UCD Librarian Dr Sandra Collins to chair new national committee on showcasing women’s contributions to Irish history
Posted 12 March, 2024
UCD Librarian Dr Sandra Collins will chair a new national advisory committee that will address the under-representation of women’s contributions to Ireland’s political, scientific, social and cultural history.
The Advisory Committee on the Representation of Women and Women’s Stories within the collections of the National Cultural Institutions will recommend actions that showcase the achievements of women within the National Cultural Institutions and the National Collection.
As part of its work, the committee will consider the possibility of creating a dedicated presentation of women’s stories through a range of options, including a women’s museum, a re-imagining of the National Collection or other initiatives the committee considers appropriate.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD announced Dr Collins appointment as Chair, saying that she had “dedicated much of her career to our National Cultural Institutions and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge which will be invaluable to guiding the committee’s work.”
“While we are at the beginning of this journey, I am confident that the work of this committee will help address the imbalances that persist in the representation of women’s stories. I have asked the committee to take account of the diversity of women’s lives and to bring to the fore the voices of historically marginalised women.
“[This] initiative can help start conversations about how we record and represent the stories of women in our history, and the impact that under-representation has on how we see ourselves at both an individual and societal level.”
Dr Collins said she was honoured to be appointed to the new role by Minister Martin, adding she was “looking forward to working with all the Committee members to make meaningful recommendations on the representation of women and women's stories."
The advisory committee chaired by Dr Collins includes members from national cultural institutions in Ireland and abroad, historians, experts in gender and equality studies, representatives from the National Women’s Council of Ireland and from relevant Government departments, and those with a range of other experiences and expertise.
A former Director of the National Library of Ireland, Dr Collins was appointed as Librarian at University College Dublin in March 2022. Her career spans 25 years in senior library, research and innovation roles across academic, industry and public sector organisations.
She holds a PhD in nonlinear fluid dynamics from UCD, and was awarded the Conway Gold Medal for Mathematical Physics for first place in her undergraduate degree and she was the 2020 UCD Alumni awardee for Research, Innovation and Impact.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
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