Article update

Having spent time researching my topic for my article of information literacy, and read far and wide on the topic, I have started with a bang.

At the moment my article is still in the draft stage, but I have early results from my third years. All I need to do now is write the questionnaire for my first and second years. Then I should be pretty much there.

I have to say I am feeling pretty happy about my article, I think it is too long, but I could write a book on information literacy. I've researched, created the FE and HE programme for the college and shared it as best practice to another institution.

ARLIS conference

So I have been back to reality after the ARLIS conference for a week now. You may ask why I say back to reality, I have a young son, and after spending three great days in picture perfect surroundings, returning home to a little man who wakes me up twice a night, is a bit of a shock to the system.

As for the conference it was great, ARLIS Rising to the challenge, and it really did cover a lot of the challenges facing art librarians today. This is the first time I have attended an ARLIS event and would do again, it was well organized and not as rushed or as busy a CILIP umbrella, though I do understand they are pitching at difference audiences.

Each day was had great speakers, plus there were relevant workshops, that I struggled to choose which one to attend. I opted for the negotiation workshop, which was really interesting practical session, based on the side of personality types and when negotiating you need to think about the types of people you are dealing with to get the best result. I'll definitely use this next time I have to, not only negotiate with others but also delegating, to team members. The other workshop was increasing your online personality. Another very interesting topic, it might have taken a week to even start putting it in to practice, but at least I am trying.

On the first day there were also a series of visits, I choose the theater collection, I was expecting to see just a load of costumes, but it was so much more, the amount of content they had was outstanding. Books and play script with images drawing in them from the head costume designer and other really special objects with a fabulous history and social story to tell. 

Overall the conference was excellent, there was a really interesting session on augmented reality and  the use of QR codes, plus a session from The Hive in Worcestershire, which is a one stop shop for all library and council needs combined with the cities university library. The idea is complex but excellent, every decision needs to be taken for the good of everyone, not an easy task, when the public and the university students have very different needs. Or as it was explained, very similar needs, just said in different words. Plus a session on open source resources, such as ItunesU.

Great conference, now I need to write up one of the session for ARLIS newsletter. 

One of the other things that really impressed me was that at the moment there are loads of Gromits (from Wallace and Gromit) around the city of Bristol, painted and decorated to look amazing, I manged to see quite a few, we at least I thought it was quite until I found out there was 85 in the city, my rather lame 6 weren't really worth mentioning.

Write an Article

After a 2 hour train journey, I decided that yes I should write an article and try to get it published. After a week procrastinating about it, I decide I really should start to put fingers to keys and start working.

My plan is to write an article about the success of the information literacy program that I run here.

With a second article, maybe on a smaller scale about social media in academic libraries .

Then maybe the third on our digital archive that we are working on.

But it's taken me a week to start typing, and look what has happened I've returned to my blog after a 2 and a half month absence.

Tips for down sizing a library

Having recently been given the task of downsizing a library, here are my tips for such an activity

1. Think about you audience, has the library collected resources, but not actually removed any. That way you end up keeping a great archive to the way the library use to be and fight to get space for the way the library needs to be.
2. If in an academic setting, could some the less well used magazine and journals be passed on to the academics. Keeping the last few years in the library, the most relevant stock for all.
3. Are all the annual subscriptions relevant, are all the online resources used as much as they could be, are all the magazine subscriptions needed?
4. Have a book sale, that way the library users could buy items that they want, generating income to the library and freeing up space for new stock. 
5. Which physical resources can be converted into online resources
6. Invest in an Ebook platform or Ebook devices, or better still both. 
7. Look at the room, could the shelving be altered to create niche shelving, under windows, maximizing the actually floor space.

Reducing Stress in the workplace

Personally I've always believed stress can be caused by different things, for those niggling irritations, I always find physically leaving the situation, finding a friend to speak to and having a laugh is a good idea. Sitting in the place which is irritating you will only make the situation worse.

If it is because someone has said something, a common problem, rationalize, and remember- it's not personal, something may have happened to them just before speaking to you. Plus don't sweat the small stuff!

If it ongoing and starting to grate on your nerves, have  photo next you your desk of  the reason why you are working so hard, your family, your house- either way that should help. Plus remember, you can't change someone else's attitude but you can change your behavior to how you react to the situation. 

What will I and won't be doing in the next 12 months

I've just been asked the question, what 3 things will I and won't I be doing in the next 12 months.

What will I be doing?

1. Building my team, I have recently employed 2 new members of staff. So I will need to integrate them in to my team, as well as take up my place as the head of the department returning from maternity leave. To do this, I will set up team meetings, discuss what I expect and let the team speak. 
2. The library will be moving so I need to research and visit other instituions to see what is hot in libraries at the moment. 
3. Improve the online aspect of the library, I'll be doing this for several reasons. Firstly, for what ever reason I feel we are slightly behind other instituions, having online resources will aid the students in 24 hour studying. This is to include eresources, ebooks and journals.
4. Ok, this is cheating adding in a fourth, as I only said I would do 3, but I want to complete my chartership.

What I won't be doing 

1. Worrying so much, so that I am loosing sleep. So far my career has gone in the right direction, there are changes ahead, which I have mentioned above, but I need to trust that all will end well. 
2. Listening to office gossip, mostly untrue and very distructive. 
3. Keeping so quite, I need to speak up more. 

National libraries day

I have to say I am impressed with the activities planned for national libraries day, planned for saturday 9th Feb. From Warwickshire libraries having a fine amnesty, cake at Debenham libraries, is bound to bring in the customers. Charon house library is doing a special event on pride and prejudice study day.

 For more information check outhttp://www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk/get-involved/add-your-event/

Sadly there are very few events happening in the south west.