There's a crisis at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Libraries in North Carolina. The Library Board plans to lay off 148 staff and close 12 libraries by 3rd April, due to a massive US $2million budget hole.
This seems incredible that the libraries that brought the Learning 2.0 (aka 23 Things) to many libraries around the world and changed so many lives are now battling to survive.
American Libraries magazine has a report of the public rally over the weekend to help raise funds to alleviate the impact of budget cuts.
What can you do to help? Go to Save our Libraries and also Lori Reed 's website for more information. The Twitter hash code is #cmlibrary
Monday 22 March 2010
Thursday 11 March 2010
Singing in the Rain, Hong Kong library conference
There’s an exciting library conference on in Hong Kong this week, with some local and international presenters.
It’s the Academic Librarian 2: Singing in the Rain conference held at Hong Kong Polytechnic University March 11-12, which is all about the future of libraries and the library profession.
This conference is the second "Academic Librarian" conference in Hong Kong and is an extension of The Academic Librarian: Dinosaur or Phoenix Conference held by the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2007.
The major themes are:
conference summary is:
“Academic Librarians face unprecedented challenges to their role, to how they manage their collections and how they interact professionally with their academic colleagues. They require different professional and personal skills as well as different ways of interacting with their communities, both in the academic, publishing and other vendor communities. In the current context of a global recession, without doubt, it is going to be a future full of challenges and opportunities. What has changed and what needs to change? As suggested by the Conference subtitle "Singing in the Rain", a new generation of academic librarians cannot survive without an optimistic, positive and thoughtful attitude towards the future.”
It’s the Academic Librarian 2: Singing in the Rain conference held at Hong Kong Polytechnic University March 11-12, which is all about the future of libraries and the library profession.
This conference is the second "Academic Librarian" conference in Hong Kong and is an extension of The Academic Librarian: Dinosaur or Phoenix Conference held by the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2007.
The major themes are:
- Librarians of Tomorrow
- Quality Enhancement
- New Tools & Culture
- Collaboration & Networking
conference summary is:
“Academic Librarians face unprecedented challenges to their role, to how they manage their collections and how they interact professionally with their academic colleagues. They require different professional and personal skills as well as different ways of interacting with their communities, both in the academic, publishing and other vendor communities. In the current context of a global recession, without doubt, it is going to be a future full of challenges and opportunities. What has changed and what needs to change? As suggested by the Conference subtitle "Singing in the Rain", a new generation of academic librarians cannot survive without an optimistic, positive and thoughtful attitude towards the future.”
Saturday 6 March 2010
Moira Bent's visit to Curtin University
A special event was organised at Curtin University Library, Perth last week.
Moira Bent, National Teaching Fellowship recipient was visiting from the U.K. Moira is a Science liaison librarian from Newcastle University and one of only 5 U.K. librarians who have received a National Teaching Fellowships. Her blog posts about the fellowship are here.
Having the fellowship has given Moira the opportunity and time to undertake research and publish in a number of areas which she spoke about:
At the tea discussion she talked about librarians getting out to conferences in non-library areas. I totally agree. We need to collaborate with academic and teaching and learning colleagues.
There's lots more to explore here. These are links to the articles and activities Moira has been involved with.
Perceptions of Information Literacy in the Transition to Higher Education. NTF Final Report.
Providing effective library services for research (book)
Information Literacy in a researcher's learning life: the Seven Ages of Research (article)
Integrating information literacy as a habit of learning (article)
SCONUL Report on Library Services for International Students (report)
Moira Bent, National Teaching Fellowship recipient was visiting from the U.K. Moira is a Science liaison librarian from Newcastle University and one of only 5 U.K. librarians who have received a National Teaching Fellowships. Her blog posts about the fellowship are here.
Having the fellowship has given Moira the opportunity and time to undertake research and publish in a number of areas which she spoke about:
- Facilitating research roles and opportunities for librarians. This is one area that Australian librarians can (and are already) be involved with in providing research support with the ERA and imperative to publish. (The Newcastle University library has a useful “Writing for publication brochure”
- Librarians framing information literacy as a set of learning attitude or behaviours, rather than just as a set of skills.
At the tea discussion she talked about librarians getting out to conferences in non-library areas. I totally agree. We need to collaborate with academic and teaching and learning colleagues.
There's lots more to explore here. These are links to the articles and activities Moira has been involved with.
Perceptions of Information Literacy in the Transition to Higher Education. NTF Final Report.
Providing effective library services for research (book)
Information Literacy in a researcher's learning life: the Seven Ages of Research (article)
Integrating information literacy as a habit of learning (article)
SCONUL Report on Library Services for International Students (report)
Vale Jillian Beswick, Lake Macquarie librarian
The Perth library community was saddened to hear of the recent death of Jillian Beswick, who passed away in Brisbane on February 15th 2010, after a long battle with cancer.
Jillian was a qualified teacher and had worked in school and public libraries in Tasmania and the Northern Territory prior to moving to Western Australia.
She completed an MBA at Murdoch University in 1993 and we remember her fondly at Edith Cowan University Library where worked in a number of management roles from 1994-1997.
Jillian was active in ALIA during her time in Western Australia and was also an ABN trainer.
Her interests ranged widely and she was involved in the local community and stood for local government in the Shire of Cambridge, W.A.
She left Perth in 1997 to take up a senior position in charge of public libraries and cultural activities at the City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales.
Jillian was a keen flyer and had her pilot’s licence. While in Lake Macquarie she took up sailing and enjoyed the lakeside lifestyle.
She remained in NSW until she became ill a few years ago.
The Australian library community has lost an active, committed and passionate member.
Jillian was a qualified teacher and had worked in school and public libraries in Tasmania and the Northern Territory prior to moving to Western Australia.
She completed an MBA at Murdoch University in 1993 and we remember her fondly at Edith Cowan University Library where worked in a number of management roles from 1994-1997.
Jillian was active in ALIA during her time in Western Australia and was also an ABN trainer.
Her interests ranged widely and she was involved in the local community and stood for local government in the Shire of Cambridge, W.A.
She left Perth in 1997 to take up a senior position in charge of public libraries and cultural activities at the City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales.
Jillian was a keen flyer and had her pilot’s licence. While in Lake Macquarie she took up sailing and enjoyed the lakeside lifestyle.
She remained in NSW until she became ill a few years ago.
The Australian library community has lost an active, committed and passionate member.
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