Joyce Penney served as Assistant Librarian to the Signet Library from 1978 until 1993 and was the Library’s mainstay during a period of great change and reform.

A native of Keswick, she moved to Edinburgh in 1945, attending the University from 1945 until 1949. After attending library school in London, she began her career at the University Library, whose architect William Playfair had been involved in the design of the Signet Library. She married Jo Penney in 1962 and had two daughters, Stephanie and Bridget.