Critical literacy is an approach to learning and teaching that has gathered momentum in recent years as it has become widely used in classrooms around the world. Critical literacy is not just important for formal education settings however. It is also relevant for libraries because it is an approach that can engage students (or other users)in more active forms of reading and more creative ways of critiquing texts, as well as equipping them with skills and strategies to challenge social and political systems.

What is critical literacy?

Critical literacy differs from most models of information literacy because it is not simply about the ability to evaluate information for features such as authenticity, quality, relevance, accuracy, currency, value, credibility and potential bias. Instead, it addresses more fundamental questions about the nature of knowledge. 

One way of describing critical literacy is as a process that, ‘challenges the status quo in an effort to discover alternative paths for self and social development’ (Shor, 1999). This description highlights two key components of critical literacy. Firstly, it has a focus on practical action and community engagement. Secondly, critical literacy is concerned with the social and cultural contexts in which traditional, digital, multimedia and other types of texts are both created and read. Critical literacy is not about studying texts in isolation, but developing an understanding of the cultural, ideological and sociolinguistic contexts in which they are created and read. It involves an explicit commitment to equity, social justice and inclusion.

Authors and readers

A fundamental notion of critical literacy is that all texts are constructed(by one or more authors) and serve particular interests or purposes. As texts are written or created by people, who all have their own views of the world, no text is completely neutral and objective. For example, when they write, an author makes conscious and unconscious choices about what to include and exclude and how to represent the things or people they depict. 

However, it is not just the author who has an important role. Just like authors, all readers have their own experiences and knowledge whichthey bring to a text. This means that each person interprets a text differently and multiple ways of reading a single text are not just possible, but inevitable. In contrast to more conventional approaches to resource evaluation, with critical literacy there is no single ‘correct’ way to read and respond to a text. 

This means that critical literacy can allow students to move beyond merely retelling information to become actively engaged with texts as they start to exercise their power as readers to interrogate what is written and question the ideological standpoint of the author to form their own interpretations. Critical literacy also helps students to see connections between texts they read and the ‘real world’ as they come to realise how the experiences and opinions of both the author and reader are integral in shaping any text. 

Some practical examples

Critical literacy is a theory that is highly relevant to the practical work of library and information workers across all sectors including academic, schools, public, workplace, prisons and health. In the case of public libraries, it can support social inclusion activities and offer alternative ways of framing reading promotion. In healthcare settings, critical literacy approaches can empower patients and challenge stigma. When working with young offenders, or at-risk young people, critical literacy can help to improve decision-making skills. In schools, it can have a role both within subjects such as Communication studies and in extra-curricular activities. It can also enhance the school librarian’s role within the school as they become engage in debates around the use of new media and academic honesty. When working with both undergraduate and post-graduate university students, critical literacy can move the librarian’s contribution to the learning process far beyond the simplistic database demonstration session to a more active, questioning approach that can profoundly impact on how students interact with information. Critical literacy can also support librarians’ work with particular user groups. For example, in the case of international students, disabled users; or adult learners, critical literacy can help to reframe difference as an asset rather than a deficit. 

There is no doubt that adopting a critical literacy approach in a library setting can be highly challenging. Teaching students that there is no single ‘correct’ way to read a text and that evaluating a resource is not a process which can be reduce to a simple checklist requires considerable time, skill and confidence. However, the potential benefits can be immense. 

These are just some brief examples of the ways in which critical literacy can be used within libraries and information services. Is your library using (or planning to use) critical literacy approaches in any way? If so, please let us know.

About 'Critical Literacy for Information Professionals'

Critical Literacy for Information Professionals, edited by Sarah McNicol, provides a foundation of critical literacy theory, as applied to libraries, combines theory and practice to explore critical literacy in relation to different user groups, and offers practical ways to introduce critical literacy approaches in libraries.

Buy the book

CILIPinKent are delighted to invite members on a visit to the Stanley Kubrick Archive. Located at UAL's London College of Communication, the archive is one of the most unique cultural collections of the later half of the 20th century. The collection provides a unique insigt into the extraordinarily rigourous work of the renowned film-maker.  

For further information visit http://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at...

Spaces limited

CILIPinKENT would like to welcome you to this day course open to CILIP and non-CILIP members.

During this day course exploring the topic of leadership, participants will consider the following:
• What makes a good leader?
• What is the difference between managing and leading?
• What is their preferred leadership style
• What values drive them at work?
• What leadership skills do librarians need?

Participants will learn: why leadership is more than management; the main leadership styles; what their personal leadership preferences are; how they might improve their leadership; and what values actually drive them in their working lives. They will also begin to draw up their own Personal Leadership Development Plan to ensure that this day course is a starting point for their continued reflection and engagement with the topic.

It's a highly practical day with many engaging activities and exercises designed to keep participants thinking and reflecting on their personal take on leadership. In addition there are several presentation sections, including the presenter’s own experience of his leadership roles at Cambridge University.

Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided.

About the presenter:
Andy Priestner is an experienced freelance trainer and consultant in the fields of leadership, UX, social media, and teambuilding. He also works part-time as innovation lead for the University of Cambridge Futurelib project. He chairs the annual UX in Libraries conference committee and was formerly President of the European Business Schools Librarians Group and head librarian at Cambridge University’s business school.

For directions, https://www.kent.ac.uk/locatio...

Please contact us regarding accessibility needs and dietary requirements at CILIPinKent@gmail.com

Tickets: £30 - £40

In a speech to the International Library & Information Group of CILIP, Chief Executive Nick Poole has outlined the Chartered Institute’s international priorities and role in the global library and information community.

Using his experience working internationally in the culture, museum and knowledge sectors Nick identified unifying the principles and values which unite us as “equality, freedom of expression, empathy and basic understanding of our common humanity.” Using these shared values he outlined CILIP’s priorities as solidarity, ethics, opportunity and innovation.

Extracts from the speech:

Solidarity within the profession

In terms of solidarity, I would like us as the library association for the UK to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with library and information professionals and other library associations around the world.

When the horrific attacks took place at the Bataclan in Paris, library professionals around the world reached out to their colleagues via the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. And I corresponded with Bruno Racine, the President of the Library, who shared with me the power of that simple message – we stand with you, we are outraged with you and we will rebuild with you. That is a message which we ought to bring to library and information professionals wherever they work and whatever challenges they face, in partnership with our colleagues across the International Federation of Library Associations & Institutions (IFLA).

Ethics

In this information age, the pace of technology has outstripped our ability to think through the implications. We face real, fundamental questions around privacy, freedom of information and expression, copyright and protections. 

Navigating these challenging issues successfully means making active use of our ethical principles and values. 

More than any physical medium, building or format, our shared ethics are the basis of the value that libraries and librarians offer to society. As an international community we have a common need to strengthen these underlying ethics and to take action where they are being eroded. 

Opportunity

Some nations are building libraries as an investment in the future of their people. Other, less far-sighted or enlightened nations are allowing their libraries to be closed or hollowed-out.  As a global community, we need to lobby employers to create opportunities – not just to put librarians in libraries, but to put library and information professionals in every business, community or organisation. 

Innovation

And finally, innovation. IFLA represents a global community of experts committed to driving forward and promoting innovation. We need to be an active participant in that global conversation. Where we have been able to take a lead role – as in the creation of the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base – we need to share this openly with our colleagues overseas. Where others are creating new ideas – as we are seeing in many smaller nations who are being incredibly creative out of economic necessity – we need to engage, to listen and to learn. 

It has been exciting to see our accreditation of teaching becoming international - our colleague Helen Berry recently returned from accrediting the main library and information science course in Oman and we are seeing increased demand around the world. 
 

The latest in our series of Commentaries has been published. Dealing with the disapperance of hard-copy, printed government papers, it highlights some of the issues, not the least of which is the fact that with no paper copies to deposit, the Legal deposit libraries will no longer maintain an archive of Commons Papers, Bills, Lords Papers, Bills or Command Papers. Although there are alternative digital sources, it is difficult to guarantee a 'copy of record' in the same way that was possible with paper. The author of the paper is guaranteeing that Dandy Booksellers Limited will continue to supply hard copies of government papers for as long as is required.

The latest Commentary is available here: Legal Deposit and Access to Parliamentary Papers

The CILIP Ireland election campaign is working to raise awareness among local politicians of the key issues affecting the profession in Northern Ireland. The campaign is also focused on empowering our members to undertake personal advocacy.

On March 8th 2016 the Northern Ireland Assembly in conjunction with CILIP Ireland delivered a training session entitled “How the Assembly Works”. The morning event was held in Parliament Buildings and was designed to equip attendees with the skills necessary to carry out campaigning on their own, or shared, issues. The objective of the event was to enable individuals to better engage with the Northern Ireland Assembly and local politicians, ensuring they are best placed to have their voice heard.

The morning began with a short introductory session explaining how the Assembly operates in practice. The session looked at the history, structures and the processes of the Assembly.

This was followed by a presentation from the Assembly Bill Office which gave attendees an insight into the legislative process. The presentation included a look at the role of the Bill Office, the powers of the Assembly to legislate as well as the various stages of legislation. Attendees gained an insight into Committee scrutiny of legislation and how to identify future opportunities to submit evidence.

Attendees then learned about the important role Assembly Committees undertake in challenging and scrutinising the work of the Executive Departments. CILIP Ireland already advocates on behalf of our members by submitting responses to relevant consultations. This training offered a very practical insight into how the Consultation process works and how our members as individuals can also effectively participate in future consultations ensuring the voice of the profession is heard by local politicians.

The event concluded with a presentation on the role of plenary. Attendees heard how the Assembly manages business in the chamber, the mechanism of tabling business and how to utilise the huge untapped resource of Assembly questions. Helpful tips were provided on how to strategically engage with the structures of government to ensure maximum impact.

Staff from the Assembly’s Research and Information Service guided attendees through the information sources available on the Assembly’s website.

Feedback from the training event has been overwhelmingly positive and we wish to thank those members who attended.

79 years to gender parity? No, it’s actually closer to 117. Last year the World Economic Forum had to revise its 2014 prediction that it would take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity. The current estimate is 2133.  

Worldwide, women contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement and have much to celebrate, but this slow progress to full equality is unacceptable. Men and women are being called upon to speed up the clock by taking a #PledgeforParity this International Women’s Day and beyond.

International Women's Day, originally called International Working Women's Day, has been celebrated on 8th March every year since 1909. Women have made huge strides toward equality in that time and on International Women’s Day we celebrate these achievements. At the same time we acknowledge that there is still much work to be done before women are in business and politics in equal numbers to men, are just as likely to occupy leadership roles, and are being paid the same as their male counterparts for the same work and across all professions.

Diversity is good for organisations and their end customers and users. Managed correctly diversity in teams can lead to improved corporate performance. Non-profit organisation Catalyst have identified the benefits of a gender balanced leadership including better financial performance and improved innovation. In the UK only 19% of private sector board members, 36% of public sector leaders and 23% of our Parliamentarians are women. 

Gender disparities in the UK information sectors

Last November results from a landmark UK information workforce survey, commissioned by CILIP and the Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland) provided a clearer picture of the state of our sector and the work that needs to be done to improve gender equality. 

We must work towards gender-balanced leadership in the sector. While the vast majority (78%) of the workforce is female, men typically earn more than women and are nearly twice as likely to be in senior management roles than their female counterparts. This must change. 

CILIP is committed to diversity and valuing equality within our workforce, our membership and across society, and in our 2016 - 2020 Action Plan[1]  we pledge to ensure that this commitment is embedded in our day-to-day policies and working practices with all our colleagues and partners. We will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds.

In the Action Plan we have committed to creating a National Library and Information Skills Strategy. This will include practical, long-term ways in which we can improve gender equality at a leadership level. It is essential that we work with employers, members and the workforce to have the impact that we want. The Workforce Mapping has told us where we are, the Skills Strategy will set our direction, with equality of opportunities at its core.

Supporting International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day CILIP has made a Pledge for Parity and we are celebrating the inspiring and successful women leaders in the library and information sector. We have invited some of them to share their advice for aspiring leaders and tell us what leadership means to them.
 
Join the campaign - take a #PledgeforParity and share what leadership means to you. Visit International Women’s Day for research reports and more ways you can support.

Naomi Korn

Management Consultant & CILIP Board Member

Imrana Ghumra

Professional Advisor, Library & Knowledge Services, Health Education England

Dame Lynne Brindley

Academic & former CEO of British Library

Fiona Parkinson

Head of Knowledge Management, BLM

Ruth Carlyle

Head of Support and Well-being, Macmillan Cancer Support

Victoria Treadway

Library and knowledge Service Lead, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Jan Parry

Immediate Past CILIP President

Alison Wheeler

Chief Executive, Suffolk Libraries IPS Ltd

Caroline Brazier

Chief Librarian at the British Library

Emily Stannard's one day, interactive workshop will bring attendees up to date on developments in copyright, specifically the changes to UK law and ongoing issues at EU level.

Who should attend?

This workshop is aimed at all those who undertake library and information work that involves the use of copyright materials and who are keen to learn about the latest developments in copyright law and practice.  Some knowledge of copyright principles and law is assumed.

CILIP’s Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB)

5. Information governance and compliance:            5.3 Copyright, intellectual property and licensing

The DPC Technology Watch Report series is intended as an advanced introduction to specific issues for those charged with establishing or running services for long term access.  They identify and track developments in IT, standards and tools which are critical to digital preservation activities. They are commissioned by experts on these developments and are thoroughly scrutinised by peers before being released.  Authors are asked to provide reports that are informed, current, concise and balanced; lower the barriers to participation in digital preservation; derive from the needs of the Coalitions members; and are of utility to members and non-members alike. The reports are published by the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) in association with Charles Beagrie Ltd as editors and Neil Beagrie as Principal Investigator and managing editor of the series.

The latest series was launched publicly in February 2012 with Preserving Email by Chris Prom and there have been 16 titles published in total. All have proved very popular: Digital Forensics and Preservation now heads the group with over 35,000 downloads, followed by Preserving Email with over 34,000, and Preserving Moving Picture and Sound with over 19,000.

At the beginning of this month the latest series of Digital Preservation Coalition Technology Watch Reports passed 171,000 downloads: substantially up from the 100,000 reported in May 2015: these are downloads by real users excluding robots etc.

The DPC Technology Watch Report Series publications are freely available online from the DPC website at: http://www.dpconline.org/advice/technology-watch-reports

There is a rich history and tradition of women’s libraries, which can be found world-wide, from India to Japan, Afghanistan to Peru. 10 years on from my first day at Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) as their first ever paid Librarian, I still love to wax lyrical about the vital role women’s libraries play in championing equality and diversity, preserving women’s history, and supporting women to make positive life choices.

Although there continues to be progress world-wide towards gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum, the gender gap will not close entirely until 2133. This makes sobering reading. To mark International Women’s Day 2016, I’d like to talk about how some of our projects support one of the key pledges for parity – to help women and girls achieve their ambitions.

But first, a wee bit of background…

Established in 1991, GWL is a vibrant information hub housing a lending library, archive collections and artefacts relating to women’s lives, histories and achievements. We were recently awarded ‘Recognised

Collections of National Significance’ status by Museum Galleries Scotland.

We run an innovative learning programme both within Glasgow and Scotland-wide, and a whole range of other projects. After years of being ‘on the move’ in a series of temporary premises, we have recently completed a major renovations project, and are now settled in our permanent home in the East End.

One of our key aims is to enable women, particularly the most vulnerable and excluded in society, to access the information, resources and services they need to make positive life choices.

Read for your life

Supporting women to read is a fundamental way we can support them in their ambitions. Reading widens horizons and has the capacity to change lives. We run an adult literacy and numeracy (ALN) project, working with a diverse range of women, including women within and exiting the criminal justice system, women with mental health issues, and asylum seekers and refugees. There are manywonderful examples of women who have achieved something truly life-changing, with support from their ALN tutors, including:

• A woman who went through the whole of school being unable to read. She went on to create her own ‘personal library’ at home, and was over the moon to have the confidence to read aloud in front of others
• A woman who spoke about her experience as a GWL literacy learner at a community learning conference
• A woman in her 80s, whose ambition was to learn to read and write so she could write a letter to her family. With support from our ALN project, she was able to fulfil this ambition

Changing lives through our learning programme

We want to break down barriers to learning and participation for women and girls so that they become fully active citizens, develop skills and knowledge, and engender self-confidence. 

An example of how this works in practice is our Bold Types: Scottish Women’s Creative Writing Competition, which we run yearly as part of Book Week Scotland. We are supporting women, particularly those who have never had the confidence to write, to take the plunge and ‘have a go’. In the lead up to the competition, we run ‘Fiction for Fearties’ and ‘Poetry for Fearties’ workshops, to give women the support they need to take that crucial first step. One woman commented: 

‘As a true feartie, who would love to write fearlessly (as I did in my childhood and teens), it was lovely to have a go, however tentatively, in a safe and supportive environment.’

Last year over 150 women, from all ages and backgrounds, entered the competition. Having taken that first step, one woman has fulfilled a life-long dream and gone on to write her first novel, which is due to be published later this year. 

Young Critics– widening horizons for young women

We’re working with women aged 16-25 to use social media to promote and review GWL’s events and activities, whilst developing their own skills and confidence. They get behind the scenes with some of the artists, writers and creative women who are involved in our programme of talks, exhibitions and cultural activities. This welcoming, accessible group is aimed particularly at young women who have little or no experience of blogging or reviewing, and we offer lots of training and plenty of support, including child-care and travel costs. 

GWL needs YOU! Volunteering

Our library wouldn’t exist without volunteers. Set up in 1991 by a group of dedicated volunteers, it has grown to employ over 20 paid members of staff. Yet volunteers remain at the core of what we do, and we work with around 100 volunteers each year. Our volunteers can be involved in filming, photography, research, tour guiding, front of house, event planning, cataloguing, interpretation, archiving – the list is endless! Many go on to further and higher education, employment, international placements, or other volunteering opportunities as a result of their experience at GWL. Here are what some of our volunteers say about their experience:

What do you most enjoy about volunteering at GWL?

"Being accepted for who I am."

"It has really been a whole amazing experience for me, l never thought volunteering could have made me feel so alive and wanting to learn more. Pushing me but in a good way."

"Gave me the opportunity to get back into the swing of working after the birth of my first child... would have been a bit daunting otherwise."

Your pledge for parity

International Women’s Day offers us the chance to celebrate women’s lives, histories and achievements, whilst also reflecting on our responsibility towards equality and diversity as Information Professionals.
How does your library or organisation support gender parity? Can we do more as a profession to champion equality and diversity? How do you celebrate International Women’s Day? Please share your thoughts, ideas and examples of best practice in the comments below. 

As well as the AGM and an opportunity to network, our guest speaker Jan Parry, immediate Past President of CILIP, will talk to us about career development for Library and Information professionals. She will discuss ways you can help your career including reviewing yourself, reviewing your service and making an impact.

Rare Books and Special Collections Group Conference 7th-9th September 2016, University of Liverpool

The 2016 annual conference will focus on issues of equality and diversity in the special collections sector. The conference will be split into three strands regarding diversity of collections, diversity of audiences and diversity of the profession. We will be welcoming speakers from the RAC, York University, Liverpool John Moores, Glasgow Women's Library, The People's History Museum, the University of Sussex, Flash of Splendour, the Liverpool Record Office, CILIP and the Diversity in Heritage Group. There will be visits to notable Liverpool institutions and a conference dinner at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Booking is expected to open in May and as usual we will be offering bursaries to new professionals, students, the unwaged and retired. 

The LAI/CILIP Ireland Joint Conference will be held this year in Killarney, County Kerry.

Major presentations cover strategy formation, action planning and advocacy for libraries.

Smaller scale learning sessions and workshops include the recognition of CPD activities, how to make an impact and get published – as well as exchanges of experience and updates on the Decade of Commemorations, Open Libraries and a shared library management system.

Speakers include Nick Poole, CILIP Chief Executive; Susan Reilly, LIBER Executive Director; Judith Keene and Kathy Kirk from The Hive in Worcester; Helen Shenton, Librarian and College Archivist of Trinity College Dublin; Deirdre Ellis King, Past President of the LAI.

The draft programme is attached.  Delegate rates start from €100.  Booking opens shortly.

A one day workshop provided on behalf of the CILIP East of England Member Network – free to members of CILIP.

The purpose of this course is to 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. 

Mentor 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.

Facilitator(s): Carol Brookes and Kirstie Preest

Lunch will be between 13.00-14.00.  Participants can either bring a packed lunch or alternatively it will be possible to buy a hot lunch or sandwiches from the college refectory.

Travel and parking information for Murray Edwards College >>

The American Library Association describes web-scale discovery (WSD) services as tools that “are capable of searching quickly and seamlessly across a vast range of local and remote content and providing relevancy-ranked results in the type of intuitive interface that today’s information seekers expect.”The major producers of WSD services include OCLC WorldCat, EBSCO Discovery, ProQuest Summon, ExLibris Primo, and BiblioCommons. WSD services help clients find a wide assortment of library materials across different databases, including books, journal articles, special collections, archival collections, downloadable books, videos, and music, open access collections, and so forth.

Opportunities for libraries

WSD services provide exciting opportunities for libraries and their clients, as well as a series of challenges and questions that need to be explored, and particularly in the area of managing bibliographic content, or metadata. Depending on the library material catalogued, the discovery system might need to negotiate different metadata standards, such as Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (ACCR), Rules for Description and Access (RDA), Rules for Archival Description (RAD), Friend of a Friend (FOAF), VRA Core,  Metadata Object Description Framework (MODS), Resource Description Framework (RDF), and Dublin Core, to name a few. 

How do we manage these different metadata standards to provide a smooth and seamless discovery experience to the client?  As WSD systems provide access to an increasing and varied amount of library resources, how do we manage metadata to help clients conduct searches that result in relevant results?  Do we need to be careful about the sheer volume of items to which we can provide access, so that clients are not faced with increasingly large numbers of results at the expense of precision?

Another important consideration raised by Marshall Breeding pertains to abstracting and indexing (A&I) services. These services use proprietary information and metadata, such as discipline-specific vocabularies, abstracts, and bibliographic records. Some WSD system vendors, such as EBSCO and ProQuest, also provide their own A&I services. Because of the proprietary nature of these services, these vendors might not make their metadata content accessible to WSD services provided by their competitors.  

What are the implications of using shared metadata?

WSD services allow different libraries to share their metadata records widely, especially through services like WorldCat, which brings together collections from different libraries across the world. In an increasingly collaborative and cloud-based environment, what are the implications of using shared metadata? How do we maintain shared records that reflect the needs, languages, and identities of culturally and ethnically varied communities? In a Google-dominated search environment, we need to provide access to library resources via a variety of non-library discovery tools. In other words, we must manage metadata both within, across, and outside, library discovery tools by converting our library metadata to linked open data that all systems can access. 

WSD services add further layers of metadata that are contributed by clients in the form of tags, rating systems, and reviews. Further, many systems import user-generated metadata from external services such as Goodreads and LibraryThing. How do we manage these new types of metadata? How do we mine these metadata to better serve our clients in areas such as collection development or readers’ advisory? 

Managing metadata in web-scale discovery systems

Leading experts in the field of metadata, bibliographic description, and discovery systems explore these questions in a new book Managing metadata in web-scale discovery systems. The book combines perspectives from academics in the field of Library and Information Studies, as well as practitioners in public and academic libraries. The book explores in detail the following areas: 

• How do we manage shared and varied metadata schemes across different systems?
• How do WSD services impact linked open data and the Semantic Web?
• How do we redefine and manage library resources in a world of WSD?
• How do manage increasing volumes of records and ensure precision of search?
• How do we manage our relationships with vendors and A&I service providers?

Although WSD services tend to be associated with library collections, the contents of this book are relevant to other types of cultural heritage institutions, such as archives and museums, as these services are capable of linking metadata from across different types of repositories. All cultural heritage institutions are dealing with resources that are growing rapidly and in an increasing variety of formats. There is growing pressure to make these resources available to clients in a seamless Google-like manner, and to respond rapidly.  

The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals has written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittindgale to express a “strong objection” to the use of flawed figures for closures and new openings of public libraries by DCMS Minister, Ed Vaizey MP, in the House of Commons.

Ed Vaizey used figures based on desk research carried out by an official at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to respond to a question by Clive Betts MP in the House of Commons on 23 February about the number of public libraries that have closed and opened since May 2010, and the number which were run by professionally-qualified staff and are now run by volunteers.

Ed Vaizey is quoted in Hansard responding to the question, “Based on desk research undertaken by the Department, we estimate that from January 2010 to January 2016 approximately 110 static public libraries in England closed and at least 77 new public libraries have opened, including relocations to new buildings.”

However, figures from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) indicate that there were 3,043 libraries in England in 2009-10 and 2,865 in 2014-15, a net reduction of 178. This compares to a net reduction of 33 claimed by Ed Vaizey. CIPFA carry out an annual survey of Local Authorities in Great Britain with questions about the number of library service points, opening hours, staffing, expenditure and usage.

In the open letter CILIP Chief Executive Nick Poole says:

“We note that these figures appear to have been obtained from an informal and cursory internal search and not from the more accurate and comprehensive statistics published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). While well-documented improvements to the CIPFA library statistics could be made, they are the most robust and universal dataset published on public libraries in England.”

Nick Poole continues:

“In quoting these misleading figures, the Minister risks a partial and partisan presentation of the circumstances of public libraries. We note that these figures have also been quoted in a House of Commons Library Briefing Paper and we are in contact with them to request the correction of several inaccuracies. Given the obligation on Ministers to provide ‘truthful and accurate’ responses to Parliamentary Questions, we are extremely concerned that Mr Vaizey appears to have chosen to use such unsatisfactory evidence in order to present a particular view on the realities of the challenge currently facing public library services across the UK.

“In a complex environment in which all parties need to be able to work together to secure the interests of the library-using public, it is clearly not satisfactory to base Government policy on ‘informal desk research’ undertaken by a DCMS official, nor to cite these misleading figures when responding to your colleagues in the House.”

CILIP’s My Library By Right campaign has sought to hold the Government to account for their legal obligations including overseeing and improving public libraries in England under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. Mr Poole concluded the letter saying, “We fail to see how you can adequately execute this legal duty without recourse to accurate statistics concerning the quality of the service” and offers to work with DCMS to develop an achievable strategic plan for the development the public library network in England.

-ends-

Press contacts

Mark Taylor
Director of External Relations, CILIP
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
Tel: 020 7255 0654
Mobile: 07792 635 305

Cat Cooper
Communications and Campaigns Manager, CILIP
Email: cat.cooper@cilip.org.uk
Tel: 020 7255 0653
Mobile: 07867 455070

Notes for editors

1. Figures quoted from CIPFA are the number of library service points in England open 10 hours or more a week, excluding mobile libraries. In 2009-10 there were 3,428 library service points open 10 hours or more (including mobile libraries) and 385 mobile libraries in England. In 2014-15 there were 3,076 library service points open 10 hours or more (including mobile libraries) and 211 mobile libraries in England.

2. CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. CILIP’s vision is a fair and economically prosperous society underpinned by literacy, access to information and the transfer of knowledge. CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information. www.cilip.org.uk

This online webinar and short course will engage you in an exploration of the social roles of collections and what has made them valuable to scholars, teachers, students, and the public at large.

It starts with a live webinar on the 19th April 2016 led by Karen Calhoun and Catriona Cannon, and will be followed by an online short course.

How to participate

The webinar on the 19th April will be held using WebEx meeting software. Details on how to join the online meeting will be sent to participants registered email the week before the event.  

The online course will be hosted on the CILIP course website, and details will be sent to participants registered email the week following the online webinar. A recording of the initial webinar will also be made available in the online course area.

Register now

To register for this event, please visit Eventbrite: http://community-centred-collections.eventbrite.co.uk

Entries are now open for the CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award 2016, the highest accolade a library service in the UK can win.

Now in its twenty-fifth year the Award is open to all 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.

CILIP is seeking applications from practitioners 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.

Chair of Judges, John Vincent said:

“Libraries Change Lives is recognised as a key evidence base highlighting the vital contribution good library and information services make and the many ways in which libraries and information services play a fundamental role in public good. I would encourage anyone in the sector who is proud of their work to apply. It really is a great opportunity for advocacy and investment in vital work that makes a difference.”

The 2015 winner was North Ayrshire’s ‘Appiness’ initiative, a digital learning service that provides pre-school children with online learning in a range of areas whilst giving parents crucial guidance about online safety controls. Rhona Arthur, Senior Manager (Information and Culture) at North Ayrshire Council said:

“It was a fantastic experience with benefits for the service at every stage, from choosing which project to enter, reflecting on the strengths and areas where the project could still be improved, presenting this to the judges and sharing the Appiness  project with others. We knew we were making a difference and this was a great way of recognising the creativity and hard work of the team. '

Previous winners include a partnership development which stimulates business start-ups and self-employment among the region’s budding entrepreneurs and job seekers and a service that offers support and guidance to those dealing with domestic abuse. Others have worked alongside adults with learning difficulties and taken a fresh approach to a prison library service helping to support rehabilitation after prison.

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.
 

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Media contact:                                                        

Cat Cooper, Communications and Campaigns Manager, CILIP
cat.cooper@cilip.org.uk
Tel: 020 7255 0653
Mobile: 07867 455070

Notes to Editors

The Libraries Change Lives Award

The CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award is a national award which highlights transformative, profoundly life-changing initiatives developed by library staff and delivered via the library service. The award is organised by CILIP's Community, Diversity and Equality Group and CILIP and is now in its 25th year. Find out more: www.cilip.org.uk/lcla

About CILIP
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. Our objective is to put library and information skills at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous information society. CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information.

About the CILIP Community, Diversity and Equality Group

The Community, Diversity and Equality Group of CILIP works towards the development of a diverse library and information workforce that supports communities to achieve sustainable needs-based services. Visit www.cilip.org.uk/cdeg for more information.

We've collected together some of the interesting, contentious and important library and information stories that were discussed around the world last month. There were lots of interesting discussions in February, including: 

1. The Idea Stores public library model
2. Safer Internet Day 2016
3. Publishers and librarians
4. Cultural preservation and human rights
5. Libraries Day and libraries lobbying
6. Public library lending figures 2014/15

Let us know what you think or if you have any other important issues that we missed in the comments section below.

1. The Idea Stores public library model

Kate Pitman wrote a fantastic blog for CILIP talking about the Idea Stores public library model, conceived in a more optimistic time of public spending but still proving resilient in this harsher world of spending cuts. 

Kate highlights a number of reasons for this including purpose-built buildings in the perfect location, merging adult education and library services and a retail approach. However, what also comes out strongly from her blog is how the council recognised the importance of the service and worked in partnership with them over the long-term. There is perhaps a good lesson here for other Local Authorities and the Government when considering how to fulfil their own legal responsibilities to provide you with a quality library service that meets your needs.   

2. Safer Internet Day 2016

The theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day was online bullying. Research from the BBC suggested that more than three-quarters of children aged 10 to 12 in the UK have social media accounts, even though they are below the age limit. 

This is a complex area because of the conflict between a desire to protect children online but also an awareness of the practical difficulties in doing so in a world lived increasingly on the internet. There is no simple approach to tackle this issue but there are signs of increasing pressure on the corporations that run social networks to do more to protect users. 

One of the key issues is education, which is where library and information professionals already play a crucial role. One key element to this is improving digital literacy, helping people to understand digital risks and how to find reliable information online but school librarians can also take a proactive approach to challenging many forms of bullying within the school environment.  

3. Publishers and librarians

There have been a number of interesting articles published recently on the relationship between publishers and librarians:

• Three Ways Publishers and Libraries Can Work Better Together 
• Librarians Find Themselves Caught Between Journal Pirates and Publisher
• Simplify open access by moving towards a unified policy 
• eBooks Published in Australia Now Have to be Submitted to the Library

4. Cultural preservation and human rights

Should we equate preservation with human rights? This is the question examined by Michèle Valerie Cloonan in her excellent blog on the CILIP site earlier this month. It's a fascinating question and she looks at it in the context of our failure to adequately protect cultural heritage as armed conflicts in the Middle East have escalated. http://www.cilip.org.uk/blog/p...

If it has proved difficult to protect cultural heritage, there are, at least, increasing efforts to digitally preserve them through a variety of technologies including a high-resolution 3d laser scanner, which as Slate reports, "aims laser beams at surfaces, records the reflected light, and assembles a very sharp 3D image of the space. Combining all these, we now have the tools to digitally preserve what extremist groups would like to destroy." And if we can scan a 3d object... we can also print it.

5. Libraries Day and libraries lobbying

The start of the month saw some fantastic coverage of libraries with National Libraries Day taking place on 6 February and the Speak Up For Libraries lobby of parliament taking place on 9 February.
National Libraries Day was a fantastic success with over 850 events across the UK, up from 720 events last year. 

• National Libraries Day 2016 was 'truly inspirational', Bookseller
• We can't lose public libraries – they're as crucial for students as ever, Guardian  
• Love letters to libraries, Guardian
• Filmed at Newcastle City Library: Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah, author Ann Cleeves and library users, ITV
• Vera author Ann Cleeves gives talk in Newcastle to children as ambassador of National Libraries Day, Chronicle Live

The Speak Up For Libraries lobbyists asked MPs to sign up to the Early Day Motion (EDM) to protect library services as a statutory right and offer guidance for local authorities to ensure adequate funding. You can hear more from some of the supporters, including our own President Dawn Finch, on the Society of Authors website.

6. Public library lending figures 2014/15

The library lending figures were published by Public Lending Right (PLR) on the eve of National Libraries Day. Here is some of the analysis of the figures:

• Children's authors dominate loans from UK Public Libraries (PDF) in PLR's own press release
• Welsh readers like Top Gear, while those in Northern Ireland prefer Mary Berry to Jamie Oliver in The Guardian
• Crime and thriller titles dominate UK's most-borrowed list in The Bookseller
• Roald Dahl 1 vs Shakespeare 0 in The Telegraph

A one day workshop provided on behalf of the CILIP East of England Member Network – FREE to members of CILIP.

Non-CILIP Members: £50 (inc. VAT) for the morning session on an introduction to mentoring skills OR

Non-CILIP Members: £50 (inc. VAT for full day on mentoring skills and CILIP mentoring scheme for people who intend to become a CILIP member

ARLG Yorkshire & Humberside is offering a sponsored place at the ARLG Conference, Monday 27th to Wednesday 29th June 2016, at Aston University, Birmingham (#ARLG 16) for librarians living, working or studying in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. The sponsored place will include full conference fees and travel to Birmingham (2nd class rail fare only up to £100 with all other costs to be met by the successful candidate).

Full details of the conference are available on the CILIP website: http://www.cilip.org.uk/academic-research-libraries-group/events/arlg-conference-2016

To be eligible you must be a personal or associate member of CILIP, be currently living, working or studying in the Yorkshire and Humberside region in an FE, HE or research library.

To apply please email Jennifer Rowland at J.Rowland2@bradford.ac.uk with approximately 200 words describing how your attendance at the conference will impact on your professional development and how you plan to share your experience with others, including the ARLG Yorkshire & Humberside community.

The successful applicant will have to write a short report on the conference for ARLG which will be used for publication.

Please also include your CILIP membership number, your job title (if applicable) and the name of your institution. Please would you also let us know if this is the first time you will be attending an ARLG Annual Conference. Students and newly qualified librarians will be given priority although applications from longstanding members are also welcome.

Applications must be received by midday on Monday 11th April 2016 and applicants will be notified of the committee's decision by Monday 25th April 2016.

I look forward to your applications,

Jennifer Rowland,
Chair,
ARLG Yorkshire & Humberside,
University of Bradford

See #ARLG16 News Update for details of sponsored places available at #ARLG16 

Call for Papers!

Ever wanted an opportunity to present at a conference? Are you working on an exciting project in your library and want to share it with other professionals? This could be your chance!

CILIP NE are pleased to announce that their conference for 2016 will take place on the afternoon of 5th May at the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers.  The conference will seek to inspire our audience, share knowledge, raise debate and provide networking opportunities.

There will be two types of session for the conference:

Short Papers
There will be six slots available for 20 minute talks.
Ideally, we are looking for 'work in progress', so details of projects which are going on now.
We thought a lot of conferences highlight historical and completed projects. We want to hear about things going on now; so don't worry if they aren't finished yet.

Lightning talks or PechaKucha (20 slides, 20 seconds each)
There will be six slots available for five minute talks, so we are looking for short and snappy! If you'd like to present and haven't done so before, or just want to introduce something briefly, then this is perfect for you.

Proposals
Please email your proposal and speaker biography to ffion.bell@gmail.com

This should include:

The session type you wish to contribute to in the subject line of the email E.g. 20 minutes on “cataloguing today”) and your full name and other contributors/speakers

Your details:.

• job role, contact details and organisation you work for
• a mini biography on your background, e.g. where worked, professional interests etc
• in no more than 200 words outline what you want to talk about, why it is innovative, exciting and ‘beyond the horizon’

Deadlines

21st March 2015 5pm     Deadline for all talk submissions

29th March 2015              Notification of acceptance: Successful proposers will be informed by email

Click the link for the full Call for Papers poster to print and share with colleagues.

CILIP are delighted to announce that that the Information Studies undergraduate course at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman has received CILIP accreditation, recognising that it provides solid preparation for professional practice and a suitable base for anybody entering the library, information and knowledge management profession.

The Bachelor of Arts in Information Studies with two specialisms - Management of Information Institutions and Management of Archives - has gained formal CILIP accreditation following the institution’s assessment visit on 22nd February.

Helen Berry, CILIP’s Development Officer for Learning Providers said “With our first accredited undergraduate provider in the Middle East and our first ever bilingual programme world-wide, Sultan Qaboos University is a valuable addition to a growing global network of learning providers that offer quality assurance for learners pursuing a career in the library, information and knowledge professions.”

Independent assessor, Dr Carolynn Rankin, particularly praised the balance of theoretical and practical sessions, the variety of learning opportunities and the positive feedback from current students who see the courses as directly relevant to the careers they wish to pursue.

Head of the Department of Information Studies, and Associate Professor, Dr Mohammed Nasser Al Suqri and Dr Nabhan Harith Al Harrasi, Assistant Professor and the project co-ordinator, expressed delight at joining the CILIP family after working for two years to gain accreditation. Professor Naeema Jabur, Head of the Master’s Programme also commented positively on the international approach of CILIP’s Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB). Both she and Professor Abdel Majid Bouazza, Head of the PhD programme, are looking forward to working with CILIP on accreditation of the postgraduate programmes within the department.

Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat is the only public university in the Sultanate of Oman. It is the second CILIP accredited learning provider in the Middle East and the first undergraduate programme as well as the first bilingual course to be accredited by CILIP.

CILIP’s learning provider accreditation programme is designed to help students choose library and information career programmes that cover the essential skills and knowledge, and have been rigorously assessed by CILIP. Accredited programmes are assessed using the CILIP PKSB which identifies the core knowledge and skills of the profession. There are currently 19 CILIP accredited Learning Providers offering 65 programmes and 3 standalone modules in a broad range of subjects from Information Capability Management to Archives Administration.

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Press contact

Cat Cooper
Communications and Campaigns Manager, CILIP
Email: cat.cooper@cilip.org.uk
Direct line: 020 7255 0653
Mobile: 07867 455070