Our team of part-time staff cover the library on a rota basis over 6 days a week.
Melanie Jones BA (Hons), PGDip
Left the island to study Information and Library Management at the Manchester Metropolitan University with a specialism in children’s services, working with public children’s and schools library services. Gained a further qualification in Electronic Information Management.
Spent a number of years working in London and the south east in a range of sectors including: local government information services, public libraries with responsibility for reference, information and local studies, sixth form and further education learning resources. Returned to the island as a higher education Learning Resources Manager. Appointed Head Librarian at Onchan Library in 2020 following a period of cover as Librarian.
Current priorities include: updating collections, development of the library management information system bringing library services online for public access, refurbishment and planning upgrade and development of children’s services, improved IT facilities and support.
Nerissa Taverner MA
Nerissa has always loved reading and writing from a young age, with her first official short story being a ghost story set in Aztec times. She loves reading a wide range of fiction but her favourite genres to read in are science fiction and fantasy.
Nerissa has an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Brunel University and a Master of Arts degree in Writing from the University of Warwick. She thoroughly enjoyed both of her courses, improving her writing skills, workshopping with her peers and expanding her reading repertoire. She has also participated in adult education literature courses on-island, and volunteered at Manx LitFest.
Nerissa has worked as part of the Legal Library team in Douglas with Isle of Man Customs and Excise, and has volunteered at the Family Library during the summer before heading off to university. She was delighted to join the Harvey Briggs Library team in October 2022 as her first permanent role in a public library.
Cheryl Killey Myers BA (Hons)
Cheryl became an avid reader as a child in Scarborough in the 1970s; from Bunty comics and the Three Investigators to Young Mastermind - or the cereal box if nothing else was available! Happily on becoming a junior member of the Eastfield Library, she became less reliant on Kellogg's for her entertainment...
Cheryl has a degree in English Literature and first worked for the Library service in Halifax (Calderdale). She has enjoyed participating in library book groups, first in Whitby and, more recently, in Douglas. She twice worked in bookshops too - The Whitby (Yorkshire) and the Bridge Bookshop (Port Erin). Though she loved working in both, she consistently exchanged her wages for stock, so was truly delighted to join the Harvey Briggs Onchan Library team in 2020.
Kelly Quaye BA (Hons) MSc
Kelly joined the team at The Harvey Briggs Onchan Library in August 2022. She has held a variety of roles in many different types of libraries since earning a post-graduate qualification in library information and management in 2010. Roles have included School Librarian at Ramsey Grammar School and Library Assistant in several academic libraries in the United States. Before returning to the island, Kelly was an early childhood literacy specialist working with preschool aged children in the home setting, and her interests align with this area. Kelly is happy to be working in a community library again.