Reflections on 7th June of CILIPS Conference 2016
Category: Blog
The following is a guest blog from Paulette Hill reflecting on her time at the CILIP in Scotland Conference. Paulette is the Library Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, the treasurer of the MmITS special interest group and has been awarded CILIPS Honorary Membership for 2016.
The CILIPS Conference is always jam packed with attendees, all contributing, by presenting, exhibiting, engaging and networking, from a diverse range of sectors from the library and information world. This year’s conference proved to be as lively as ever, with the apt theme of ‘Making Connections’.
As I had arrived early I attended the optional workshop led by the Scottish Poetry Library. The aim was not a challenge for each of us to produce a poem, but to look at various poems, recite some of the lines to each other, and in the process, to learn the importance of the power of words and language, and how important it is for all of us to take time out from our busy working lives, during each day for some quiet reflection – very therapeutic and sound advice for personal wellbeing!
The CILIPS AGM, included presentation of Student Awards. Most unexpectedly, along with several other CILIPS members, it was announced that we had received Honorary Memberships. These awards will be presented at the CILIPS Autumn Gathering on 20th October 2016 in central Glasgow, so shall look forward to being there and to attend some more of the lively presentations.
A Special General Meeting then followed, to change the legal form to an SCIO, and this was agreed unanimously by attendees.
The programme included a mix of Keynote and Parallel break out sessions. Highlights for me included Libraries: Making communities smarter through connections presented by Jan Holmquist, Assistant Library Director, Guldborgsund Libraries, who shared his experiences of his initiatives and involvement in various international projects, like theBuy India a Library project, and 23mobilethings.net, by making personal connections with LIS professionals, through social media. Jan encouraged us all to be globally inspired and then to translate this to a local basis, and to share and adapt ideas via this approach.
Ross McCulloch, Director, Third Sector Lab, gave a very practical presentation on Thinking strategically about social media, and asked attendees to give a show of hands if we already had a social media policy and strategy in place. The number of hands was on the low side so Ross stressed how important it is to have these in place, and he gave us plenty of useful links to resources we could use and adapt, rather than re- invent the wheel.
Personal Learning Networks by Donald MacLean, College Librarian, Perth College UHI and the CILIP Virtual Learning Environment by Luke Stevens-Burt, Head of Business Development (Member Services), CILIP, was a very useful and practical session on the free online learning opportunities that are available to CILIP members, which contribute to CPD and to accreditation.
The closing Keynote from Stuart Hamilton, IFLA’s Deputy Secretary General, Libraries, development and the bigger picture: what will the post-2016 information environment look like for libraries? was broad ranging, and discussed how professionals and institutions can use the ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals to support and develop long-term sustainable information environments.
All the presentations are available viahttp://www.slideshare.net/CILIPScotland/clipboards/cilips-conference-2016
Photos from the Conference are available athttps://www.flickr.com/photos/97594639@N05/sets/72157669224779162