and outreach programme and as a book fetcher to name a few roles.

Beth wnaethoch chi cyn i chi weithio yma?

Mae fy nghefndir yn eithaf amrywiol – rwyf wedi gweithio mewn siop gyffug, elusen ar gyfer pobl sy’n colli golwg a swyddfa cymorth cyfreithiol. Fodd bynnag, syrthiais mewn cariad â llyfrgelloedd pan oeddwn yn ifanc iawn ac rwyf wedi treulio’r chwe blynedd diwethaf yn gweithio mewn llyfrgelloedd ym Mhrifysgol Caergrawnt. Yn fwyaf diweddar roeddwn yn Llyfrgellydd Cynorthwyol (Addysgu) yn Llyfrgell yr Adran Beirianneg, gan weithio’n bennaf gydag israddedigion. Cyn hynny, bues i’n Gydlynydd Allgymorth ac Ymgysylltu ar gyfer y Swyddfa Cyfathrebu Ysgolheigaidd, gan reoli rhaglen digwyddiadau a allgymorth 600 mlwyddiant Llyfrgell y Brifysgol, ac fel llywydd i enwi rhai rolau.

If you didn’t work in a library, what would be your dream job?

Anything that let me skate all the time! I’ve been roller skating with my (previously) local roller derby team, the Cambridge Rollerbillies, for over 5 years and am really keen to hit the park/ramp skating scene in Cardiff as well. Roller derby is a hugely positive female-dominated and LGBTQ-friendly space but everyone can do better and there are still big problems in terms of making our spaces more friendly and accessible to trans and non-binary skaters as well as people of colour – and this goes for skating spaces that aren’t roller derby too. I would love to be able to devote more of my time to working to help the skate scene do better for everyone.

Os nad oeddech chi’n gweithio mewn llyfrgell, beth fyddai eich swydd ddelfrydol?

Unrhyw beth fyddai yn fy ngalluogi i sglefrio drwy’r amser! Rydw i wedi bod yn sglefrio gyda fy nhîm rasys sglefrio lleol, y Cambridge Rollerbillies, ers dros 5 mlynedd ac rydw i’n awyddus iawn i ymuno â sglefrwyr yng Nghaerdydd hefyd. Mae gornest sglefrio yn apelio’n fawr at fenywod a phobl o’r gymuned LGBTQ ond gall fod yn well. Mae angen gwneud y mannau hyn yn fwy cyfeillgar a hygyrch i sglefrwyr traws ac anneuaidd yn ogystal â phobl o leiafrifoedd ethnig- ac mae hyn yn wir am fannau sglefrio nad ydynt yn cynnal gornestau sglefrio hefyd. Byddwn wrth fy modd yn gallu neilltuo mwy o’m hamser i helpu wneud y byd sglefrio yn well i bawb.

What was the first library book you remember reading for pleasure?

I practically lived in the public library growing up, it was very hard having a borrowing limit! I spent most of my time in the comic books section (everything from Tintin and Asterix to superheroes and manga), but I also developed a very early passion for reading about the paranormal! One of the very first books I bought with my own money was an encyclopedia of ghosts that I still have today.

Beth oedd y llyfr cyntaf rydych yn cofio ei ddarllen er mwyn pleser?

Roeddwn i’n hanner byw yn y llyfrgell gyhoeddus pan roeddwn yn tyfu i fyny. Doeddwn i wir ddim yn hoffi’r cyfyngiad ar faint o lyfrau roeddwn yn medru eu benthyg ar y tro! Treuliais y rhan fwyaf o’m hamser yn yr adran llyfrau comig (yn cynnwys Tintin, Asterix, archarwyr a manga). Gwnes i ennyn brwdfrydedd pan yn ifanc ar gyfer darllen am bethau goruwchnaturiol! Un o’r llyfrau cyntaf a brynais gyda fy arian fy hun oedd gwyddoniadur o ysbrydion sydd gen i hyd heddiw.

What do you enjoy reading now? Hard copy or electronic?
It very much depends on the book. I’m currently re-reading one of my favourite books ever, The Roads to Sata: A 2,000-Mile Walk Through Japan by Alan Booth – I read a lot of non-fiction and for whatever reason I prefer hard copy books for this. However, I still love my fiction and when it comes to that I’m much less fussed. And you can’t argue with the convenience of traveling with an e-reader – I have very vivid memories of holidays with my family as a child with an entire suitcase having to be devoted to books.

Beth rydych chi’n ei fwynhau darllen nawr? Copi caled neu electronig?
Mae’n dibynnu’n llwyr ar y math o lyfr. Ar hyn o bryd rwy’n ail-ddarllen un o’m hoff lyfrau erioed, The Roads to Sata: A 2,000-Mile Walk Through Japan gan Alan Booth. Rwy’n darllen llawer o lyfrau ffeithiol ac am rhyw reswm, mae’n well gen i gopïau caled o’r llyfrau hyn. Fodd bynnag, rwy’n dal i ddwlu ar ffuglen a does dim ots gen i sut rwy’n ei ddarllen. Mae e-ddarllenydd yn gyfleus iawn ar gyfer teithio – mae gen i atgofion o fynd ar wyliau gyda fy nheulu fel plentyn a mynd â chês cyfan o lyfrau.

Give an instance of one of your most interesting library related queries.
Not a query, but I have had to catch pigeons in the Cambridge University Library entrance hall multiple times – and let me tell you, that is a high ceiling!

Rhowch enghraifft o un o’ch ymholiadau llyfrgell mwyaf diddorol.
Nid ymholiad oedd hwn, ond bu’n rhaid i mi ddal colomennod yng nghyntedd mynediad Llyfrgell Prifysgol Caergrawnt sawl gwaith – ac roedd y nenfwd yn uchel iawn!

What do you like best about Cardiff Uni Health Library/ Service?

The people. Everybody has been incredibly helpful and welcoming since I arrived, so I really couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the city and the Health Library.

Beth ydych chi’n ei hoffi orau am Wasanaeth a Llyfrgell Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd?

Y bobl. Mae pawb wedi bod yn hynod o gymwynasgar a chroesawgar ers i mi gyrraedd, felly ni allwn fod wedi gofyn am well cyflwyniad i’r ddinas a’r Llyfrgell Iechyd.