Monday, May 31, 2010

Events for June

The Net Mender Exhibition
8th May-14th June
http://www.spl.org.uk/events/index.html#events

Douglas Robertson: artist-in-residence
Wed 2nd & Thur 3rd June, 11.00-17.00
http://www.spl.org.uk/events/index.html#events

Getting started at NLS
Thur 3rd June 18.00-19.30
http://www.nls.uk/events/index.html

New Books at the Scottish Poetry Library
Mon 7th June 18.00-19.30
http://www.spl.org.uk/events/index.html#events

Blackwell Book Quiz
Mon 7th June 18.00
http://www.cityofliterature.com/whats-on-results.aspx?sec=5&pid=23&item=1916

CILIPS Annual Conference
Mon 7th - Wed 9th June GLASGOW
http://www.slainte.org.uk/events/evntcalendarsummary.cfm

Discovering family history at NLS
Tues 8th June 18.00-19.30
http://www.nls.uk/events/index.html

Nothing But The Poem
Thurs 10th June 18.00-19.30
http://www.spl.org.uk/events/index.html#events

Beyond Google
Fri 15th June 18.00-19.30
http://www.nls.uk/events/index.html

Scotland Lore & Legend
Sun 17th June
http://www.cityofliterature.com/whats-on-results.aspx?sec=5&pid=23&item=1979

Blackwell Book Group
Mon 21st June
http://www.cityofliterature.com/whats-on-results.aspx?sec=5&pid=23&item=1932

Women of the Old Town
Mon 21st June 19.30
http://www.cityofliterature.com/whats-on-results.aspx?sec=5&pid=23&item=1985

'The Place-Name Debate'
Wed 30 June 18.00
http://www.nls.uk/events/index.html



Form and Function in the Late Medieval Bible
12-14 July
http://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/chb/eventsarchive.htm#Forthcoming_Conferences

Material Cultures 2010,
16th-18th July
http://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/chb/eventsarchive.htm#Forthcoming_Conferences

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

ARLIS: The Next Generation

14th–16th July
The full programme will examine the future of art librarianship and will include presentations looking at the increasing use of social media, new projects concerning digital resources and collections, and artists’ increasing use of archive and library material in their work. A wide range of breakout sessions will cover topics such as securing funding, putting preservation policies into practice, and online digital resources for students. Visits to diverse Edinburgh institutions such as the Scottish Poetry Library, the Scottish Parliament and the National Library of Scotland will also be available.
http://www.arlis.org.uk

Early bird booking rate ends 1st June

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

“Librarians At Their Best” conference

Thursday 27 May, National Library of Scotland Causewayside Building, Salisbury Place

The conference will showcase innovation and partnership in the library community. The all day event will feature presentations from Newcastle City Library (2009 Winner – Innovation – CILIP Public Library Buildings Award), Edinburgh Reading Champion Project (2009 Finalist – Libraries Change Lives award), Napier University Library (the first university library in Scotland to achieve the Cabinet Office’s Customer Service Excellence award), and Cleo Jones (who will be presenting on the subject of international exchange programmes for librarians). Breakout sessions on partnerships for the future, libraries and communities and innovation in a digital world will also be on the agenda. Please note that there is no charge to attend the event, but that lunch will not be provided. There will be a space where you can eat your own packed lunch. There are also sandwich shops and a Tesco Metro in very close proximity to the Library. There will also be a small exhibition on the subject of library co-operation through the ages which can be viewed during the lunch break. The full programme is as follows:

09.00 – 09.15 == Arrive and mingle
09.20 – 09.25 == Welcome and agenda for the day
09.25 – 10.10 == Presentation 1: Edinburgh Reading Champion Project
10.10 – 10.55 == Presentation 2: Inspirational Exchanges
10.55 – 11.15 == Tea
11.15 – 12.00 == Breakout session 1
12.00 – 13.15 == Lunch and exhibition
13.15 – 14.00 == Presentation 3: Napier University Library
14.00 – 14.45 == Presentation 4: Newcastle City Library
14.45 – 15.00 == Tea
15.00 – 15.45 == Breakout session 2
15.45 – 16.00 == Group discussion
16.00 ======== Close

Breakout sessions:
A = Collaborations for the future – Janice McFarlane
B = Libraries in communities – Cleo Jones
C = Physical libraries in a digital world – Newcastle City Library

Bookings to be made by email to Graeme Hawley g.hawley@nls.uk

Thursday, May 6, 2010

View From the West

OK, hands up – who is heartily sick of the election? Yes, thought so. By the time you read this, Thursday 6th May will probably have come and gone. Whether the outcome will be decisive in anyone’s favour is hard to tell – it’s the classic “too close to call” scenario – but whoever wins, there’s not much doubt that a general belt-tightening will be in order. How much, of course, is anyone’s guess. I have got one of those fancy gadgets that makes holes in belts – do you think I could hire it out?

Where will public and school libraries be in a year’s time? If you are to believe the reports in the papers, we’ll all be tied to one or maybe two suppliers – who will be able to give us whatever levels of customer service they feel like, knowing that we can’t take our business elsewhere. “Elsewhere” is of course, where all our money will end up – or at least south of the border – since the general consensus is that there aren’t any Scottish based suppliers who could handle such a contract. Yes, yes, CILIPS / SLIC have made some conciliatory noises about this only being a discussion document – but I’m not too sure. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a joke – but, as we all know, the problem with political jokes is that they sometimes get elected…

Not much humour around here these days – S4 pupils are muttering in corners about Standard Grades, and I’m trying to put some pressure on the S5/S6 gang by having a huge countdown notice in the Library – 8 days to highers, and counting down fast! I had a long discussion with our depute Head Boy about revision – he claimed that he had got his timetable all wrong, and had slipped from “Too early to learn this, I’ll only forget it” to “To late to cram all this in now” without a suitable period in between, when revision would actually have been of some use. It could have been me talking, all those years ago!

I did have to smile on Saturday morning, though. Driving past my local public library at 0855 I saw an amazing sight – people queuing to get in. “That’s a turn up for the books”, I thought to myself…

Yours literally
Lomax Allwood
This month's issue can be found here.

It includes a report on the work of the Edinburgh Architectural Association Library, a personal journey to Chartership, news on the Intute funding cut and an appeal for volunteers for an ELISA constitution task force.