The CILIP Cataloguing & indexing Group (CIG) is pleased to announce RDA in a Day, a training event taking place on 23rd March 2016 at CILIP, 7 Ridgmount Street, London, WC1E 7AE.

RDA in a Day is a practical introduction to cataloguing with RDA (Resource Description and Access).  The course will cover the FRBR model and RDA terminology. This is an interactive, hands-on course in which trainees will learn by using RIMMF and the RDA Toolkit to create RDA records. The day also covers creation of RDA records in MARC 21.

Prior cataloguing experience and knowledge of AACR2 and MARC 21 will be an advantage.

The course will be led by Alan Danskin, Collection Metadata Standards Manager at the British Library.  Alan represents the British Library on the RDA Steering Committee, of which he was Chair between 2009 and 2011, and is also Chair of EURIG (the European RDA Interest Group).  He was formerly the UK representative on the MARC Advisory Committee, was Editor of UKMARC and UNIMARC and has served on several IFLA committees and working groups.  During his British Library career Alan has been responsible for the implementation of RDA, MARC 21 and NACO by the British Library.  Alan has been a member of the CIG committee in various capacities since 2000 and is currently Vice-Chair.

To book, or for further information, please contact Robin Armstrong Viner (r.armstrong-viner@kent.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)1227 827649).

Please supply the following information with your booking:

- Your name
- Institution
- Invoice address (and purchase order number if required)
- Any specific dietary requirements

In a thought-provoking piece, mathematician Professor Norman Biggs explores a conflict that has impacted on many library systems for many years. While librarians and knowledge and information professionals see their role as, and work towards, providing and facilitating easy access to information, the IT department which provides and governs the network over which they must work is all about security and the limiting of access - either that of non-members  to library resources or that of members to resources which the IT department deems  'unacceptable'. This is my example, garnered from many conversations during UKeiG e-books training, but as Norman Biggs writes:

Those who see themselves as guardians of our ‘right to know’ are dissatisfied with the wide range of circumstances which can be considered as exceptions. Those who see themselves as guardians of our ‘security’ are concerned that attempts to prevent terrorist activities may be compromised. 

The original article, posted in the OUPblog, focuses on the Data Protection Bill (1998) and the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act (2000). Citing a recent example where the BBC had claimed that the details of the voting for Strictly Come Dancing were exempt from FoI, because they are being used ‘for the purposes of journalism, art, or literature', the author worries that, when a piece of information is only partly revealed to us, it is not safe to deduce much useful information from that data. He ends:

We are expected to observe certain rules and regulations about how we use our money, but we are allowed to keep it safe. Will similar rules and regulations about information emerge? 

For people living in rural or remote parts of the Canadian province of Ontario, it can be very hard to access legal information or the justice system. Ontario is about four times the geographic size of the United Kingdom, but has only one fifth of the population – and some northern Ontario communities can only be accessed by plane during the summer months. 

Photo courtesy of Statistics Canada.

As well, internet access is more expensive and slower in rural and remote areas than in other parts of the province, and public transportation options are slim to non-existent. These factors result in geographic and digital divides that further marginalize low income people living in rural and remote communities – especially Indigenous people living on reserves in the most isolated northern parts of Ontario. 

So, how to reach Ontarians living in rural and remote communities with legal information? One strategy that has met with success in rural areas in southeastern Ontario – use libraries as access points not only for information, but also for programs that reflect community specific needs. Librarians and library staff are trusted in their communities – they are “problem noticers” who can point their patrons to legal information and resources to find help.

Building upon the work of a past project that trained rural librarians on how to deliver legal information and referrals, the organization I work for, Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO), partnered with other justice sector groups and organizations to host a one day event in October 2015 - “Libraries and Justice: Innovative Access for Rural and Remote Communities.” At this event, we explored ways for libraries and justice organizations to work together to deliver legal information to people living outside of large urban centres. 

Our goal: to bring librarians and legal professionals from across the province together to increase awareness of existing ways to work together and brainstorm new ways to form partnerships. Although our hopes were high, we weren’t really sure what to expect. 

What happens when you bring together rural and remote community representatives from various community legal clinics, courthouse libraries, public libraries, and universities? Quite a lot, it seems. 

Seventy-five people came to the event from various parts of the province. The day’s program was divided into two parts – inspiration in the morning, and action in the afternoon. 

Photo courtesy of The Action Group on Access to Justice

We heard from Janet Freeman, a community outreach courthouse librarian from British Columbia, about groundbreaking work in her province, most notably the Law Matters Program which provides substantial access to justice resources and training support for public libraries.

The morning session also featured a panel discussion that illuminated the challenges and successes of library-focused access to justice efforts from CLEO, CALC, the Quinte West Public Library and the Belleville Public Library.

An access to justice facilitator  led us through the afternoon breakout sessions. We considered questions such as:

• what are the conditions and needs that are going unmet?
• what problem are you trying to solve?
• what resources do you need to get your ideas off the ground?
• who needs to be involved and how would you engage them?

Some librarians understandably voiced concerns about being seen to be giving legal advice to patrons – which is clearly outside of their purview and could attract liability. We from the justice sector, in addition to other librarians who had already worked in library and justice partnerships, were able to share information and strategies to help librarians avoid that particular quagmire. 

Photo courtesy of Sabreena Delhon.

Other takeaways from the day were simple but effective – many libraries learned about CLEO resources for the first time and were eager to bookmark relevant pages on their computers. Also, some community legal clinics and libraries were able to connect and talk about the possibility of working together.

We were also encouraged by many of the responses to the evaluation forms we sent out after the event. Here are some sample responses: 

Describe any access to justice related action you may be taking as a result of your participation in this program.

• “Contacting the Ontario Library Association to arrange for a specialty clinic presence at their conference.”
• “The Ontario Courthouse Libraries Association has created a focus group to explore how we will partner with our local libraries and community clinics.”

What did you find useful about the program?

• “The mix of people was excellent. Not knowing what to expect and walking in to meet talented individuals from different fields, just thinking out loud on access to justice issues was phenomenal. I very much enjoyed the experience. I also liked how the needs were highlighted; how BC was given as a type of case study of what we could be doing. Just different ways to think of an age old problem was super.”
• “It provided good opportunities for networking, and it was a great way to learn about what is happening with both libraries and clinics in R&R [rural and remote] areas. I think there was a very positive energy, and people seemed enthusiastic. Lisa’s graphic art was also very inspiring and a good way to capture themes and challenges.”
• “Hearing other ideas from different points of view.”
• “Understanding the resources of libraries.”
• “Bringing people together face to face. The human connection was very useful.”

We were enthused by the commitment and energy shown by all the participants in this event, and we hope that it leads to more libraries and justice partnerships in Ontario. 

View pictures from the day and find a great blog post about the event from the Southern Ontario Library Service.

ARLG North West is offering a sponsored place at #ARLG16 for librarians living or working in the North West. The sponsored place will include full conference fees. The successful candidate will be responsible for their own travel arrangements.

To be eligible you must be a personal member of CILIP or ARLG, and be currently living, working or studying in the North West in an FE, HE or research library.

To apply please email Annette Ramsden aramsden@uclan.ac.uk  with approximately 200 words explaining which session you are especially interested in and how it will impact on your professional development. Additionally how you plan to share your experience with others, including the ARLG North West community.

The successful applicant will be asked to write a short report on the conference for ARLG NW which will be published on our website. Please also include your CILIP membership number, your job title and the name of your institution (if employed). First time attendees or students will be given priority but please do not let this put you off applying as we do not always get any first time applicants.

Applications must be received by midday on 14th March 2016 and applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by COP Monday 21st March 2016.

Applications are welcome from group members to attend the CILIP Conference on 12th and 13th July at the Brighton Dome.

We will be offering two places, place one for any member of CDEG and the second place to a new professional.

·        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.

 To apply please email Karen Berry your application with your reasons for applying in no more than 500 words by Monday 4th April 2016. Please indicate which place you are applying for.

Contact information Karen Berry email: Karen.berry@talktalk.net  telephone 02476679458.

For more information about the conference visit the website: http://cilipconference.org.uk/ or Twitter hashtag: #CILIPConf16

The concept of Idea Stores – combining libraries and adult education services under one roof – was developed at the end of the last century. The world then was very different. Younger readers may struggle to imagine the optimism in the public library world in the late 1990s – with a revived sense of purpose and government (or at least Lottery) money to match. Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive.

Idea Stores were a product of that time. ‘New Library: The People's Network' (proposing to use libraries to make the internet accessible to everyone)was released in April 1998 by Chris Smith, then Secretary of State for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. A year later he launched the Idea Store project, supported by Tower Hamlets Council which was prepared to invest £20 million in library and learning services for local people.

No-one needs reminding that a lot has changed since then, and not just for public libraries. The banking crisis followed by years of austerity, has seen unprecedented challenges to local authority funding. The other great change of course has been the development of ICT in ways unimagined by the authors of The People’s Network (or anyone else for that matter).

This is clearly a very different environment – with public libraries apparently reeling under existential threat. Last year’s BiblioCommons report on the digital future quoted two representative negative views on public libraries, one from a member of the public "Waste of money. No need for libraries nowadays, just google what you want."; and second from bestselling children’s author, Terry Deary, "I'm not attacking libraries, I'm attacking the concept behindlibraries, which is no longer relevant."

How are Idea Stores managing in this harsher era? Are they still relevant?

Idea Stores have actually proved highly resilient. The Council recognises the importance of the service so there have been no cuts in (our very long) opening hours or paid staff replaced by volunteers. And local people value the service: 92% rated Idea Stores as being ‘good’ or ‘very good’in last year’s CIPFA Public Library User Survey – and Idea Stores also rate very highly in the council’s own Annual Residents Survey.

There are two main reasons for this. First of all, the original concept was right and has proved adaptable. Secondly we have never stopped developing, learning – from others, from our own experience and most of all from our customers.

Merging education and library services

The Idea Store concept brought together two different services: adult and community education and libraries. Importantly this was to be an integrated service – not just a marriage of convenience to save on shared bills (although that helped). We have spent a lot of time thinking about what – and especially who – we’re there for and how we can work together to deliver more than the sum of our parts. We don’t see separate library customers and adult education learners: they’re all the same people.

For some services spending time thinking about our philosophy could seem a bit of a luxury. For us it’s been vital and essential for advocacy: we know exactly what we are aiming for and how we can support the council in achieving its aims.

High specification buildings in the perfect location

Another part of the original concept – and this was based on extensive public surveying – was the replacement of numerous buildings with a much smaller network of purpose built, high specification Idea Stores in the perfect location.  I can’t tell you how glad we were that we went ahead with that idea when we did. Shutting poorly used uneconomic libraries is much easier when it’s part of an investment programme (and easier of course in a small London borough).

We made sure that no old buildings were closed until the replacement opened. Each new Idea Store has had longer opening hours than the libraries they replaced and people definitely prefer Idea Stores with hours and locations that suit the way they live.

A retail approach

Opening hours and locations that suited the customer fitted into another element of the Idea Store style: having a retail approach. That meant ditching the municipal look of many libraries and creating a place that people would actually choose to spend time in. We happily waved goodbye to bossy notices, pointless rules, blu tack and council-approved furniture.

3 main areas of development

So how have we developed – and what have we learnt -  since our first Store opened? I don’t have room to list everything so I’ll concentrate on three main areas:

Common approaches to different areas

Libraries and adult and community education have continued to converge in ways that we’d never imagined. We were never simply a co-located service and have always had cross service front-line staff and shared admin support. But over the years we have developed more and more joint working and common approaches to different areas. This has led to innovative work in areas such as health, employability, digital services and volunteering. 

All of this work is part of our core service and offered as standard across the board. This is not a traditional library service with some initiatives or projects as add-ons. In developing our Health Strategy for example we looked at the shared contribution to well-being of all aspectsof Idea Store and were able demonstrate a coherent Idea Store offer that includes a wide range of services, including health information; fitness classes; therapeutic reading groups; healthy eating; dance; bibliotherapy all under one roof. This whole Idea Store approach has made us a highly effective partner and has resulted in Public Health funding for Health Outreach workers operating out of Idea Stores.

ICT

The second area of development  - not surprisingly - is in ICT. Like everyone else we’re thrilled with the potential but frustrated at the pace of change. Joining the London Libraries Consortium (LLC) in 2007 was a good move. We’ve benefited greatly from shared procurement including stock, transport and our LMS.Technology has underpinned improvements in services to the LLC’s shared population of 4 million residents. At the same time we’re keenly aware of what more we could be doing (the BiblioCommons report argued this forcefully), especially for an integrated library and learning service where ICT is the platform for the delivery of so much. An awareness of what we could - but aren’t able - to do is exasperating so we’re really happy that the Libraries Taskforce is starting to do so much work here.

The library building as a 3rd place

Moving away from the virtual, the third area of development is our growing awareness of the importance of Idea Stores as physical entities. There’s been a lot written about libraries as community hubs, which they are (although some are morphing into vague customer service centres, a name that makes the heart sink). We’ve been very interested in the idea of the library as a ‘3rd Place’. This was a phrase coined by Ray Oldenburg to describe a place that is neither work nor home but a socially inclusive environment that people like to spend time in. The third place is about neutrality, equality, social inclusion, making a home from home and bringing the community together – something particularly important in an inner city environment that can often be alienating.

Reading comments from our customers in Public Library User Surveys, we have been taken by the emotional attachment that people feel to Idea Stores. So many of them - from very diverse backgrounds - describe their store as ‘home’ for them, or ‘a haven’ ; others describe the stores as a linchpin of the community  “integrating people and getting local people out of their houses to talk together”.The environment in Idea Stores has many of the characteristics of a third space 

We’re not claiming copyright here. Many libraries are a third place. However, budget cuts and hollowed-out services can mean others are in danger of becoming “soup kitchens for the written word” used only by those who have no alternative – while those who do, choose to spend their time elsewhere. This includes the opinion formers who – as pointed out in the Sieghart report – stay away. 

So we do make sure our buildings look and feel good. This is hard work: two million annual visits take their toll. And – stung by an awful review of our collection - we put a lot of effort into providing an excellent and well-presented bookstock (we tried supplier selection at first, but it’s not for us).

Idea Stores are still thriving in the 21st Century

Idea Stores were innovative from the start. The power of the original vision has proved adaptable and allowed us to respond to changing times. We have never taken our customers for granted: we began with the biggest ever library consultation and have been listening to local people ever since. We are proud to be a service that people choose to use.

This combination of a strong and radical concept and our ability to develop has meant that Idea Stores are still thriving in the 21st century. This is why librarians from around the world still come to east London to learn from our experience.

#VisDom2016 conference

I’ll be talking about the Idea Store concept at this year’s #VisDom2016 conference in Potsdam on 27th-28th May. The main theme is ‘Smart Libraries’ looking at innovation and examples of best practice internationally. 

The Call for Papers has three main topics:

• Scope 1: Digital Services of Smart Libraries
• Scope 2: The Library as a Third Place
• Scope 3: Librarians in Flux.

You can submit your proposals until 24 March 2016. The registration for everybody will open on 29 February 2016.

Find out more about #VisDom2016

We welcome all our members to this year's AGM which will be followed by a talk from Dawn Finch, President of CILIP, who will be speaking about her personal work about being a children's author and working with school librarians.

Refreshments will be served from 5-30pm and proceedings will conclude at 7-45pm to allow vacation of the building by 8.00pm. Cooperation in leaving the building promptly will be appreciated.

Minutes from the 2015 AGM are available by clicking HERE.

Please book you place at this LINK.

The LSG Committee will be meeting on the 10th March in Nottingham.

The discussions usually center around:

• committee reports
• official business, ie: finance, membership, communication from CILIP
• LSG business plans
• communication, promotion - usually entails discussion around what is available to members via the website, and our publications
• fall day school preparations
• need for new committee members as others end their terms

If you would like to attend and learn more about (and or contribute) what we provide to the LSG community, please contact : 

Terry Bracher or Alice Lock. 

Here's an opportunity to attend the CILIP conference, 12-13 July in Brighton, which will be of great value in your professional development. Many colleagues recommend attending a conference to gain insights, updates on information knowledge, as well as the networking opportunities. Applicants will have to have a personal CILIP membership.

http://cilipconference.org.uk
Keynote: Scott Bonner, Director, Ferguson Municipal Public Library, Missouri, U.S. “What We Did in Ferguson: A Warts-and-all Telling of Stories” It will be all about hard choices and lessons learned, and remembering how awesome libraries have always been when their communities have needed them.

Keynote: Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Computer Science, University of Oxford & Principal of Jesus College. “The Opportunities & Challenges of Open Data” will review the development of open data within the UK and internationally. 

Becci Louise, Poet & Artist - a poet and spoken word artist living and working in Reading, where she galvanises young poets to change the world through their writing. She won ‘the Fringe Award’ at Reading’s own Fringe Festival.

Please contact the LSG chair with your intent of interest. Terry Bracher

#CILIPConf16

Friday 4th March 2016 
Learning Suite, Risca Library Risca Palace, 75 Tredegar Street, Risca, 
NP11 6BW 
9.30am-4.30pm 

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

 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 

To book a place please fill in the online form
https://fs3.formsite.com/cilip/form278/index.html

Information Security is very much an issue of the moment! Only yesterday Apple was in the news as the US government demanded that they should create backdoor access into the encrypted data on an iPhone; the UK government is moving forwards on its Investigatory Powers Bill, and - as reported here - there are changes afoot for Data Protection. CILIP has been leading on Information Management for some time (as evidenced in the regular column in Update) and a recent Iron Mountain and Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) White Paper explores the future skills and attributes that will help information managers create positive impacts for their organisations over the next 3-5 years... including a mention of information security and access control.

So it is very timely that UKeiG has announced a new training event: Information Security: governance and risk to be presented by Peter Cruickshank on Friday June 17th at CILIP. Among other things, Peter will be examining governance frameworks for information systems and the concepts of governance, risk management and compliance, as well as relevant laws and regulations, both national and international, including Data Protection, Freedom of Information and computer misuse.

The Iron Mountain and AIIM report noted that when asked about the Information Management (IM) skills their organisation would value over the next 3-5 years, participants identified 'risk management, security and data privacy' at the top of the list. Unsurprisingly information managers felt that their strengths lay in traditional aspects of IM but felt slightly less comfortable in some of the areas predicted to become increasingly vital – including information security.

For full details - and a booking form - for the June UKeiG workshop, see our event page.

On Monday 14th March 2016 CILIP will launch the Online Register of Practitioners. 

Maintaining a public register is stipulated as part of CILIP’s Royal Charter. This will be an online version of our public register detailing all current members, including those who hold a level of Professional Registration. In the past, this has been held in the CILIP Yearbook. Publishing your details online will allow for a more up to date record to be available for public viewing. 

The benefits of publishing the register this way include:

• Allowing employers to check whether an individual is in membership and their level of professional registration 
• An accessible and official record that your CPD is up to date via revalidation
• A more accurate and current record of your professional details for professional recognition 
• Public assurance that services are being delivered by a qualified professional

A register entry will consist of the following data:

• Surname, Title, Initials, Postnominals
• Job title and employer name or Retired or Life Member or Student and University name or Unwaged 
• Membership number
• Date of professional registration (e.g. date of gaining Chartership)
• Date of last revalidation

Please note that no personal contact details are included in the Register of Practitioners.

We will be using members CILIP Yearbook preference as a basis for inclusion in the Register of Practitioners, all members will be contacted in advance and advised on what their current yearbook preference is recorded as.

If members do not want their information to be included in the online Register of Practitioners then they can complete this form, to advise CILIP of their desire to have their details omitted.

If you are happy for your details to appear in the Register, you can you log in and check/update your details (particularly those listed above). 

Please contact CILIP Member Services (memberservices@cilip.org.uk) if you have any questions about the public register.

Peter Cruickshank's one day course reviews the threats and compliance issues that owners and implementers of information systems face.

Who should attend?

This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience. The techniques and approaches covered can be applied to all subject areas. Delegates are encouraged to prepare by thinking examples of the challenges they have faced in this area.

CILIP’s Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB)

This course supports the following elements of CILIP’s PKSB:

2. Knowledge and Information Management   2.2 Information management
5. Information Governance and Compliance 5.5 Information ownership and accountability
5. Information Governance and Compliance 5.6 Information risk management    

As the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, we are responsible under our Royal Charter for ‘ensuring the adequate provision of library and information services’.

Our My Library By Right campaign is the start of re-asserting the statutory basis of public library services. In light of the Local Government Settlement we believe it is now time to go further and to set out what needs to be done to secure the future of the public library network in England for the benefit of the public, communities and the nation.

Putting the public first

Public libraries are one of our most essential public services. Over 850 events took place across the UK for National Libraries Day last weekend. They were a celebration of the diversity, creativity, innovation and public-service ethos which lie at the heart of public libraries, and their counterparts in schools, colleges, prisons and health services across the country.

Our vision of the future development of the UK’s public libraries must be driven first and foremost by the needs of current and potential library users – both in person and online. Delivering real progress for our society and our economy depends on every single person having the opportunity to read, to develop their digital and critical thinking skills and to be part of their community.

The threats to public library services – of cuts, closures and ‘hollowing-out’ – reported daily in the press must be countered not on the basis of retaining buildings or jobs (although buildings and jobs are essential to delivery) but on the basis that they limit equality of opportunity and our progress as a nation.

CILIP wants every single UK citizen to have access to free, high-quality public library services which promote the right to read, to learn, to interact and to build confidence and skills.

Setting a strategy

Our strategy for public libraries in England needs 4 key elements to succeed:

• A clear, positive vision of the future
• A realistic roadmap for achieving it
• The will, resource and influence to put it into action, and
• The time to deliver it properly

Thankfully, we have good examples to draw on. Closest to home are the strategies in Scotland and Wales. Ambition and Opportunity, the strategy for public libraries in Scotland speaks of defining a ‘map and a compass: a map to show the terrain ahead and a compass to show the direction of travel’.

As part of the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce, CILIP believes now is our last chance to work together in unity across the library profession, the Local Government Association and key partners and to take ownership of a similar strategy for public libraries in England. The benefits libraries offer to society as a joined-up, universal service are too valuable to be left to a chaotic and economically-driven process.

What lies ahead?

Due to their statutory nature, the fate of public library authorities and library services in England is closely tied to the future direction of Local Authorities.

We know that what lies ahead for Local Authorities is complex and challenging. With the reduction and eventual withdrawal of central Government funding, Councils will depend on business rates and Council Tax to fund local services. The integration of health and social care, and in particular the spiralling costs of adult social care, will place these limited resources under extreme pressure.

Many Authorities have reacted already by withdrawing funding for local libraries and seeking to transfer services out of statutory provision into community-led, volunteer-run models. At the extreme end, a further 4 years of this process will demolish the very principle of a joined-up national public library network.

Foundations for the future

CILIP believes that it is now beyond urgent to stem the tide of attrition. The Leadership for Libraries Taskforce must take ownership of the future development of public libraries and together we need to lead action to deliver the sustainable, vibrant future for our public libraries that serves the interests of the public.

CILIP believes that, jointly with the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce, we urgently need to establish the following foundations to secure the future of our public libraries and promote the interests of their users:

• A National Strategy for Public Libraries in England, developed jointly by the library profession and the Local Government Association and endorsed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
• The creation and endorsement of an outcomes-based Public Library Service Framework for public libraries in England, drawing on the Welsh Public Library Standard and structured around the SCL Universal Offers
• A clear definition of a tiered service, highlighting the core offers to be delivered by statutory public libraries (based on the SCL Universal Offers) as differentiated from non-statutory Community Hubs
• Development Plans, created by library authorities in consultation with library users with transitional support from the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce and DCMS and based on clear, accurate data
• A clear organisational model for the governance and implementation of the National Strategy, based on the core partners of the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce

Transitional funding support from Treasury to mitigate against ad-hoc and reactive decision-making and provide sufficient time to set viable and realistic development plans in place, ensuring that this support is distributed fairly across England, irrespective of Parliamentary boundaries

A longer-term strategy for the Transformation and Modernisation of the Public Library Network in England, supported explicitly in national policy and funding priorities and with appropriate infrastructure to support the long-term development of library services.

Confronting our challenges

In developing these foundations, it is essential that professional colleagues in England work with public library leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as internationally to learn from best practices and innovative ideas.

To be clear – developing a realistic and achievable plan will demand that we confront difficult issues. As a profession, we will need to confront the challenge of structural reform of the public library network, which may impact on the jobs of CILIP members. The opportunity is to achieve a vibrant and sustainable future for our public libraries and to re-assert the principle that a library is not truly a library without a skilled professional librarian. 

The next steps

CILIP believes that, to be successful, a strategy for Public Libraries in England must be owned and developed jointly between all of the partners in the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of library staff, campaigners and users.

We are therefore calling on the Taskforce to consider this proposal and to work with us to take it forward. As a community of 13,000 library and information professionals, we believe that it is vital to engage our members in using your skills and professional values to set a new direction for our public libraries for the long-term benefit of everyone.

Do you ever consider submitting a conference proposal but find yourself not knowing where to start? Have you submitted a proposal previously but want to share/discuss your tips with others? Join us for our next CIG e-forum on ‘Crafting a Winning Conference Proposal’.

Co-moderated by Deborah Lee (Courtauld Institute of Art), Claire Sewell (Cambridge University) and Anne Welsh (University College London) the e-forum will cover topics such as:

• the benefits of presenting at conferences
• getting started with your proposal
• choosing a topic, and
• common mistakes to avoid

Although the discussion is primarily focused on the information world it is open to anyone with an interest in presenting at conferences.

Details

The eforum takes place on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th of September. On both days sessions will begin at 10am and end at 4pm (UK time).

What is a CIG e-forum?

A CIG e-forum provides an opportunity for librarians to discuss matters of interest, led by moderators through the e-forum discussion list.

The e-forum discussion list works like an email listserv: register your email address with the list, and then you will receive messages and communicate with other participants through an email discussion.

E-forums are scheduled to last two days. Registration is necessary to participate, but it’s free and open to both members and non-members of CIG.

Instructions for registration are available at:

http://www.cilip.org.uk/cataloguing-and-indexing-group/e-forums

Once you have registered for one e-forum, you do not need to register again, unless you choose to leave the email list. Participation is free and open to anyone.

CIG Scotland is delighted to host an international seminar on RDA & Rare Materials, in conjunction with members of the Association of College & Research Libraries’ Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS), the European RDA Interest Group (EURIG), the CILIP Rare Books and Special Collections Group (RBSCG), the CILIP Cataloguing & Indexing Group (CIG), IFLA and JSC.

This seminar has been organised in association with the meeting of the Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA, which meets at the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh on 2-6 November 2015.

Prompted by organizational changes within JSC, the revision of ACRL’s Rare Books & Manuscripts Section’s Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials, the international efforts of institutions and organizations to enhance bibliographic data sharing and interoperability, and the recognition that access to rare materials and special collections is vital for research and learning, this seminar brings together experts and practitioners from around the world.  Participants will share, through a mix of presentations and discussion, their current practices and methods for the description of, and access to, rare materials. The objectives of this seminar are knowledge sharing to gain the widest possible picture of current practices and international collaboration on cataloguing and descriptive standards.

The world’s first RLS-athon – a hackathon for RDA metadata about Robert Louis Stevenson and his works, organised by the Cataloguing & Indexing Group in Scotland (CIGS), Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA (JSC), and The Marc of Quality (TMQ).

The most recent of the Group's short papers has been published today - a briefing on how the changes being made to the Disabled Student Allowances - which shift the responsibility for provision of accessible learning resources to an individual's institution - will affect libraries. Written by JISC's Alistair McNaught, the paper covers the support services that will no longer be funded (with a note of the inherent inequalities) and goes on to look at the procurement of e-resources, staff development, external collaboration, and internal collaboration. Available as a pdf for downloading, Disabled Student Allowances changes – key issues for libraries can be found on the Commentaries page of the UKeiG web site.

Due to the overwhelming demand to visit Bernard Quaritch Ltd. (www.quaritch.com) last October we have organised a repeat visit in April.

Bernard Quaritch Ltd. have been dealing in rare books and manuscripts since 1847. This visit will provide a fascinating insight into the rare book trade. We will discover the company's history and the range of services offered, meet staff and view highlights from the archive as well as current stock.

Wine, soft drinks and nibbles will be provided.

 A network and training day at Winchester Discovery Centre. Friday May 6th  10am to 3pm.

This Unconference is aimed at people with an interest in how we can bring stories to life and encourage reading for pleasure to children and young people. 

The day will be filled with drop in and out sessions to support, advise and share ideas on all aspects of supporting children in reading.  From sharing your favourite storytime read, to how you introduce beginner read books to children and parents, to how to run arts award within your libraries, to running chatterbooks groups, Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Shadowing, including CKG judges past and present talking about the process and more.

CILIP Conference - ISG Bursary Place

ISG are pleased to be able to offer a bursary place for one ISG member to attend the CILIP Conference in Brighton on 12 and 13 July 2016.

The  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. 

Travel expenses are NOT included with the bursary place.

If you'd like to be considered for the bursary, email your details to Claire Back ISG Secretary ISGHonSecretary@cilip.org.uk by Thursday 31 March

The winner will be notified by Friday 7 April. 

The winner will be expected to write about their experiences for the Autumn edition of Refer.