Elaine Harrington

Elaine Harrington is an experienced information professional in higher education libraries designing services and approaches for research, partnership & collaboration, curiosity, creativity and problem-solving.

Elaine is particularly interested in how emerging technologies allow for collaboration in a Special Collections & Archives' context. This has prompted two different research projects relating to sound: SHOCC Project and CONUL Research Award (2019). 

Elaine is a founding member of Sonic Histories of Cork City (SHOCC) Project which was a finalist at the Education Awards, Ireland in 2019. The SHOCC Project was selected for review as one of four projects in the Sound special issue ‘Part II: Imagining Sonic Histories’ in Reviews in Digital Humanities (September 2021), guest edited by Dr Mary Caton Lingold. Dr James Mansell reviewed The SHOCC Project.

Elaine has presented at local and national academic, library, IT and DH conferences on the various ways users engage with Special Collections’ services and collections, and the necessary skills that are required for effective engagement. 

Elaine has extensive experience of working in and managing teams across UCC Library including those in Academic Services and Special Collections. Most recently Elaine worked as Client Services Team Lead (2024-2025).

Elaine has experience in different education mediums: full-time, part-time, evening, in-person, distance and online. Elaine completed BA, MA, H Diploma in Education between 2000 and 2002 in UCC. Elaine completed PG Diploma in Library & Information Science (University of Aberystwyth, 2012). Elaine demonstrates the need for continuous education by completing a PG Certificate/Diploma in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education (UCC, 2016/2020); PG Certificate in Professional Practice & Leadership (UCC, 2023).

From May 2024-present my research interests include the use of UX within a student as partners framework and how through visualising data new research questions about future library enhancements and service delivery can be identified. 

Since November 2012 my research interests include how the use emerging technologies in a Special Collections' context provide different collaborative opportunities, and the role of sound in libraries. 

I was selected for CONUL's Training & Development research award in 2019 for the research project "Listening to Libraries’ Sounds Today for the Library of Tomorrow". This provided a €2000 research grant.