LONDON.- The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Rt. Hon Matt Hancock MP, has appointed Dame Carol Black as Chair of the British Library for a four year term.

Dame Carol will replace Baroness Tessa Blackstone who will stand down at the end of August 2018, following two four year terms.

Chief Executive of the British Library Roly Keating commented: “I’d like to extend a big welcome to Dame Carol from everyone at the British Library. We very much look forward to working with Carol over the years ahead, during this period of exciting transformative change for the Library."

Dame Carol said: “It is an enormous pleasure to be taking over as Chair of the British Library following in the distinguished footsteps of Baroness Blackstone. I very much look forward to working with Roly Keating, the Board and all the staff of the Library.”

Dame Carol is Principal of Newnham College Cambridge and Expert Adviser on Health and Work to NHS England and Public Health England. She chairs the board of Think Ahead, the Government’s fast-stream training programme for Mental Health Social Workers and is a member of Rand Europe’s Council of Advisers, the Strategy Board for the Defense National Rehabilitation Centre, and the Advisory Board of Step up to Serve.

Dame Carol is also a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, patron of the Women’s Leadership Centre in the Judge Business School, a member of the University’s Leadership Network and has been a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery.