Alex Healey is the Archivist and Collections Engagement Coordinator at the John Innes Historic Collections in Norwich. She has been working with and promoting archives and rare books for over 10 years, with experience working with higher education, local authority and charity archives.
She has a particular interest in how heritage collections can support education and skills development, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academic, and former Chair of ARA’s Archives for Learning and Education Section.
Alex is also active in workforce development, as an associate tutor and dissertation supervisor at the University of Dundee, end-point assessor for CILIP Pathways, and supporting the ARA CPD programme.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Alex for the last few months. From her first proposal to the delivery of her final report, Alex has been nothing but fantastically engaging, supportive and professional.“
Former client
Experience
2025-present: Archivist and Collections Engagement Co-ordinator, John Innes Historical Collections
2024-present: Consultant, offering a range of services. Projects have included
- Extended evaluation of archive collection in a local studies library funded by Arts Council
- Design and delivery of training for local history groups in support of wider HLF project
- Rare book assessments for library of specialist members society
- Creation of funding bids for Archives Revealed
- Scoping reports for range of organisations, including charities, businesses and higher education
- Workshop design and facilitation to support sector development
2025-present: End Point Assessor, CILIP Pathways apprenticeship scheme
2024-present: Associate Tutor at the Centre for Archive and Information Studies, University of Dundee
2023-present: Associate Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology
2021-2024: Trustee at the Natural History Society of Northumbria
2016-2023: Project Archivist at Newcastle University Special Collections and Archives
2018-2023: Chair of the Archives and Records Association’s Archives for Learning and Education Section
2014-2016: Archivist at Bedfordshire Archives
2016: Project Archivist at Hull University Archives
2010-2014: Volunteer at Norfolk Record Office, the History of Advertising Trust, the Parliamentary Archives, Suffolk Record Office, The National Archives at Kew, Glasgow University Archives
Qualifications
MSc Information Management and Preservation, University of Glasgow, 2014 (Accredited by ARA and CILIP)
Postgraduate module Understanding and Managing Rare Books, University of Dundee, 2018
Registered Member of the Archives and Records Association (RMARA), 2020
Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA), 2021
Certificate in Assessing Vocational Qualification (CAVA), 2024
Achievements
2023: Contributed to successful bid to AHRC for technology enhanced learning space in the Philip Robinson Library
2022-2023: Coordinated HTR and TEI activities for the Evolving Hands project, presenting related papers at the Digital Humanities, RBSCG and TEI Conferences
2022: Awarded funds from BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants project for Deciphering Diplomacy HTR and TEI project
2022: Contributed to NHSN’s successful bid to NLHF Dynamic Collections fund for Nature’s Cure in Times of Need: New Voices for North East Nature, and member of steering group
2021-2023: Co-strategic lead for teaching at Newcastle University Special Collections and Archives, contributing to a range of modules
2021: Presentation at the Family Histories Discussion Forum, Newcastle University
2020-2023: Member of working group migrating collection data from multiple systems into the AtoM Collection Management System
2020-2022: Successful bid to ARA Research Fund and delivery of Accessible Learning Toolkit project, including online launch events
2018: Contributor to Gifted to a Grateful Nation?, performance and discussion event at Newcastle University
2016: Coordination of Police Leadership: then and now conference at University of Hull
2015: Design and delivery of the Young Archivists project at Bedfordshire Archives
AGH Archives 