Post by Brian Bredin from the University of Galway Library who was awarded a bursary to attend the 2023 CONUL Conference. All the images featured in this blog post were captured by the author.
UCD Library Outreach: Signs of Sustainability conference poster |
This year's conference was held in the
Clayton Silver Springs in Cork, and what a fantastic first day it was to have a
conference. Beautiful sunshine greeted the attendees, and a warm atmosphere surrounded
the event. Lovely garden furniture on the lawn allowed old friends to catch up
in the sun and the bright and airy event halls were lovely and cool settings
for the talks and exhibitions.
This year's conference title was Sense and
Sustainability: Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability and what
academic libraries are doing in these areas with some fantastic speakers and
leaders in the field presenting their findings and information.
There were some excellent and very
professionally produced posters in the entrance foyer for the poster
competition, really excellent examples of some of
the work being created by academic libraries around the country.
Inter-library loans and sustainability: Not just good on paper Conference poster from Glucksman Library, University of Limerick |
There were several super presentations from
academic libraries from around the country, the standout for me being from
UCC’s Martin O’ Driscoll who spoke about some of the measures UCC library has
taken in reducing its carbon footprint. It was a glimpse of what can be
achieved with proper strategic planning and well-thought-out communication
methods.
Day 2 started with another engrossing
presentation, this time from Steven Gonzalez Monserrate, CONUL’s second keynote
speaker. He detailed the impact data centres are having on the environment and
communities. It was a subject I knew very little about and found some of the
information both disturbing and enlightening.
Workshops and show and tells were ongoing
throughout the second day as per day 1, but I decided to stick with the
“Lightning Talks” in the main Tivoli suite. These consisted of 4 speakers
giving 10-minute presentations each, and the quick turnover meant it was easier
to stay engaged and focused on the content. Questions were always encouraged at
the end of each session, and this led to some good discussions.
All in all, it was a great first conference
experience for me. A well-run event that had the advantage of beautiful weather
on its side, combined with the relaxed atmosphere, it felt more like a social
event than a work outing.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank CONUL for allowing me to attend the conference through their student
bursary, it was a fantastic experience. I would also advise any students of LIM
to get applying for bursaries as they are great
opportunities to get out there and see how the industry works.
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