Improving Libraries for Learners

This week saw the launch of Improving Libraries for Learners, the third guide to self evaluation for school libraries in Scotland. It was the culmination of 17 months of work by some of the team who produced the predecessor document. They volunteered their time and intellect again, because it was initially thought that this would [...]

School Library Petition – Scottish Dimension

School librarians might be interested in enquiries on CILIPS involvement in the current campaign in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. CILIP in Scotland Council discussed this item and also with SLIC.
As many of you know the situation in Scotland is somewhat different.  All secondary schools have a requirement to provide a school library and the [...]

Equality and Diversity: promoting good practice in library work Tuesday 17th November 2009

This one day CILIPS practitioners Conference, ably chaired by Evelyn Kilmurry, Partnership and Information Manager, Edinburgh City Libraries, was the idea of Margaret Forrest, CILIPS President 2009, who worked with CILIPS and JISC staff to put the programme together.
Over 50 delegates gathered in the fabulous setting of the Mitchell Library to consider how recent [...]

Ask Scotland Development Day

The morning of Friday the 13th of November saw the Ask Scotland Development day at the Mitchell library. The day was a chance to outline the overall strategy of implementing the service and was also an opportunity for the first group of librarians involved in Ask Scotland to ask questions about it and give [...]

SLIC Innovation and Development Showcase

An overview of the SLIC IDF Showacase, provided by SLIC Assistant Director Rhona Arthur.

CILIPS Council Meeting Tue 27 October

A report on proceedings compiled by CILIPS Assistant Director Rhona Arthur, featuring developments with the Information Scotland journal, CILIPS Annual Conference and updates on all other CILIPS initiatives.

Digital Futures: adapting to new e-environments conference

On Thursday 22nd October the 9th Annual E-Books Conference was held at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. This event felt timely due to the recent increase in dedicated mass-market e-book readers available on the market and the proliferation of large screen smart ‘phones, such as the iphone.
The first presentation, for which Colin Galloway kindly [...]

Virtual reference around the world

As part of the IFLA Conference in Milan, a focus group meeting was held on Monday 24 Aug to discuss virtual reference projects and initiatives taking place in libraries across the world. The meeting was hosted by OCLC, who developed the QuestionPoint virtual reference system that powers our AskScotland service.
The AskScotland pilot service was launched [...]

Emerging trends in technology: IFLA 2009, satellite meeting

In the lead up to the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) World Library and Information Conference (WLIC), which opens in Milan on Sun 23 Aug, a number of pre-conference satellite meetings have been held across Italy, with a few others taking place in other European destinations.
I attended the IFLA Information Technology Section’s event, titled [...]

What are you doing (in September)?

CILIPS, as an early adopter of microblogging, developed a Twitter presence as part of our research into how Web 2.0 tools might support member engagement and also be incorporated into workflows – activity which in turn is supporting our efforts to lead discussion on the usefulness to our membership of emergent technologies. What we [...]