Juanita Foster-Jones is Development Officer (VLE) at CILIP.
The CILIP London Member Network (LMN), with support from the Library Trust, is offering 5 bursaries of up to £200 each for attendance at the CILIP Conference 2016 in Brighton, 12-13 July 2016.
Closing date for applications: Saturday 30 April 2016
A bursary is intended to cover accommodation in and travel to Brighton. The cost of registration for the conference as a full-time delegate will be paid direct by the LMN on behalf of the bursary winners. Full details of the Conference can be found on the CILIP website.
Applicants must be current members of the LMN. They will be responsible for booking their own accommodation and travel but will be reimbursed up to a total of £200, subject to receipts.
Applicants should provide a brief statement (200 words maximum) outlining how attendance at the CILIP Conference 2016 will contribute to their professional development, and how they intend to share their conference experience with the rest of the LMN (for example, through social media).They should also include their name and contact details including an email address and current employment details.
Selection will be by one or more of the LMN Committee Members and their decision is final; no feedback will be provided.
To complement the use of social media, the successful applicants may be asked to make short written reports (about 300 words maximum) to the LMN Committee within one month in a form suitable for circulation - at the Committee’s discretion - to London Members via the Email Monthly Newsletter.
Please apply to the Secretary, Jeremy Crumplin (jdcrumplin@gmail.com) with copy to the Chair, Peter Beauchamp (peterbeauchamp46@gmail.com).
via RSS Feed
The CILIP London Member Network (LMN), with support from the Library Trust, is offering 5 bursaries of up to £200 each for attendance at the CILIP Conference 2016 in Brighton, 12-13 July 2016.
Closing date for applications: 22nd April 2016
A bursary is intended to cover accommodation in and travel to Brighton. The cost of registration for the conference as a full-time delegate will be paid direct by the LMN on behalf of the bursary winners. Full details of the Conference can be found on the CILIP website.
Applicants must be current members of the LMN. They will be responsible for booking their own accommodation and travel but will be reimbursed up to a total of £200, subject to receipts.
Applicants should provide a brief statement (200 words maximum) outlining how attendance at the CILIP Conference 2016 will contribute to their professional development, and how they intend to share their conference experience with the rest of the LMN (for example, through social media).They should also include their name and contact details including an email address and current employment details.
Selection will be by one or more of the LMN Committee Members and their decision is final; no feedback will be provided.
To complement the use of social media, the successful applicants may be asked to make short written reports (about 300 words maximum) to the LMN Committee within one month in a form suitable for circulation - at the Committee’s discretion - to London Members via the Email Monthly Newsletter.
Please apply to the Secretary, Jeremy Crumplin (jdcrumplin@gmail.com) with copy to the Chair, Peter Beauchamp (peterbeauchamp46@gmail.com).
via RSS Feed
Part of being an information professional involves watching the current technological trends and implementing them in organisational settings as appropriate. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether we are simply ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ by starting to use technologies that will simply go away within a short amount of time, or if they will endure and grow over time. One thing is certain, however. If a new technology is out there, your users are trying it out, and they will expect to see their library doing the same. Adopting these technologies in our professional settings helps us do what we do best as a profession: connect people with the information they need.
From e-book licence agreements to malfunctioning printers to e-mail overload, there is not one part of an information professional’s life that technology has not impacted. It can be difficult to keep up with all the changes as information professionals continuously adapt to the newest technologies that enter our organisations. How can we decide what we need to know, and what can be ignored for a bit longer?
Unfortunately, there is no one set of correct answers to these questions. Back in 2008, I published a chapter called “The Library School’s Role in Preparing New Librarians for Working with Technology” in a book called Core Technology Competencies for Librarians and Library Staff: A LITA Guide. In my chapter, I presented the results of a survey I sent to placement site supervisors to ask them what they thought were the most important technical skills that new librarians needed.
Generally speaking, the participants said they need to be able to do basic tasks such as perform computer troubleshooting, use common software such as word processing and spreadsheet programs, and search online abstracting/indexing services and catalogues. The responses varied based on the type of library and position, however. So, the good news is that not all information professionals need to be programmers, but some do.
That survey is almost a decade old now, and technology has only moved forward in terms of its impact on our jobs and our lives. In preparation for my forthcoming edited series from Facet Publishing, Computing for Information Professionals, I have spent some time considering what technologies impact all information-related professions. Below is a list of the five most prominent technologies that seem to be facing the profession today.
Most organisations have social media presences now. Simply having an account on Facebook or Twitter, or having an organisational blog, is not enough to be effective. The account has to be kept current with frequent posts of interest. Followers must be responded to quickly and appropriately if they have questions or comments. The organisation must have a plan in place for dealing with inappropriate posts from users or other difficult situations.
According to Jodie Bell’s post from 2014 on the CILIP Blog, “5 ways libraries are using social media”, while 61% of libraries she surveyed had been using social media for at least three years, 72% of libraries surveyed had no social media policy or plan in place. Without strategic decisions and guidelines for best practices, organisations will likely not get the most out of their social media presences, and may find themselves unprepared for difficult situations.
For further information about social media:
What does the term “cloud computing” mean, and how does it affect information professionals? If you don’t know the term, you probably use the cloud every day and didn’t know it. Essentially, the cloud consists of servers that store your information on them instead of storing your information on your computer’s hard drive. For example, if you have ever used Google Docs to store or share word processing files, you have used cloud computing because your documents are stored on Google’s servers rather than on your computer. Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and all those other sites are also in the cloud, because they store all your data on their servers. With cloud computing, work is typically performed in a Web browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome, because users’ computers are constantly communicating with the servers in order to store and retrieve their data.
Within organisations, difficult choices need to be made about how and where data is going to be stored. It is can be expensive and time-consuming for individual places organisations to manage its their own servers. Instead, some are opting for cloud-based solutions for file storage, email service, and more. Additionally, many newer integrated library systems have the option to be cloud-based, which means a library does not have to run its own servers or maintain ILS clients on individual computers. For example, the open source ILS Koha could be hosted by the Koha support company LibLime. The library’s data is stored on cloud-based servers, and all staff-side work including cataloguing, circulation, and acquisitions, is performed in a Web browser. With these and other options, it is truly revolutionising the options that organisations have for managing their information, and the roles that allof staff must take.
For further information about cloud computing
Makerspaces are not quite as mainstream as the other technologies in this post, and it might be too soon to know whether they are just a trend or if they will be around for a while, but they are definitely something to watch. According to Sharona Ginsberg, Learning Technologies Librarian at SUNY Oswego in New York, a makerspace “can be any area where people gather to make and create. These spaces often include 3D printers, but do not necessarily have to. In makerspaces, people share supplies, skills, and ideas, and often work together on projects.”
Sharona goes on to explain, “Many libraries have found that maker culture and makerspaces fit naturally with their existing missions, and have begun to incorporate makerspaces into the services they offer their communities.” While the makerspace itself as a physical space is not a technology, the resources that must be provided in a makerspace are. 3D printers, 3D scanners, and associated software and hardware are typically provided in the space, mostly free of charge to the user. Since many people do not have this type of equipment at home, and because the collaborative physical space is essential to the users’ experiences, makerspaces definitely have the power to bring people into the library. Both academic and public libraries are experimenting with them. Even if your organisation cannot financially support a makerspace, think about what kinds of technologies you could provide that would increase your users’ interest and engagement.
For further information about makerspaces
As the saying has gone for a few years now, “There’s an app for that.” With the exponential growth in smartphone and tablet use over the last few years, apps are on track to replace traditional web sites as the way users get information from the companies and organisations they access online. If you work in a library, is your catalogue easily accessible on a smartphone? If you are a patron of the City of Westminster library, “you can get mobile access to the library catalogue allowing you to easily search for, renew and reserve items online. You can also scan a book's barcode anywhere and immediately find out whether the book you want is in stock at your library.” https://www.westminster.gov.uk...
Creating an app for library services does not imply a major change in a library’s mandate. It simply means that the library is providing its information in a way that many people use more often than any other online technology these days: their phones. It is worth looking into whether your ILS vendor’s OPAC is mobile-friendly, or if it has an app that your library can easily configure and implement. If not, consider advocating for one; if librarians do not ask for it, the vendors might not see a reason to make it. Also consider what an app developed just for your library could do. For example, you could provide floor plans with call number ranges, links to recordings of recent events, or anything else that you have traditionally provided on your website.
For further information about mobile apps
Full disclosure: data is one of my favourite subjects! I have been working with databases since the mid-1990s, and I continue to be fascinated with data of all types all the time. It is one of the reasons I became an information professional.
As my forthcoming book, Mastering Data and Databases for Information Professionals, will explore, there are so many types of data, and we need to work with all of them. Relational databases, such as those in Microsoft Access, also store much of our cloud-based data, and they have local practical uses in our institutions as well. Big Data and Linked Data are terms that many of us have heard, but may not understand fully.
Here are four distinct types of data that all information professionals should be able to work with:
For further information about data
What do you think? Do you agree with my list, or are there other technologies that are more important for today’s information professionals to understand? Let us know in the comments section!
via RSS Feed
The Ossoliński National Institute cordially invites you to a conference of the Group of Polish Research Libraries Collecting Early Imprints held under the title “Early printed books and their owners – the current state of research, catalogues, perspectives”, which is organised in cooperation with the CERL Consortium of European Research Libraries.
Two subject blocks are planned during the conference: provenance research of early imprints and cataloguing incunabula. We hope that the event will attract representatives of research libraries belonging to the CERL, non-member libraries as well as academics. We are looking forward to exchanging the participants’ experience, presenting the results of research, discussions and constructive conclusions.
Among the speakers will be a representative of the French working group on Provenance who will share the experiences connected with the creation of a common provenance base of French libraries. We hope that representatives of Polish research libraries and other research centres will also share their expertise with the audience.
The second subject area concerns incunabula. The 15cBOOKTRADE researchers, who focus on book trade in the 15th century, will present the procedure for entering information about incunabula into the MEI (Material Evidence in Incunabula) database, maintained by the CERL. We would very much like to hear the presentations of the researchers of 15th-century books, whom we encourage to submit the subjects of their papers. We hope that these lectures will contribute to broadening our knowledge about historical book collections in Poland and will prove useful in deciphering and cataloguing ownership signs and clues left by the former owners of the books.
The conference and the discussion panel held as part of it will become an opportunity for the libraries belonging to the Polish CERL Group to establish and initiate the work of the Provenance Working Group and to begin the insertion of source data into the MEI database.
The conference will be held at the Ossoliński National Institute in Wrocław on 29-30 September, 2016. We will provide consecutive interpretation of English lectures.
via RSS Feed
ARLG Conferences are known for their professionally stimulating, friendly and collaborative atmosphere. The 2016 ARLG Conference, entitled ‘Are you being served? Serving our learners in a changing climate’, is to be held at Aston University from 27-29 June 2016 #ARLG16. ARLG East Midlands is pleased to announce that it is offering a bursary to allow one lucky person to attend.
The bursary offer includes a full residential place and travel expenses of up to £60. To be eligible you must:
To apply please email Fiona MacLellan (Fiona.maclellan@northampton.ac.uk) with approximately 500 words describing how your attendance at the conference will impact on your professional development and how you plan to share your conference experience with others, including the ARLG East Midlands community. Please include your CILIP membership number, your job title and the name of your institution in your application (if applicable?). The successful applicant will provide a short written report for publication to a wider audience (i.e. via the CILIP website) and will also be invited to attend the next ARLG East Midlands committee meeting after the conference to share their experiences of the conference in person.
Applications must be received by midday on Friday 8th April 2016. Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision by Friday 29th April 2016.
To find out more about the ARLG Conference 2016 visit: http://www.cilip.org.uk/academic-research-libraries-group/events/arlg-conference-2016
via RSS Feed
Library and information staff are always looking for new ideas, inspiration and techniques to engage with their research community and to facilitate the research process. Here are a few short, practical examples from all kinds of libraries around the world - small ideas, specific examples and tips which have worked for other people.
The library is a neutral space in the organisation and can be an ideal venue for events held by and for researchers. These events don’t necessarily have to be specifically linked to library resources and services, it’s more about the research community developing a sense of ownership of library spaces and seeing them as part of the research environment.
Identify other teams who may be engaging with researchers, albeit for different reasons. You might simply start to discuss ways in which you can collaborate on areas of common interest or start to share workflows and reduce duplication. Keeping the dialogue going is vital, so consider inviting members of different teams to be regular attendees at appropriate library team meetings; a standing item of a report from the University Research Office, for example, ensures an ongoing conversation. In return, offer to attend or send a regular library report to any relevant team meetings held elsewhere.
Look for innovative ways to celebrate the completion and deposition of PhD theses. Ask supervisors to recommend a a “thesis of the month”, tweet about new theses deposited, simply list new theses on the Library’s website or new books feed.
It’s much easier to engage with researchers over their experiences if you’re able to empathise with them and to demonstrate that you have struggled with similar issues. This doesn’t mean that we all need to complete a piece of doctoral research or write an article for Nature, but in small ways it is still possible to replicate some of a researcher’s experiences. Writing for publication doesn’t have to imply writing a journal article; you can start in a small way by writing book reviews, or starting a blog. These are all useful activities for research students to undertake too and shared experiences will give you a common platform on which to develop a stronger relationship.
Personal stories can bring learning to life and hearing another researcher talk about the value of an approach or the usefulness of a resource can be much more powerful than a librarian demonstrating it. Keep videos very short, delivering concise snippets of information and don’t worry too much about creating formal, scripted recordings.
Too often, librarians become caught up in the language of the profession and offer services to researchers using inappropriate wording. Stop thinking about what you are offering and what you are going to do and start thinking about what the research community are going to gain and how they might use it. For example, you can change a workshop originally titled “Journal impact factors and citation counting” to “How to identify the key journals in your disciple”, or “How to discover who is reading your work”.
Practical Tips for Facilitating Research, by Moira J. Bent, offers innovative tips and reliable best practice to enable new and experienced library and information professionals to evaluate their current provision and develop their service to meet the evolving needs of the research community.
Banner image source: Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY
via RSS Feed
Library and information staff are always looking for new ideas, inspiration and techniques to engage with their research community and to facilitate the research process. Here are a few short, practical examples from all kinds of libraries around the world - small ideas, specific examples and tips which have worked for other people.
The library is a neutral space in the organisation and can be an ideal venue for events held by and for researchers. These events don’t necessarily have to be specifically linked to library resources and services, it’s more about the research community developing a sense of ownership of library spaces and seeing them as part of the research environment.
Identify other teams who may be engaging with researchers, albeit for different reasons. You might simply start to discuss ways in which you can collaborate on areas of common interest or start to share workflows and reduce duplication. Keeping the dialogue going is vital, so consider inviting members of different teams to be regular attendees at appropriate library team meetings; a standing item of a report from the University Research Office, for example, ensures an ongoing conversation. In return, offer to attend or send a regular library report to any relevant team meetings held elsewhere.
Look for innovative ways to celebrate the completion and deposition of PhD theses. Ask supervisors to recommend a a “thesis of the month”, tweet about new theses deposited, simply list new theses on the Library’s website or new books feed.
It’s much easier to engage with researchers over their experiences if you’re able to empathise with them and to demonstrate that you have struggled with similar issues. This doesn’t mean that we all need to complete a piece of doctoral research or write an article for Nature, but in small ways it is still possible to replicate some of a researcher’s experiences. Writing for publication doesn’t have to imply writing a journal article; you can start in a small way by writing book reviews, or starting a blog. These are all useful activities for research students to undertake too and shared experiences will give you a common platform on which to develop a stronger relationship.
Personal stories can bring learning to life and hearing another researcher talk about the value of an approach or the usefulness of a resource can be much more powerful than a librarian demonstrating it. Keep videos very short, delivering concise snippets of information and don’t worry too much about creating formal, scripted recordings.
Too often, librarians become caught up in the language of the profession and offer services to researchers using inappropriate wording. Stop thinking about what you are offering and what you are going to do and start thinking about what the research community are going to gain and how they might use it. For example, you can change a workshop originally titled “Journal impact factors and citation counting” to “How to identify the key journals in your disciple”, or “How to discover who is reading your work”.
Practical Tips for Facilitating Research, by Moira J. Bent, offers innovative tips and reliable best practice to enable new and experienced library and information professionals to evaluate their current provision and develop their service to meet the evolving needs of the research community.
Banner image source: Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY
via RSS Feed
Some are born Fellows, some achieve Fellowship and some have Fellowship thrust upon them. A Fellowship exchange event for the Fellow, the aspiring Fellow and curious, but I don’t really do enough to be one Fellow!
via RSS Feed
Juanita Foster-Jones, CILIP’s Development Officer (VLE) will demystify the VLE.
Juanita Foster-Jones is Development Officer (VLE) at CILIP.
via RSS Feed
CILIP’s International Library & Information Group (ILIG) extends an open invite to join us at our June Informal.
We are delighted that Ian Anstice has agreed to speak to us about the Public Libraries News website which he founded in 2010. Since then the site has become a trusted and authoritative source of information about the (somewhat turbulent) plight of public libraries throughout the UK. Ian will also be talking about how the site has grown and evolved over time, taking on an international aspect. This includes looking at public library systems overseas and what we can learn from these here in the UK.
The event also relates to the following areas of CILIP's Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB):
2.7 Knowledge sharing and collaboration 2.8 Obtaining benefits from expertise
9.3 Advocacy
11.4 Service innovation, development, and design
12.5 Communication skills 12.6 Networking skills
ILIG Informals are not lectures; they are informal, but informative, early evening meetings with a short talk on a theme of international interest plus plenty of time for questions and networking.
They are open to all and absolutely free. Light refreshments are served which is why we ask you to let ILIG know you are coming by booking online (no later than 6th June, please) using the Book now button on the right.
via RSS Feed
Want time to reflect on information skills teaching? Would you like a week in June at a former stately home (Northern College) in the South Yorkshire countryside reflecting on teaching and learning with other librarians? Want it to be subsidised by the ILG (only £100 including accommodation and meals)?
Then apply for a place on our residential teaching course for librarians. Places are limited, so applications will be marked and the winning candidates offered a place. More details on the application form.
via RSS Feed
Found out more about the HLG Conference 2016 via the new HLG Conference 2016 page: http://www.cilip.org.uk/health...
via RSS Feed
The latest Internet Librarian International Conference press release begins:
Share your library's successes at ILI this October. Your library showcases the great ideas and innovative strategies you've put in place to make a difference to your organisation, so why not share them at this year's Internet Librarian International (ILI) – the Library Innovation Conference.
Delegates are hungry to hear new case studies, great stories, personal experiences and lessons learned from you, the library innovator. You can see the full Call for Speakers here and begin the process of submitting the story of the new and exciting practical implementations you've put in place to make a difference to your organisation, clients and communities.
ILI welcome contributions from all types of libraries and information and knowledge professionals - public, academic, government, national or corporate libraries - as well as those working outside a traditional library setting.
The submissions deadline is 15 April 2016, but don’t delay your submission until then. The sooner we get your submission, the earlier we're on the road to sharing your expertise and learning from your experiences.
via RSS Feed
The CILIP Conference brings together 600 library and information professionals for two days of knowledge sharing, discussion, debate and networking opportunities. The conference aims to leave you feeling inspired and passionate about the work that we do as a profession.
This year’s programme covers three key themes: Managing Information; Everyday Innovation; and Using Technology, and in addition to this CILIP will also be running focused sessions on professional development and advocacy, ensuring you make the most of the tools available to you.
Keynote speakers already confirmed include Scott Bonner, Director of Ferguson Municipal Public Library in Missouri and Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford and Principal of Jesus College. Following the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by local police in August 2014, the city of Ferguson, Missouri was left in turmoil. Scott's presentation ‘What we did in Ferguson: A warts-and-all telling of stories’ will share how he and his staff supported their community when they needed it most. Sir Nigel’s keynote presentation will focus on how open data is making a difference in public and private sectors, and what these developments will mean for information professionals.
To keep up to date on conference developments, follow @CILIPConf16 and #CILIPConf16 and visit the website http://www.cilipconference.org.uk
Patent & Trade Mark Group (PATMG) is proud to be able to offer a bursary to attend the CILIP 2016 Conference. Each bursary place includes access to both days of the conference, lunch, refreshments and all sessions. It also includes a ticket to the evening reception on Brighton Pier on Tuesday 12 July, which includes drinks, a fish and chip dinner, unlimited rides on the attractions, music and networking with colleagues. One nights’ accommodation at the Ibis hotel on Tuesday 12 July is also included. Additional nights can be booked at the expense of the bursary winner. Travel expenses are NOT included with the bursary place.
THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE PATMG BURSARY PLACE IS FRIDAY 8 APRIL 2016.
To apply for a bursary place contact Chris Torrero, PATMG Chairman at chris.torrero@thomsonreuters.com giving, in no more than 200 words, a statement on why you as a member of PATMG should be chosen to receive this bursary. The bursary winner will be expected to write an informative article on the conference for PATMG’s quarterly Searcher newsletter.
via RSS Feed
Facet Publishing have announced the release of two new books, Practical Tips for Facilitating Research and Dynamic Research Support for Academic Libraries.
Higher education is in a period of rapid evolution and academic libraries must continually evaluate and adjust their services to meet new needs. Librarian roles are changing and new specialisms, such as data librarians are emerging. Activities are being driven by researcher requirements such as the demand for wider dissemination and the impact of research.
Two new books from Facet Publishing, Practical Tips for Facilitating Research and Dynamic Research Support for Academic Libraries, will provide inspiration and practical guidance to enable LIS staff developing their role in the research environment to evaluate their current provision and develop services to meet the evolving needs of the research community.
Practical Tips for Facilitating Research offers innovative tips and reliable best practice to assist academic liaison librarians, research support librarians and all library and information professionals who work with research staff and students.
Author Moira Bent said, “my book bridges the gap between theory and practice, grounding the very practical ideas garnered from library and information staff around the world in current research in the library and information science discipline.”
Dynamic Research Support for Academic Libraries provides inspiration through illustrative examples of emerging models of research support and is contributed to by library practitioners from across the world.
Editor Starr Hoffman said, “Dynamic Research Support for Academic Libraries is designed to inspire librarians and administrators to think of ‘research support’ not merely as Reference 2.0, but as an innovative, holistic activity that should be distributed throughout the organization.”
Both titles are available through Bookpoint.
-ends
Press and review copies contact:
James Williams, Marketing Manager, Facet Publishing
Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0597
Email: james.williams@facetpublishing.co.uk
Notes:
Practical Tips for Facilitating Research | Mar 2016 | 288pp | Paperback; 9781783300174; £49.95 | Hardback; 9 781783301096; £89.95
Moira Bent is Faculty Liaison Librarian and National Teaching Fellow at Newcastle University and is one of the authors of the 2007 Facet book, Providing Effective Library Services for Research.
Dynamic Research Support for Academic Libraries | Mar 2016 | 176pp | Paperback; 9781783300495; £49.95 | Hardback; Hardback; 9781783301089; £89.95
Starr Hoffman is Head of Planning and Assessment at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she assesses many activities, including the library’s support for and impact on research. Previously she supported data-intensive research as the Journalism and Digital Resources Librarian at Columbia University in New York. Her research interests include the impact of academic libraries on students and faculty, the role of libraries in higher education and models of effective academic leadership. When she’s not researching, she’s taking photographs and travelling the world.
Both titles are published by Facet Publishing and are available from Bookpoint Ltd | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk. | Mailing Address: Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD. They are available in North America from the American Library Association.
via RSS Feed
The visit will give an introduction to the structure of BBC Archives, the systems and roles, a tour of the Media City site, and time with Media Managers in the various departments.
It will provide an insight into the work of Media Managers at the BBC who are ‘embedded’ in the production departments, based in the programme teams and use a mix of archives and production systems to select content for archiving and enhance metadata, as well as providing training and research support.
For more information about Media City and directions see: http://www.mediacityuk.co.uk/d....
To reserve a place on this visit (limited to 10 people), contact Helen Garner, h.j.garner@shu.ac.uk
United Kingdom
via RSS Feed
ONE Access is a unique partnership between Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that allows over 147,000 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade to use their Student ID number in place of a library card to access public library resources in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is one of America’s leading urban public libraries, serving a community of over one million citizens in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina with 20 branches scattered all over the county. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) provides academic instruction, rigor and support each school day to more than 147,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in 168 schools throughout the cities and towns of Mecklenburg County.
In April 2015, President Obama announced the ConnectEd Library Challenge, calling upon library executives to work with their mayors, county managers, school leaders and school librarians to create or strengthen partnerships so that every child enrolled in school can receive a library card.
Inspired by the ConnectEd Challenge and a Pew Research Center study which found that 85% of Americans want their libraries to work more closely with local schools to provide resources, the Library and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) began conversations about how to work together to improve student success in our community. The idea emerged that one of the foundations of student achievement is access to books and information, and from that grew the notion that every single student in CMS should have a public library card. About half of low-income children have few, if any, books in their homes. The goal is for students to gain the ability to check out books to take home for school work and to read for pleasure.
The challenge was to integrate access to the public library using an identifier that was already unique to each student, an identification number that is issued when a child enrolls in CMS and follows them through graduation. That one number could act as a library account number and provide equal access to all that the public library has to offer.
A Memo of Understanding (MOU) between the Library and CMS spelled out the responsibilities of each organization. The MOU also included the legal provisions necessary for secure data sharing from CMS to the Library to allow an upload of student information into the Library’s Integrated Library System, automatically creating a library account for each student. Thus ONE Access, or “One Number Equals Access,” was born.
ONE Access uses students' school identification numbers instead of separate library cards. With their ONE Access account, students can:
Since most students are dependent on an adult for transportation, and may spend time in multiple homes, there are no overdue fines for ONE Access accounts;however, users are responsible for fees on lost or damaged books.
The Library has conducted over 20 training opportunities for CMS staff to assist in information literacy and curriculum support using the Library’s resources. Teachers and students alike have enjoyed and appreciated this expanded opportunity to learn and expolore.
A teacher assistant at Newell Elementary School reported that her first grade class “went on safari” during their media time, using Library resources TumbleBooks (an online collection of animated talking picture books) and PowerKnowledge (an online science resource for learners in grades 3-6).
“They took turns choosing an animal to investigate. They loved the sounds and watching the videos! A volunteer said, ‘you would think they are at a real zoo from all the screams and excitement.’ Thank you for this awesome opportunity!”
ONE Access is in its beginning stages and will continue to grow and evolve as the partnership between the Library and school system strengthens. One of the Library’s goals has been to have active library cardholders in 1 in 3 homes in the community by 2019. ONE Access has enabled the realization of that goal three years early, as over 100,000 students used their ONE Access accounts to interact with the Library in some way between September 1 and December 31, 2015.
CMS Superintendent Ann Clark put it well when she said, "ONE Access is a powerful tool to give students access to the books and materials they need to develop reading proficiency, but ONE Access is also a partnership that brings the resources schools and libraries together in support of students. We are so pleased to see that so many students have benefited from this partnership, and look forward to seeing many more as this collaboration grows."
With such promising early results, it is clear that the Charlotte community has realized the potential of the ConnectEd challenge, and will continue to benefit from this exceptional partnership.
Image credit: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
via RSS Feed
Do you want to know more about building your portfolio for Certification, Chartership or Fellowship? This free event will cover the practicalities of using the VLE to construct an e-portfolio and how to check your evidence meets the assessment criteria. It will be particularly useful for anyone nearing the end of the professional registration process but there will be something for everyone at any stage of the process.
After a short demonstration of the VLE you will have the opportunity to practice putting together your own portfolio (please bring your own device, free WiFi will be available). This will be an informal session with self-help materials on hand to guide you in assessing your own portfolio. There will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions of your local Candidate Support Officer and recently successful candidates as well as meet and work with current candidates.
There will be a brief CILIP Thames Valley AGM at 18:15 with the portfolio building event beginning at 18:45.
Please note that access to New College is via the Porters' Lodge on Holywell Street, where directions to the meeting room will be provided.
United Kingdom
via RSS Feed
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 GIG Award.
Visit the GIG Award page for further information. The closing date is 30 June 2016
via RSS Feed
On 22nd March, the CILIP ILG wll be holding its AGM at the LILAC Conference. In preparation for this, our annual report is now available to download.
via RSS Feed
I am really pleased to have just been appointed Deputy Chair of CILIP’s Board of Trustees. It is a leadership role that includes supporting the CILIP Board and Chair, working with the member network and staff, and increasing the Board’s capacity as CILIP introduces its new strategic plan.
I have a burning passion for our profession, its people, and its core values, and I am deeply committed to CILIP, having been a member throughout my professional career, serving on branch committees, project boards and being a mentor.
I am excited about this opportunity to be able to draw on my experience of strategic leadership in the information sector within government to support CILIP in taking forward its Action Plan 2016 - 2020 and helping focus on the priority advocacy causes identified in the Shape the Future Consultation.
I am particularly keen to support the Advocacy and Opportunity; and Developing the Library and Information Workforce outcomes in the Action Plan - helping specifically with the outcomes regarding policy makers and employers better understanding the value of library and information skills; and also the outcome to creating a welcoming and inclusive membership offer.
Both of these outcomes are close to my heart. I am passionate about advocating the value of information skills to organisations and society more generally, and the need for skilled and knowledgeable information practitioners.
In my last role as Head of Knowledge and Information Services in a large government department, I spent a lot of my time advocating the value of skilled information workers in the workplace, and as Government Head of Profession for Knowledge and Information (KIM) I raised the profile of the profession before top managers.
As Head of Profession, I also encouraged the government KIM workforce to see CILIP as the professional body for all aspects of information work and am keen to bring my experience of unifying the many information roles in government to help CILIP progress this aspect of the Action Plan.
I want to help make CILIP a true community of library, information and knowledge professionals.
via RSS Feed
An opportunity to learn more about the professional registration process, meet other candidates and network. Optional tours of the Charles Seale-Hayne University Library will be available during the lunch break.
This event is aimed at new, and potential ACLIP, MCLIP, and FCLIP candidates. CILIP Mentors are also very welcome to attend, as this will be a very helpful reminder of what is required under the current regulations.
The event will cover -
CILIP Professional Registration & portfolio building.
An outline the requirements of the process for each level of Professional Registration and what you need to do to make a submission
What the assessors are looking for
A more in-depth look at the criteria, what is expected in terms of reflection, and some of the evidence that might be used.
Discussion Groups
This will be an informal opportunity to meet recently successful candidates, network with other delegates doing the same level of qualification, and ask further questions of the speakers.
via RSS Feed
This one day workshop will provide participants with a background to mentoring, a basic framework for conducting mentoring both long and short term. The focus of the event is to enable participants to develop effectively as mentors in the context of the CILIP professional development scheme.
entor Training is a requisite for becoming a CILIP Mentor and this course is suitable for all CILIP members who have recently registered as CILIP mentors or are thinking of registering. Do come along and find out more about the mentoring scheme.
By the end of the day participants will:
· Have an awareness of the function of mentoring in the CILIP CPD process
· Have had the opportunity to explore and experience mentoring
· Be able to make an assessment of their capability as mentors and identify their development needs in this area
The morning session will focus on generic mentoring skills whilst the afternoon will focus on the CILIP regulations.
Members who have previously attended a course on mentoring skills may attend the afternoon only (14.00-16.30) to join in the elements relating to the CILIP scheme.
via RSS Feed
If you or your library team ran a successful campaign last year to market all or part of your service, now is the time to shout about it!
Celebrating co-ordinated marketing communication activities of all kinds, the Marketing Excellence Awards recognise successful marketing drives of any scale or type, from digital promotions and storytelling projects, to projects and festival marketing, launch publicity or multi-channel PR campaigns.
Entries will be judged not on the activity size or budget, but on impact, effectiveness and creativity.
The Marketing Excellence Awards are run annually by the Publicity and Public Relations Group (PPRG), a Special Interest Group of CILIP and winners will be invited to share their best practice techniques and ideas with the library community at the group’s conference later this year.
The PPRG Marketing Excellence Awards are free to enter for any library and information service in the UK.
Winning has had an impact in a number of ways, both within the Library and across the University and externally too. All in all both the submission process and the subsequent achievement have been positive and had an impact on both our profile and our service. I would encourage all to go for it. - Past gold winner Emma Walton
Submit your entry by 29 April 2016.
-Ends-
via RSS Feed
Entries are open for the CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award 2016
The CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award is the highest accolade a library service in the UK can win. CILIP is seeking applications for 2016 from UK-based library, information and knowledge-based services or initiatives that have a positive and demonstrable impact on their user community.
Entries are welcome from any sector such as education, prisons, health, Government, private companies and public libraries.
Please consider applying if you are a practitioner representing library and information services or initiatives which can clearly demonstrate the value added to their organisation or community and which reflect innovation, intelligent service design or best practice delivery.
Three finalists will be selected and a £4,000 prize will be donated by CILIP to support the continued delivery of the winning service.
Entries are open from 1 March to 30 April 2016. Applicants must be UK based and eligible services or initiatives must be current and ongoing during this year in order for the judges to assess the entries in action.
via RSS Feed
