The latest Taking Part statistics from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport include difficult top line figures about how many adults use public libraries in England. In 2015/16, 33.4% of adults had used a public library in the twelve months prior to being interviewed - in 2014/15 it was 34.5%.

It is worth looking into the figures in more detail. The figures show that proportionately levels of use amongst disadvantaged groups has remained relatively stable.

Key figures showing this are:

• Since 2005/ 2006 the “Urban prosperity” Acorn group usage of public libraries has declined by 19.4 percentage points and “Wealthy achievers” by  17.3 percentage points but the proportion of adults using the library in the “hard pressed” group has only decreased by 7.0 percentage points over the same period.  
• Library use among adults in the five most deprived areas has remained reasonably stable.
• Whilst there has been a decrease in the proportion of working adults using public library services since 2013/14 the proportion of non working adults using libraries has remained stable.

The usage gap between these groups is widening. Does this usage pattern reflect growing inequalities in our society? And what does this mean for future library provision within a landscape of shrinking library budgets and a requirement to provide a library service to all who wish to use it?

To explore the figures in more detail take a look at the new Taking Part survey online data analysis tools. These tools are designed to make data from the Taking Part survey more accessible, allowing you to produce bespoke tables and explore the survey.

 You are cordially invited to attend the quiz, with an enjoyable friendly atmosphere and plenty of opportunities for informal contacts and social networking.

There is an entrance charge of £3 to the quiz (cash only) to cover room booking costs, and food and drinks will be available to purchase from the bar downstairs. (Please note that the room booked is up a flight of stairs).

The quiz itself will last from 7 - 9 p.m. and you would be welcome to come along in your pre-arranged teams of 5 - 6 each, but individuals could join one of the teams on the actual evening.

 There will be prizes awarded to both the highest and lowest scoring teams.

Please note that a maximum number of 40 people can attend this event, so please book your individual/team place by e-mailing David Lass as soon as possible, and by Tuesday 6th December 2016 at the latest.

Please contact Linda Coombs or  if you have any queries.

Facet Publishing have announced the release of Ken Varnum’s new edited collection Exploring Discovery

We are in a new age of discovery. Not one recalled from history books, where exploration of the physical world proceeded apace, but an age where the incredible breadth and depth of knowledge is just as mysterious to the typical researcher.  The new age of discovery builds on decades of advancements in handling metadata and full text in digital formats, natural language processing, keyword searching, and information science. The pace of change in the last half-century has been dizzying, enabling library technologists to enable information discovery across multiple scales, with tools and processes specific to each.

The concept of discovery covers scales from billions of items in the large web-scale systems to just hundreds of items at the other end of the scale in purpose-built discovery tools for an individual library. In his new book, editor Ken Varnum brings together leading experts to explore both discovery tools that have been made to enable in-depth access to relatively narrow information silos, as well as tools that enable exploration of broad swathes of digital and off-line content.

Using a series of case studies, Exploring Discovery illustrates the interfaces and technologies that can be used by libraries today and examines the future of discovery. Divided into four sections, I) Vended Discovery Systems, II) Custom Discovery Systems, III) Interfaces, IV) Content and Metadata, the book covers key topics including:

• choosing a web-scale discovery system
• libraries, archives and museums sharing a single discovery tool
• managing internal development requirements with the constraints of a small or medium-sized library
• integrating discovery to improve user experience
• custom discovery systems built with open-source software
• metadata challenges in discovery services
• open access and discovery tools
• regional aggregation and discovery of digital collections.

The Midwest Book Review said, “Exploring Discovery is easy to dip into as needed, and provides a comprehensive examination of discovery services that will prove invaluable to IT, web development, electronic resource management, and technical services staff”.

The European Commission has published an infographic on open research data: Findable - Accessible - Interoperable - Re-usable (FAIR). It covers the challenge and the solution, explains how it works, and invites you to be a part of the new era of open science. Research data should be open by default - as open as possible but as closed as necessary (for example, due to intellectual property rights).

Facet Publishing have announced the publication of Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval edited by Allen Foster and Pauline Rafferty both at Aberystwyth University.

The book explores the analysis and interpretation, discovery and retrieval of a variety of non-textual objects, including image, music and moving image. 

Bringing together chapters written by leading experts in the field, the first part of this book provides an overview of the theoretical and academic aspects of digital cultural documentation and considers both technical and strategic issues relating to cultural heritage projects, digital asset management and sustainability. The second part includes contributions from practitioners in the field focusing on case studies from libraries, archives and museums. While the third and final part considers social networking and digital cultural objects.

Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval draws from disciplines including information retrieval, library and information science (LIS), digital preservation, digital humanities, cultural theory, digital media studies and art history. It’s argued that this multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach is both necessary and useful in the age of the ubiquitous and mobile web.

Key topics covered include:

• Managing, searching and finding digital cultural objects
• Data modelling for analysis, discovery and retrieval
• Social media data as a historical source
• Visual digital humanities
• Digital preservation of audio content
• Photos on social networking sites
• Searching and creating affinities in web music collections
• Film retrieval on the web.

The book will provide inspiration for students seeking to develop creative and innovative research projects at Masters and PhD levels and will be essential reading for those studying digital cultural object management. Equally, it should serve practitioners in the field who wish to create and develop innovative, creative and exciting projects in the future.

-ends

Press and review copies contact:

James Williams, Marketing & Sales Manager, Facet Publishing

Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0597
Email: james.williams@facetpublishing.co.uk

Notes:
Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval | Jul 2016 | 256pp | Paperback; 9781856049412; £54.95

About the editors:

Allen Foster has a BA in Social History, a Master's in Information Management and a PhD in Information Science.  As Reader in Information Science, he has held various roles, including Head of Department for Information Studies, at Aberystwyth University.  His research interest areas span the research process of Master's and PhD students, the development of models for information behaviour and serendipity, and user experience of information systems, creativity and information retrieval. He has guest edited for several journal special issues, is a regional editor for The Electronic Library and is a member of journal editorial boards, international panels and conference committees.

Dr Pauline Rafferty MA (Hons) MSc MCLIP is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching and Learning at the Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth University. She previously taught at the Department of Information Science, City University London, and in the School of Information Studies and Department of Media and Communication at the University of Central England, Birmingham.

Contributors:

Sarah Higgins, Aberystwyth University

Katrin Weller, GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences

Hannah Dee, Aberystwyth University

Lorna Hughes, University of Glasgow

Lloyd Roderick, Aberystwyth University

Alexander Brown,  Aberystwyth University

Maureen Pennock, British Library

Michael Day, British Library

Will Prentice, British Library

Corinne Jörgensen, Florida State University (Emeritus)

Nicola Orio, University of Padua

Kathryn La Barre, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rosa Ines de Novias Cordeiro, Federal Fluminense University, Rio de Janeiro

The book is published by Facet Publishing and is available from Bookpoint Ltd | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk. | Mailing Address: Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD. It is available in North America from the American Library Association.

`The Private Diaries of Robert Proctor’

John Bowman (formerly University College, London)

The bibliographer Robert Proctor kept a private diary for the last four years of his life. From it we gain a picture of his work at the British Museum, his private life with Mother in Oxshott, and his obsession with anything related to William Morris. The talk will show how the diaries shed light on the life and death of an extraordinary man.

Time to be confirmed.

Alice Ford-Smith (Bernard Quaritch Ltd.) will lead a repeat of last term's library walk for the History of Libraries Seminar

`London 1708: a Walk into Library History’.

You are invited to spend an early autumn evening exploring some of London’s early eighteenth century libraries. This walk will follow in the footsteps of bookseller and antiquary John Bagford, whose An account of several libraries in and about London, for the satisfaction of the curious, both natives and foreigners was published in 1708.  

John Bagford was at the centre of London’s book trade, selling collections and helping form new ones. In the process he created a unique record of the libraries that operated in the city he loved. Alice Ford-Smith will guide you through the streets and alleyways of John Bagford’s London, introducing this book history pioneer and the libraries he knew so well.

The walk will commence from the courtyard of Stationers' Hall at 5.30 pm and finish approximately 90 minutes later near Barbican underground station.

Numbers are limited to 25 people, and pre-booking is essential. Tickets, which are non-refundable, are £10 each. This event is open to all, so early booking is recommended.

Please register through Eventbrite: https://goo.gl/BrOnbK

We are pleased to publicise this survey by Catriona Robertson on the state of children's library services in UK public library services and whether they are being "hollowed out".  Catriona is a postgraduate student on the MSc Information and Library studies course at the University of Strathclyde. CILIP is exploring the potential of working with students doing their dissertations as part of MA/MSc courses in library and information studies to cover topics of interest to CILIP. The research remains their own but it has been formulated in discussion with CILIP and, in this case, YLG.  We do encourage you to complete this survey by 11pm on 2 August 2016. We hope it will provide valuable insights into what children's librarians believe is taking place in the services they provide.

You will find the survey at:  https://strathsci.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_e5L1J8XdFsY9Twx

We and Catriona  thank you for your help  in completing the survey. A reminder that thedeadline for survey completion is 11pm on Tuesday 2 August 2016.

Tricia Adams
Youth Libraries Group
Chair Elect
Email: tricia.adams6@gmail.com

and

Guy Daines
Head of Policy
CILIP
Email: guy.daines@cilip.org.uk

The CILIP Health Libraries Group newsletter is available online at:

http://www.cilip.org.uk/health-libraries-group/newsletter

We are currently open to any contributions so please take the opportunity to shape the next issue – do get in touch if you have any ideas and get yourself published in the September issue. Please note that the next copy date deadline for the newsletter was stated incorrectly in the recent HLG News - July 2016.  The next issue will be available in September not December.  The copy date deadlines are:

Issue date: September 

Deadline for content: 12 August 2016

Rob Wilson MP has been assigned policy responsibility for public libraries in England at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Previously Rob Wilson was Minister for Civil Society at the Cabinet Office which included charities and social enterprises. The libraries brief was previously held by Ed Vaizey, the longest serving arts minister, who left the position of Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries in the most recent reshuffle.

Nick Poole CILIP Chief Executive said, “I would like to congratulate Rob Wilson on his appointment. I am sure he is relishing the opportunity to support and develop libraries as they improve life chances for families and communities across the country. Libraries add value to the UK economy by supporting enterprise and employment, they save the NHS money through public health initiatives, and are an essential part of improving literacy skills.

“As Minister for Civil Society Rob’s experiences spearheading initiatives that improve social mobility, give everyone equal chances and create a stronger society will be invaluable.  I look forward to working with Rob and his team to ensure that there is the political leadership, policy support and investment to create modern and sustainable library services that meet the information needs of the public now and in the future.”

Other members of the DCMS Ministerial team are Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy. Under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act it is the DCMS Secretary of State who ultimately is responsible for the stewardship and improvement of public library services in England.

-ends-

Media contact

Mark Taylor, Director of External Relations, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0654
Mobile: 07792 635 305
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
 
Notes to editors
 
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading voice for the information, knowledge management and library profession. Our goal is to put information and library skills at the heart of an equal, democratic and prosperous society by 2020. Registered charity no. 313014. www.cilip.org.uk

The next International Patent Information Conference & Exposition (IPI-ConfEx) will be held 5 to 8 March 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Rome-St. Peter's Hotel in Rome, Italy. The 14th annual conference will continue to highlight best practices utilized by corporate patent information professionals with respect to searching, analysis and management of patent information.

2017 Call for Speakers: Deadline 23 September 2016

IPI-ConfEx is accepting speaker proposals for the 2017 conference. We are particularly interested to hear from patent information users within corporations, law firms, or other organisations who have been faced with a particular patent information challenge and who can make a presentation on how they have overcome the problem, or are working towards a solution.  Proposals on technical “how-to” subjects and case studies are very much welcomed.  A list of some suggested topics for consideration is available online at http://www.ipi-confex.com/call%20for%20speakers.htm.

Anyone wishing to submit a paper to the IPI-ConfEx Organisers for consideration should submit the following information to admin@ipi-institute.com by 23 September 2016:

•             Name and contact details

•             Proposed presentation/poster title

•             Initial abstract (80 - 120 words)

•             Biography (2 or 3 paragraphs)

NOTE: If you have an interest in speaking but require internal approval beforehand please contact us now to make us aware of your initial interest, and the topic so that we can begin considering your potential submission for the programme.

Vendors/suppliers/service providers should contact the conference organisers at admin@ipi-institute.com for details on participation, speaking, sponsor and exhibit opportunities.

Further details regarding the 2017 conference are available at www.ipi-confex.com.

We look forward to seeing you in Rome!

Natasha Fowler

IPI Organisation

Tel +1 (858) 592 9027 ▪ Fax +1 (858) 592 7693

natasha.fowler@ipi-institute.com ▪ www.ipi-confex.com

Europe's Premier Conference & Exposition for Patent Information Professionals

We have a great line up of speakers for this year's conference, which explores the theme of 'library marketing and PR: critical to the success'.

In addition, you will be able to hear from the winners of our 2016 Marketing Excellence Awards, sharing their experience and tips for great academic and public library campaigns.

Early bird discounts available. Book now!

We are delighted to announce details of our 2016 annual conference.

Along with our four speakers, you will be able to hear from the winners of our 2016 Marketing Excellence Awards, sharing their experience and tips for great academic and public library campaigns!

The Library & Information History Group is seeking a new Publicity Officer to start at the end of August 2016. The incumbent will be responsible for advertising the Group's events, awards, meetings, etc. through social media, email lists, newsletter articles, and for writing posts for our blog. The role holder will also liaise with relevant academic departments to promote the group’s events and awards, as well as CILIP’s Update editor to publish relevant items in the magazine. He or she will send monthly emails out to all group members using CILIP’s Communicator system. The Publicity Officer must be a member of the CILIP Library & Information History Group. As a committee member you will be asked to participate in four committee meetings per year, two of which are held online and two in-person; reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed by the group. The post would suit someone with some social media and/or marketing experience who is interested in professional development and the history of libraries and information.

If you are interested or would like more details of the duties involved, please contact the Chair, Renae Satterley: r.satterley@middletemple.org.uk.  The deadline for applications is 23 August 2016.

A huge thank you to CILIP for an inspiring and brilliant conference!  It was very well organised with a packed programme of events and talks.  I wish that I could have gone to all of them but thankfully, presentation slides are available on the CILIP website for the sessions I missed.  The venue was impressive and the food was excellent so thank you also to all the organisers and staff who helped to make this happen!

The conference started for me on the 11th July with a tour of Brighton’s Jubilee Library.  The tour included a look at how the library generates income through conference room bookings and The Booklover Store.  We were also introduced to the rare books and special collections and the brilliant “Wall of a Thousand Stories” in the children’s library.  This wall covered in ceramic plaques celebrates and encourages storytelling.  The tour was followed by pre-conference drinks provided by CILIP in the South East.  This was an opportunity to relax, meet fellow delegates and hear about the excellent work of the South East Member Network.  

The main conference kicked off with the first keynote speech from Scott Bonner.  Scott was inspiring as well as completely down-to-earth as he explained how Ferguson Municipal Public Library helped their community after the killing of Michael Brown.  Scott reminded us all how doing what we do is, in fact, awesome and his advice included this: “In a crisis, just be a library.  Only, more so.”

I enjoyed several talks under the “Using Technology” strand.  Douglas White from the Carnegie UK Trust gave a presentation about measuring digital engagement and discussed an outcomes-based approach.  Dr Jane Secker and Rebecca Jones discussed the TeenTech awards and free resource sheets that they have created to help teenagers to work their way through the research journey.

Other highlights included a presentation by Adam Koszary about the Bodleian’s social media strategy.  Adam recommended creating a social media strategy which ties in with the goals of the organisation.  Lara Dodd demonstrated that there is no such thing as a digital native and discussed the challenges that teenagers can experience when searching for information.  Jo Alcock described how the JUSP e-books programme from Jisc looks at how e-books are being used in academic libraries as well as talking about the challenges and opportunities of working with this data.  Brian Ashley and Ben Lee described a project which aimed to provide WiFi in public libraries in England and looked at ways of measuring the social impact of the project.  A report has been published on the Arts Council England website and an impact evaluation is planned for Spring 2017.

The second keynote speech was delivered by Sir Nigel Shadbolt who informed us of the exciting developments in Open Data.  Sir Nigel provided examples of how Open Data has been of use in areas from crime to transport to cultural heritage.  As well as explaining linked data, Sir Nigel also discussed the challenges and future of Open Data.

I also learnt more about health libraries during a presentation from Health Education England.  During the presentation, a new Professional Knowledge and Skills Base for Health was launched as well as the Learning Zone which could also be of use to other sectors. 

In the “Your Career” strand of the conference, I attended a session about the CILIP Leadership Programme.  This was particularly interesting as previous participants on the programme and current participants on the healthcare leadership programme shared their experiences. 

Under the “Everyday Innovation” strand, I attended a presentation by Laura Venning from The Reading Agency.  Laura described the Reading Outcomes Framework Project which maps the benefits of reading and an evaluation toolkit will be available on the Reading Agency’s website in September 2016.

The conference ended with a call to arms from Dr Lauren Smith in the final keynote speech.  Dr Lauren gave an impassioned speech about the crisis facing libraries in the UK and the need for library and information professionals to use and share their experiences.  Dr Lauren urged us to think about what each of us could contribute.  

In between sessions, there were plenty of opportunities to meet and talk with other delegates from many different sectors and even countries, including New Zealand and Australia!  The Party on the Pier was another enjoyable event where delegates could catch up after the first day and meet even more new people.  During the conference, the opportunity to browse the exhibits and find out about exciting products and developments was also excellent.  

I thoroughly enjoyed attending my first CILIP conference and I hope that I will have the opportunity to attend another conference in the future.  I improved my knowledge in many different areas and I discussed and shared ideas with colleagues from across all sectors.  I was inspired by all the great work that goes on in the profession and I would like to thank CILIP again for giving me the opportunity to take part. 

Register for CILIP Conference 2017

Thanks to everyone for making the CILIP Conference 2016 in Brighton such an amazing success!

You can catch up on all the discussion, pictures and videos on #CILIPConf16 and download the presentations.

We're excited to announce that CILIP Conference 2017 will be held in Manchester, 5-6 July.

Register your interest in attending CILIP Conference 2017

No-one could deny that the world is currently in a state of crisis, when every day the media brings us new “stories of fire and violence”; mass shootings in America currently occurring on an almost weekly basis, against the backdrop of a terrifying presidential election campaign, and the British government undergoing a complete overhaul, having recently experienced its first political assassination in two centuries.  But as Scott Bonner said, in a humble and inspiring opening address, helping people in times of crisis is what libraries do, and what libraries have always done.

Scott’s keynote speech set the tone for the whole two days of CILIP Conference 2016, as more than one speaker commented on the rise of hostility and division in society, and the part that libraries can play in counteracting this.  Alison Baud, Director of Library and Learning Services at Bath Spa University, shared her work on the Reads and Rights scheme as a means of encouraging students to use the library as more than just a means for completing assignments; and with their wonderfully creative Storywalks and other outdoor literacy projects, Amy Hearn and Tiffany Haigh showed how Kirklees Library Service used parks and other public spaces to get children reading, as well as trying new activities with their parents.

We also received more personal and heartfelt accounts of how libraries (and librarians) can change people’s lives for the better:  poet and educator Becci Louise spoke of the medicinal power of words that helped her to conquer overwhelming anxiety and depression, while guest speaker Chris Riddell illustrated the influence of notable school librarians on his own development as an artist and author, ultimately leading to his decision to take on the mantle of Children’s Laureate for the good of school libraries.

This recurring theme of wanting to do more with libraries was reiterated in the closing address of the conference by Dr. Lauren Smith.  A passionate advocate for libraries and information literacy, Lauren asked us to think whether we ourselves could be doing more, not only for our own library users but for our colleagues in the information services; could CILIP offer more in the way of bursaries or childcare provision, to allow young professionals and those with family responsibilities a chance to attend conferences like this; and might we in the audience not think twice before applying to next year’s conference in Manchester, and wonder if there was somebody else out there in the profession who might have a greater need, and might benefit more from attending?

Illustration copyright Chris Riddell

As a working father of two young children, with all the time and financial restraints that this implies, I am incredibly grateful to CILIP for giving me this year’s Aspire Award, and the chance to attend CILIP Conference 2016.  Not only did I gain valuable insights from the various careers sessions and workshops, but I was reminded of just how much CILIP offer their members in terms of professional development and online services.  It is easy to overlook this in the everyday hustle of library service, when all you see are the regular email updates, but attending the conference allowed me to put a lot of friendly faces to the organisation (and none more so than Chief Executive of CILIP Nick Poole).

The lessons I have taken away from the conference are not to become complacent, either in the services we provide or our own personal development; Scott and Lauren both emphasised the need for libraries to be more than just a “book warehouse.”  The importance of data, and the benefits of making this widely available, also cannot be underestimated, as Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt of Oxford University said in his keynote address.  Nor can we disregard the necessity of ensuring people are properly equipped to cope in this data-abundant society; as Lara Dodd rightly pointed out in her presentation, there is a difference between a love for and dependence on technology and knowledge of how to use it effectively, especially in the youth of today.

There has never been a greater need than in the present day for libraries to find “spaces of possible action”, to ensure the continuing dissemination of knowledge and information and to empower people to use the technology available to support this and take advantage of it.  The world may be at crisis point, but as Scott Bonner says: “In crisis, just be a library – only more so.”

Register for CILIP Conference 2017

Thanks to everyone for making the CILIP Conference 2016 in Brighton such an amazing success!

You can catch up on all the discussion, pictures and videos on #CILIPConf16 and download the presentations.

We're excited to announce that CILIP Conference 2017 will be held in Manchester, 5-6 July.

Register your interest in attending CILIP Conference 2017

Would you like to get involved in testing the proposed CILIP membership model, due to launch in 2018?

The CILIP Yorkshire & Humberside Member Network are hosting a local focus group, facilitated by Luke Stevens-Burt, Head of Business Development (Member Services) at CILIP. This small forum of members will be focused on testing the support for the proposed model and what refinements might be of benefit. Opinions will be fed directly back to CILIP Member Services.

You must be a current CILIP member to attend this focus group. 
Places are limited, so please let us know if you can longer attend, as there may be people on the waiting list.

Booking
Please book tickets via Eventbrite.

Directions
Pinsent Masons LLP is less than five minutes' walk from Leeds railway station. There is no car park available on site, but there are several pay & display car parks around the city centre.

Accessibility
Please contact us before the event if you have any accessibility concerns.

The press release from William Kilbride notes:

The Digital Preservation Coalition is a not for profit membership agency which provides training, advocacy, capacity building and partnerships in digital preservation, helping our members ensure our digital memory is accessible tomorrow.

It's a global endeavour.  So from 1st August 2016 we will encourage and approve well-founded applications to join the Coalition as full or associate members from around the world.

Until now, members have primarily been based in the UK and Ireland. Our membership has grown considerably in recent years and our existence is a practical manifestation of collaboration.  The DPC is outward-looking and established on a robust foundation.

We're making this change because we recognise the growing need for international co-operation, partnerships and interaction.

The DPC encourages every agency with an interest in digital preservation, in any part of the world  to enter a dialogue with the DPC which would then welcome an application for full or associate membership, with all the rights, access and responsibilities pertaining to that level of membership.

The summary of benefits from joining the DPC is described as:

• Priority access to topical events and webinars throughout the year
• Early access to specialist reports and commentary
• Participation in specialist working parties and think-tank groups
• Dedicated support from subject specialist staff
• Access to cross-sectoral and cross-profession network
• Participation in high-level advocacy and policy development
• Ability to commission subject specialist research and training
• Priority access to DPC projects and plans
• Priority access to high-value digital content
• Recruitment and procurement support
• Priority access to training events
• Access to scholarship programme for training and travel
• Highly visible contribution to addressing a global challenge

The full press release is available on the DPC web site.

To discuss membership, please contact info@dpconline.org

CILIP Policy Officer Jacqueline May shares some of the ideas about open data and information literacy that inspired her at CILIP Conference 2016.

The open data opportunity

As well as having an engaged and active dialogue with accepted practice we are also good at making connections between seemingly disparate things and this is why Open Data speaks “opportunity” with a capital “O” to our profession. Nigel Shadbolt’s presentation didn’t disappoint. Shadbolt spoke of the foundational aspect of open data - the way in which it is the stuff upon which other things are built. Exactly the area our profession excels at - give us the raw material/ resources and we will create all sorts of useful things. 

The Open Data Institute have done some brilliant mapping of the information/ open data landscape They have (for want of a better word) classified the landscape into named sections. Each of these named sections describes the degree of openness of the data it contains. The range is from closed access to completely open, freely available data.  

Where one named section ends and another begins begs many questions or policy “pinch points”. What is the argument for the levels of access to the data/ information in any particular section, what are the tensions and challenges that arise? Who benefits? When does the greater public, sometimes economic, good kick in? Nigel Shadbolt had plenty of examples from the past up to the current day which showed how the greater public good trumps more narrowly defined data ownership. For example information held by the Land Registry and UK postal addresses. 

Open data and sustainable development

The transformational aspect of information and its importance for the developing world is undisputed amongst our community and this is why access to information has been fought for and included in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. (Goals which the UK government is also required to work towards). The UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) says that more than 60% of Africa’s population is disadvantaged as a result of living in rural areas where there is little or no access to and use of appropriate information needed to make day to day decisions. [ Effective information service delivery to rural dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa: Whose job, Chimezie P. (Uzuegbu North eastern Hill University, Shillong, India].

The Information literacy of teenagers – some new research

Many of the “data hugging” excuses put up as barriers to open data interestingly relate to information literacy: The data is wrong, incomplete, misleading. People will not be able to interpret it; people will wrongly interpret it etc. All not particularly good excuses for not doing something... A good session on the information literacy practices of teenagers provided an insight into some current thinking on this topic. 
Lara Dodd from Northumbria University spoke about her recent research into the information literacy of teenagers. She found that students often use the things taught to them in their English lessons about what was “good” information. Ease of use was one criteria and also appearance-  If something looks good, it is good. Some students gave a poor rating to information that didn’t have a “like” button. No deeper analysis was evident.

This is concerning on a number of levels. Students are showing that they are making connections between what they have learnt in one lesson and applying it elsewhere (which is a good thing - isn’t it)? But they are making the wrong connections (so what do we do now...)? Over to library and information professionals I think.

Register for CILIP Conference 2017

Thanks to everyone for making the CILIP Conference 2016 in Brighton such an amazing success!

You can catch up on all the discussion, pictures and videos on #CILIPConf16 and download the presentations.

We're excited to announce that CILIP Conference 2017 will be held in Manchester, 5-6 July.

Register your interest in attending CILIP Conference 2017

When it comes to risk taking, librarians are a lot like lawyers, risk averse.  Whilst it’s sensible to avoid unnecessary and uninformed risks, avoiding all risk keeps you from growing and moving forward:  

"By becoming more of a risk taker, focusing on those risks that are smart in terms of your career and whose results you can manage if things don’t turn out as hoped for, you’ll be able to more easily adapt yourself to new circumstances"

Good advice from G. Kim Dority in the second edition of her book "Rethinking Information Work: A Career Guide for Librarians and other information professionals", which I’d discovered just before the CILIP conference, so Dority was fresh in my mind as I listened to my LACA friend and colleague Naomi Korn’s excellent talk on copyright related risk in the workplace and the role of risk management .  

LACA, the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance, advocate for a fair and balanced copyright framework that is fit for the digital age.  I am Secretary and we were delighted when, in 2014, new regulations brought about a more balanced regime. These much needed reforms, which LACA lobbied hard for, are crucially import for not-for-profit libraries and archives, helping them serve their users more effectively, and reduce costs and overheads, thereby leading to greater efficiency, innovation and improved research.  However, Naomi told us that the library and information professionals that she has been speaking to since the law changed over two years ago, whilst welcoming the changes, are nervous about them.  It’s a lot to do with terminology:

• "Fair and justifiable"
• "Proportionate"
• "Non-Commercial"
• "Dedicated term"

None of these terms are defined in the legislation so people are left wondering  exactly how much can be justified as fair, what’s proportionate, where’s the line between commercial and non-commercial and what exactly is a dedicated terminal?

To add to this uncertainty, as Naomi reminded us, sometimes it isn’t even clear what’s in copyright and what’s not – think orphan works, 2039, piles of bricks and empty beds (are Andre and Emin’s works even protected by copyright?).  

This situation poses operational risks which make the profession uneasy.  Will our users copy more than they should, use copyright works without permission, view and download inappropriate/illegal material and will we give the wrong advice, copy more than we should, use copyright works without permission etc? If this happens, there could be financial penalties, reputational damage, discontented users, more stress and worry...

So it’s understandable that, when it comes to issues around copyright in particular, as a professional we are risk averse.  But, as Naomi explained, this copyright uncertainty is both bad and good, it poses challenges, but it also presents opportunities, and if we don’t manage risk we fail to embrace those opportunities which could offer an improved way of achieving objectives.  

Naomi presented us with a conundrum: with all this uncertainty and worry – not just around copyright but the broader problems our profession is currently facing - how can managers help their staff feel safe taking necessary risks, when they don’t feel safe?  She then gave us a very useful reality check:

• Risks can be proportionate and informed
• Organisational risk mitigation activities are key
• Most people want to the right thing
• We can make it easier for them to do so
• Your role is not to police
• But just in case –have provisions in place

It is important to pass on the risk where appropriate and possible. This can be done by displaying notices everywhere that copying and access takes place.  LACA has revised their copyright posters and issued guidance (which you can download), along with suggested wording for declaration forms for published and unpublished works. It’s also important that terms and conditions for access to digital content are clear and that there are acceptable use policies for internet sites, with different versions for adults and children.

Naomi reminded us of the importance of staff awareness training and stressed the need for copyright policies and procedures.  If a member of staff does challenge a user over infringement, that staff member must feel safe and supported. Risk registers are also recommended, as are action plans for notice and takedown.  She cited the example of a college that was heavily fined for not acting when they were asked to remove material that they did not have permission to use. Whilst the college may not have avoided a financial penalty completely, the fine would almost certainly have been far smaller if the infringing material had been removed promptly. 

She concluded her very useful presentation by stressing that copyright is about business critical decisions. Copyright and risks need to be translated into practical solutions at an operational level and given adequate consideration at a strategic level. Without this library and informational professionals will continue to feel unsafe and exposed and will shy away for taking managed, necessary risks, meaning that, despite the hard won copyright reforms, innovation and research continues to be stifled. 

Register for CILIP Conference 2017

Thanks to everyone for making the CILIP Conference 2016 in Brighton such an amazing success!

You can catch up on all the discussion, pictures and videos on #CILIPConf16 and download the presentations.

We're excited to announce that CILIP Conference 2017 will be held in Manchester, 5-6 July.

Register your interest in attending CILIP Conference 2017

You are warmly invited to join members of the CILIP London and South East Academic and Research Libraries Group committee and other Information Professionals for a chance to talk in relaxed and informal surroundings 

Please note that the room we have booked is up a flight of stairs.

Food and drink will be available from the bar downstairs. There is a charge of £3 on entry to help cover venue costs

Please contact Deborah Meldrum (D.Meldrum@gold.ac.uk) by Friday 5th August to book a place

The Cataloguing & Indexing Group's 51st Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday 1st September 2016 from 16:30 – 17:30. As it coincides with our conference, the venue this year is Swansea University Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN.

More details and documentation to follow when the full event details are published. Previous documents are available at http://www.cilip.org.uk/cataloguing-indexing-group/about-us/committee-documents.

We do hope you can join us.