Karen Sayers

Profile

I have worked in libraries, information science and archives for 25 years creating and managing metadata to improve access to resources for students, researchers and the public.

In 2011 I joined Cultural Collections as an Archivist. I am keen to ensure archival metadata is consistent and meets the access needs of users. I am also interested in how archives containing structured data can be analysed in digital humanities research. In 2024–2025 I was awarded a TNA/RLUK Fellowship to investigate ‘Using Historical Record Series in Digital Humanities Research’. I have led intern and volunteer projects contributing information about Cultural Collections resources to Wikipedia.

Outside the University I am a member of Farnhill and Kildwick History Group and I’m jointly leading on research to create an exhibition on World War Two for launch in November 2025.

Responsibilities

• Helping to acquire and process new collections
• Processing and cataloguing collections particularly art and antique and performance related
• Providing support to students and researchers using archival collections

Research interests

Recent Research Output:

Sayers, Karen (2024) TNA/RLUK Fellowship ‘Using Historical Record Series in Digital Humanities Research’ and created ‘A Toolkit for Archivists and Librarians Supporting Research and Teaching Digital Humanities’.

Journal articles:

Sayers, Karen (2020) The Leeds Playhoue Archive. ARC Magazine.

Sayers, Karen (2013) Uncovering treasures: a survey of Special Collections at the University of Leeds. ARC Magazine.

Conference Papers

Sayers, Karen (2013) Cataloguing literary archives: from the West Yorkshire Playhouse Archive to the future. Cataloguing Creativity: A Symposium on Cataloguing Literary Archives

Internet publications:

Sayers Karen (2024) ‘Visualising the medieval manor’: Extracting data to explore medieval women’s lives The National Archives blog

Sayers Karen (2022) ‘Celebrating Manorial Documents 100 years after the 1922 Law of Property Act’ The National Archives blog

Media

Sayers, Karen (2013) First Monday Library Chats: The Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds The Recipes Project

Qualifications

• Diploma Archive Administration
• MSc Information Studies
• MA Medieval Studies
• BA (hons) English

Professional memberships

• Registered Member of ARA
• Chartered Member of CILIP