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Mark Wood Appointed New Chairman Of Resource: The Council For Museums, Archives & Libraries

68/03

Mark Wood is to be the new Chairman of Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced today. The appointment is for four years.

Mr Wood, who has been Acting Chairman of Resource for the last six months, will take up the post immediately.

Resource provides strategic leadership for the museums, libraries and archives communities and advises the government on policies and priorities for these sectors. 

Resource's current major objectives include "Renaissance in the Regions", a programme backed by £70m of government funding to revitalise England's regional museums, and "Framework for the Future" a strategy to reform public library services.  A third initiative, led by an expert Task Force, will map the UK's archive treasures and make them accessible to a wider public.

Tessa Jowell said:

"I am delighted that Mark Wood has agreed to take on this key role in Resource. He has an impressive track record in delivery and has already made an impact at Resource during his brief tenure as Acting Chair. I know that he will provide the vision and leadership necessary to drive forward these important agendas".


Mark Wood said:

"Resource has begun to have a real impact on museums, libraries and archives, unlocking the enormous potential for collaboration between them. My role will be to ensure Resource continues to provide effective leadership and acts as a positive force for change."

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Notes to Editors
 
Resource was established in 2000 through the merger of the Museums and Galleries Council (MGC) and the Libraries and Information Commission (MGC).

One of its major successes has been the implementation of the "People's Network", a £170-million lottery-funded project to give free internet access in all 4000 public libraries in the UK, linking libraries through  a nationwide broadband network. In the wake of that programme, completed on time and within budget in December 2002, library visits have been rising steadily this year.
 
Mr Wood said that Resource had a special responsibility to assist the development of museums, libraries and archives in the English regions. As the evolution of the three domains converges, Resource would also lead the way in forging closer partnerships with the education sector and developing cross-domain digitisation and electronic networking strategies.
 
Members of the Resource Board include Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum; Mark Jones, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum; Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library; Victor Gray, Chairman of the National Council on Archives; and broadcaster Loyd Grossman, joint chair of the Campaign for Museums.

Biographical information

Mark Wood is currently Acting Chair of Resource.  He is also Chairman of Independent Television News (ITN).  He was Editor-in-Chief of Reuters from 1989-2000 and headed Reuters media and corporate information businesses. 
After graduating in German and Russian, he was a correspondent for 10 years for Reuters in Moscow, East Berlin, Vienna and Bonn. 
Mark was a member of the Library and Information Commission from 1995 and Chair from 1999 to 2000. Currently he holds no other public appointments and has had no significant involvement in political activity in the last five years.

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