Paraic McKenna is Head of Intelligence at Hertfordshire County Council. He is an accountant and, before joining the Council, worked for 20 years in consulting and financial services for organisations including KPMG, Barclays and HSBC. Paraic is proud that his career started in the library service in Dublin, Ireland, and that it also includes, more recently, 2 years with the service in Hertfordshire. He is passionate about libraries as the beating heart of communities and as sanctuaries, uniquely powered to inspire and to change lives.