‘Special Librarian and academic: is it possible to be both?’

We are delighted to have Orla Fitzpatrick speaking at this years AGM. Orla has had an impressive career path, we are lucky to have the opportunity to hear her speak about her impressive and wide-ranging professional journey and how she has combined an academic and library career path.

Orla will also be discussing her experience processing personal libraries, and will finish by discussing her current role as Librarian at Poetry Ireland, where she is working on the personal library of Seamus Heaney.

Biography

Orla Fitzpatrick has worked in libraries since 1994, starting as a Library Assistant at An Chomhairle Leabarlanna/The Library Council. She was Librarian at the National Museum of Ireland from 2002 until 2025. She has a PhD from Ulster University on photographic history and has published on Irish design history and material culture. She recently completed a post doctoral project on Ireland’s border cultures at Trinity College Dublin’s Long Room Research Hub for the Humanities and has curated several photographic exhibitions. She took up the role of Librarian at Poetry Ireland in September 2025 and is currently working on the personal library of Seamus Heaney.

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