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The Changing Landscape of Libraries- Tim Leach BPD
Underlying presumption that change in library design is needed. Need to create places for people to meet, converse and COLLABORATE. Spaces need to be inspiring and uplifting and old buildings should house modern library environments. Design has to be a collaborative approach with staff, users, designers and suppliers.
- SPACE should be inspiring, accessible, intimate and communal. There should be interaction between spaces.
- FACILITIES should be flexible, adaptive, interactive.
- ACTIVITIES the design should support a 24/7 environment, need an ambiguous barrier between the library and the street.
- ENVIRONMENT needs sustainable lighting and ventilation.
- TECHNOLOGY should be present but not overwhelming, very flexible space.
- IDENTITY the library has to be personal and humane, a collective memory of identity, communal and civic.
A changing landscape means progressive facilities and traditional values.
This presentation was illuminating, it is refreshing to hear about library design from a professional who recognises the intrinsic values of the library. I was especially interested as we are thinking about the design of our library and how it can be made more welcoming and in harmony with the museum. This is difficult as it is housed in a 600 year old building which very much dictates the style- it is very beautiful but we can use the space more efficiently and be more flexible and communal.
The Great Good Place- Andrew Cranfield
Too often libraries reflect political vision. Are libraries an anachronism? We no longer have the monopoly on information. Are value adding ideas more important than collections? It is important to have a strong brand, identity and romance your user. Andrew showed examples of some of his favourite libraries:
- Idea Store a great example of BRANDING and a non-traditional style, but still traditional services.
- Library 10- Helsinki this is a small library with many users. The focus is on learning and visual communication
- Hjorring Library- Denmark A red line runs through the theatrical library bringing everything together.
Libraries Change Lives Awards
A rousing speech and moving poem from Andrew Motion followed by three very worthy projects and Leeds Libraries announced as the winner. For more info see here
An evaluation of academic e-book accessibility in a diverse student population- Dr Laura Muir Robert Gordon University Aberdeen.
Dr Muir presented the initial findings of a study to explore the behaviour and attitude of students using e-books for study. The context of the research is the culture of lifelong learning and increased access to higher education. Diverse students have diverse needs and expectations. E-books have great potential to increase access.
Key research questions:
- How do students use academic e-books?
- Do academic e-books meet their study needs?
Previous research on attitudes found barriers to e-books- difficult to read, no ownership, difficult to browse and annotate. There needed to be a move towards “monitoring the actual online seeking behaviour of their users” (CIBER 2008).
Therefore this study is a qualitative study of behaviour and experience. Here are the stages of the study:
- Design an e-book task- relevant and beneficial
- Pre-task questionnaire showing information needs and attitudes
- Direct observation and recording during task- screen capture, video, audio capture.
- Post task interview
Initially the study found that students were more positive about e-books after the session. They were reading up to 60 pages alongside keyword searches, highlighting, scanning, taking notes and paraphrasing. However they were frustrated by a poor search display, a lack of seeing obvious progress and having to scroll.
This is a very valid study. Students study needs are changing and it is important to recognise this and also work with them to assess how they can use new resources and gain benefits. I have never used an e-book but the reader passed around the session was very accessible. E-books and use in Local Studies Libraries is something for me to consider!
Just one world or is it? Information skills for the small museum. Dr Diana Dixon Southwold Museum.
Dr Dixon came from being a Local Studies Librarian to managing a small museum.
Local Studies is at the cutting edge of library and information work and needs many skills and techniques. Unfortunately it has been discontinued in Library courses and has suffered. Libraries, Museums and Archives are driven by a demand stimulated by programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are? and customers have very high expectations.
Local Studies Group- Key skills for Local Studies Librarians:
- IT Skills- FUNDAMENTAL
- Management Skills- Customer care, marketing, promotion, fund-raising, people management, project management
- Preservation- Crucial skill on Museum courses
- Communication Skills- Outreach, education, community profiles, Local Societies
- Local History Knowledge- Have to live in local community and be willing to absorb information.
Dr Dixon spoke of managing her 70 volunteers who are stewards, indexers and cataloguers. She has training for specific tasks and handbooks. She also spoke of the difficulty of cataloguing books onto the museum system.
Ruskin University has an innovative multidisciplinary course for Libraries, Archives and Museums. Dr Dixon spoke about the importance of transferable skills, courses, teaching qualifications, managing and marketing degrees.
I found Dr Dixon’s talk very interesting especially as I am a librarian working in a small museum. I also utilise volunteers so her comments were very useful. Transferable skills are important when working in this environment. It is useful to know about books and objects and also be up to speed with IT- for websites and digitisation. Marketing my resources is an area I want to explore. I found it reassuring that Local History Knowledge was last on the list of essential key skills for librarians as I have only lived in this area for 8 months but it is true that an enthusiasm for history and learning means that you can learn lots, also making good contacts with local people is incredibly useful!
Some brief notes and thoughts about the four lectures I attended at the conference.
The Information Society: Does it need the information professions- John Feather
CILIP’s Body of Professional Knowledge (BPK) underpins the claims of our profession. However Cilip’s strapline:
“CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers.”
juxtapsoes professionals and information specialists.
The Information Society today is a golden age for access to information and “a library is no longer first choice gatekeeper of information”. Therefore why do we need professionals? A professional is more efficient with a greater knowledge of searches and systems and deeper than this, a professional has the ability to help identify a the needs of a client and satisfy them.
The core schema in CILIP’s BPK is generically applicable to other professions and acknowledges overlaps with other professions. However we have a unique roll in relation to other professions. Information Management Programmes don’t seek CILIP’s approval but should they?
The EPSRC website Digital Economy programme does not acknowledge the existence of an Information Profession. The research agenda crosses out boundaries. The Information Society needs the insight, knowledge and skills of the professional BUT we cannot bemoan deprofessionalisation as reconfiguration leads to no boundaries which is the defining characteristic of the Information Society. The focus should shift from qualification to application of professed knowledge.
The World Wide Web has made everyone into an information manager and our knowledge and skills are being lost in a larger domain. We have a unique contribution to make and need to reclaim the domain in an open-minded way. We need to project more about what we can bring to the Knowledge Economy. Research is needed to place our profession within the wider context of society.
The Value of Collaborations and Partnerships: An International Perspective- Maria Cotera and Shane Godbolt
“Africa has a key role to play in the development of the world” Barack Obama 11th July 2009
Maria and Shane talked through their projects in Africa which fall under the strategic context of “Make Poverty History” and the Librarians contribution to international development in the key areas of EDUCATION, HEALTH and INFORMATION. IFLA and Phi are doing some inspirational work through collaboration and partnerships. These projects such as Training Trainers in Africa and the African Prisons Project are innovative, inspirational and allow those involved to gain a wider understanding and context of issues.
These projects illustrate the value of collaboration and emphasise the what is needed to build successful partnerships:
- Appraise local situation and context
- Needs assessment
- Realistic aims and priorities
- Build on what already exists
- Consider culture and religion
- Knowledge and understanding
- Need to work together, value each other and have a positive attitude
- Funding and resources- sustainability
- Advocacy, evaluation and outcomes
When working in collaboration you need to:
- Be flexible
- Locally tailored solutions
- SHARE
- The West can learn from low income country solutions
How can we help?
- Spread the word
- Start collaborations
- Become a friend of Phi
- Become a member of CDG/ ILIG
- Help fundraising
- Become a volunteer host
I found these two talks inspiring. The first made me think- a lot about the different ideas. I do value my Library qualification very highly and am currently going through the Chartership process so I like to believe that these have a worth and contribute to professionalism. However I can fully understand that the boundaries of the job are blurring and we do need to rethink and shout up for our position in this ever-changing Information Society.
The second talk was for me something completely different. It was inspiring to hear about the projects and the work going on internationally. I would highly recommend everyone looking at the websites and thinking about small or large ways to help. Additionally the comments and lessons about partnerships and collaboration were insightful and can be applied to all work daily. Many of the traits listed for a successful partnership are skills we need to employ everyday, for example in partnership with our managers and clients.
- Poster Presentation
Presenting my poster at Umbrella was tiring, interesting and rewarding.
I had to be near my poster throughout all conference breaks, ready to discuss the project and answer any questions. The poster sessions were busier than I imagined, many conference goers were genuinely interested in viewing all the posters and commenting on exciting new projects.
Personally, presenting my poster on MENTOR represented a HUGE step forward in my professional development. I had to know the project inside out and prepare myself for any unknown questions. I also had to leap out of my comfort zone and interact with peers, answering questions and accepting comments and constructive criticism. Finally I had to talk to two judges about my poster.
I am excited and passionate about MENTOR and used to working with the public on a daily basis, therefore I did not find it too difficult to be an (hopefully) informative and friendly presenter. People asked me insightful questions and I was able to engage in professional discussion ad also offer my advice on the use of volunteers. Volunteers do not seem to be utilised in other library sectors such as academic and health. However they are common in most public libraries, archives and museums.
Presenters were entitled to also produce an information sheet about the project to hand out to interested people and I believe my weak point was the quality of my information sheet. Having taken the time to design and print an eye-catching, professional poster I should have done the same for my hand-out. Instead I typed an A4 sheet of information in Word. If I present a poster again I will ensure that my hand-out is equally well designed, well thought out and attractive.
I would definitely recommend taking a poster to a conference. It is great for:
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Networking
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Gaining valuable feedback about a project
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Personal Professional Development
However I would strongly advise having a team of at least two people to present the poster, otherwise it is very intensive and tiring!
There were 16 Posters on display at Umbrella 2009. Some of my favourites were:
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University of Portsmouth Are e-books taking off This was an eye-catching, precise and very informative poster with a great information sheet.
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Liverpool John Moores University Learning 2.0 @ LJMU Again a very well designed poster, based on a monopoly board.
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Northumbria University Turning Point for Evaluation A well designed poster, interesting handout and helpful and engaged presenter.
