Western and Munster Regional Sections of the Library Association of Ireland Joint Annual Seminar 2024 ‘EDI in the Library’

 

Guest post by Tina Stagliano, MLIS, Electronic Resource Content Manager at Novartis

Last week, a unique gathering unfolded in the halls of the TUS Moylish Campus. This was the Western Regional Section's first in-person event since 2019, and it marked a significant milestone for the Munster Regional Section as their inaugural event since reforming in 2023. The Western and Munster Regional Sections of the LAI came together in person to reunite friends and old colleagues all with the same goal, to learn how to implement Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in their library.

Before settling into a day of learning, we had the chance to enjoy some refreshments while networking and catching up with friends. Having only moved to Limerick from Dublin myself a few years ago during pandemic lockdowns, I was especially delighted to finally have the chance to meet and socialise with other librarians from my new city and region. Working from home full-time has made it difficult to make these invaluable connections with my peers and I know I am not the only one who cherished this time.

 

Registration for the seminar at TUS Moylish.

The first speaker of the day was Marian Duggan, VP for People, Culture & EDI in TUS. Marian’s presentation, titled “EDI in the Library,” stressed the importance of her role and that of TUS itself in providing equal opportunity for all students. The library at TUS provides support to EDI endeavors by promoting awareness and providing books and other resources as needed for various events, such as International Women’s Day.

 Marian also explained how TUS has taken steps towards EDI that reach beyond those mandated by Irish Law. Currently, there are nine grounds in inclusion legislation (gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community) but TUS has expanded this to include two further grounds – socioeconomic background and membership of the Roma community.

The challenging work of Marian and the EDI team has already paid off, as TUS has just been named the EU Newcomer Gender Equality Champion for 2024 – an award presented to the university for their efforts to advance gender equality in education and research.

The next speaker was Nicola Beagan, Adult Dyslexia Coordinator with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland who gave a talk titled “Dyslexia Awareness.” Nicola provided an overview of dyslexia itself and then discussed how a library, or any space, can make minor changes to be more inclusive to those with dyslexia.

 First, Nicola began by emphasizing that dyslexia is a "learning difference" rather than a disability and is hereditary and lifelong. While it can affect working memory, long-term memory or both, individuals with dyslexia can manage their symptoms effectively with the right support. 

 Libraries can play a crucial role in supporting dyslexic individuals by providing audio recordings when possible, giving them extra time when checking out materials and using more visuals in the library such as videos, maps and infographics. Interestingly, individuals with dyslexia are often strong innovators and can contribute significantly to library layout and design. 

 Nicola also mentioned that there are several ways to improve signage around the library to be more dyslexia friendly. For example, use easy to read fonts such as Arial and Verdana, add more space between lines of text and place text on blocks of colour to give more contrast. Also, avoid using justified alignment on blocks of text as it can create extra white space on the page.  

 

Nicola Beagan, Dyslexia Association of Ireland.

After a break for lunch, the seminar continued with Elizabeth Kirwan, Assistant Keeper in the Department of Special Collections in the National Library of Ireland (NLI). Elizabeth presented “EEDI in the National Library of Ireland (NLI)” and explained the NLI's Diversity & Inclusion Policy. She noted that the policy was developed after a collaborative forum and was recently revised to stress the importance of diversity. The NLI represents a changing Ireland and is committed to ensuring that all voices are heard. For example, when the NLI was founded in 1877, it was illegal to be openly gay in Ireland and the library did not collect materials that represented LGBTQ+ voices. Now, the NLI proudly promotes their Irish Queer Archive, with materials dating back to 1951.

 The NLI's commitment to EEDI is evident in its strategic plan for 2022 – 2026, which includes working with the Irish Centre for Diversity to achieve the Investors in Diversity Silver standing. To achieve this standing, the NLI has conducted various trainings for staff, including addressing unconscious bias, bullying, being active bystanders and by promoting the use of JAM cards in their library. 

Erica Meslin, Education Manager of AHEAD Ireland, led the final discussion on Universal Design (UD). Her presentation was titled “UD-ing the Library Service” and  she explained that UD is the design of buildings, products, or services mindfully created for access, understanding, and use, regardless of an individual’s background. AHEAD names four strategic pillars to keep in mind when creating such an environment for students, which are:

• Teaching and learning
• Supports, services and social engagement
• Physical environment
• Digital environment 

AHEAD is also acting as Lead National Collaborator of a new initiative called the Altitude Charter, which involves the implementation of UD in institutes of further and higher education.

 The seminar concluded with a tour of the TUS Library, which gave us the chance to further share ideas on creating an inclusive library space for all users. It was interesting to learn that the university had recently remodeled their library to create an inviting entryway which includes a lowered circulation desk, making it easily accessible to wheelchair users.

 

Recently refurbished Circulation Desk at TUS Moylish Campus Library.

View of the refurbished TUS Moylish Campus Library.

Overall, the seminar was a powerful reminder of the role libraries can play in promoting diversity and inclusion. It underscored the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels welcome and can access resources without barriers. Unofficially, the seminar served as a much needed in person CPD gathering for all. The event was a tremendous success and I look forward to the next one.

 For the Western Regional Section of the Library Association of Ireland’s full report on the seminar, please visit: https://wrslai.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

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Presenting the 2024 UCC Library Annual Seminar:

Guest Post by Blazej Kaucz and Mona Power on behalf of the UCC Library CPPD Group.

“Libraries: Connecting Minds and Cultivating Wellness” 

Date: 11th of April 2024 

Venue: Creative Zone, UCC Library, University College Cork 

This year’s UCC Library Seminar explores the critical role that libraries play in promoting and supporting well-being and engagement. Libraries are not just repositories full of books but vibrant spaces that impact the lives of individuals and communities.  

The event will shed light on innovative library practices that enhance patrons’ quality of life, in both academic and non-academic settings. Our speakers will offer a range of perspectives, considering the viewpoints of libraries as well as the communities they serve.   

The seminar is open to library staff at any grade working in any type of library, students or recent graduates in information and library studies, or anyone who has an interest in libraries. 

The keynote speaker is Marta Bustillo, Digital Learning Librarian (University College Dublin). 

Programme: 

10:00 Registration and morning refreshments 

10:45 Welcome and introduction 

11:00 Keynote speaker - Marta Bustillo (University College Dublin) “Digital well-being: A necessity or a luxury?” 

11:45 Second speaker - Wiktor Owczarek (ABC EduLibrary) 

12:30 Lunch 

13:15 Third Speaker - Andrea Bickerdike (Munster Technological University) 

14:00 Fourth speaker - Hayley O'Connell Vaughan (University College Cork Students' Union) 

14:45 Panel Discussion (all speakers) 

15:30 Closing remarks 

We aim to make this conference a welcoming, inclusive event and as accessible as possible. 

Please contact us at librarycppd@ucc.ie if you have any questions or requests. 

To register, and for further information about location particulars, please visit UCC Annual Library Seminar 2024. 

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UCC Library Annual Seminar 2023

Guest post by Blazej Kaucz (on behalf of UCC Library CPPD Committee) 

On Monday, the 6th of March 2023, UCC Library is going to host the UCC Library Annual Seminar 2023.  

The event will explore the role libraries play in promoting and supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). There will be a range of speakers on the day, who will offer perspectives from a Library viewpoint, and also from the perspective of the communities that libraries serve. 

The speakers will be discussing, inter alia, the role of the libraries in decolonisation initiatives; how EDI is transforming the strategic landscape; how the libraries can develop as a place of welcome as part of the Library of Sanctuary; and how in doing so the libraries can encourage diversity and not division. 

Programme
10:00	Registration and morning refreshments
10:45	Welcome and Introduction
11:00	Keynote speaker - Marilyn Clarke (Institute of Advanced Legal Studies)
12:00	Leona Burgess (Louth County Libraries)
12:45	Lunch
13:30	Katy Lumsden (National Library of Ireland)
14:30	Elaine Chapman (Technological University Dublin)
15:15	Closing remarks

 The seminar is open to staff at any grade working in any type of library, students or recent graduates in information and library studies, or anyone who has an interest in libraries.  

The keynote speaker is Marilyn Clarke (Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Librarian).  

The seminar is free and in-person, but registration is required. To register please visit https://libcal.ucc.ie/calendar/librarytraining/seminar2023 

 

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LIR - Show & Tell Competition

The LIR HEAnet User Group for Libraries is currently inviting current LIS students and recent graduates to share their work in a pre-recorded PechaKucha presentation (20 slides with 20 seconds of commentary per slide; total presentation length of 6 minutes, 40 seconds). PechaKucha tips, resources, and examples can be found here. Some examples of a Pecha Kucha: Pecha Kucha on presenting a Pecha Kucha, The Art of Revolution in the Public Library!, Accessibility on Academic Library Webpages and Information Professionals in Non-Traditional Library Settings. 

This competition is limited to current LIS students and graduates from the past two years from Dublin Business School, University College Dublin, or Ulster University. 

This is an opportunity for students and recent graduates to develop their presentation, communication, and impact skills by sharing their research with LIR and the wider community. Research has shown Pecha Kucha presentations can “promote visual design literacy while building oral communication skills” (Beyer et al, 2013) and can help in creating engaging presentations and increasing confidence in giving presentations (Christianson and Payne, 2011). 

Submission topics can be anything relating to library and information studies (such as a Master’s dissertation, capstone project, coursework, groupwork, general topic overview or any other research). 

Prizes will be given to the top 3 submissions (One4All vouchers - €150 for first, €100 for second, €50 for third) and participants can win a LIR branded hoodie. A selection of videos will be showcased on the LIR Group website. 

For more information, visit https://lirgroup.heanet.ie/index.php/show-and-tell-competition-for-lis-student.  

Submit your video recording online at https://www.cognitoforms.com/LIRLibraryGroup/LIRGroupStudentShowandTellSubmissions. 

Deadline for submissions: Friday, September 30th 

References

Beyer, A. A., Gaze, C. and Lazicki, J. (2013) “Comparing students’ evaluations and recall for Student Pecha Kucha and PowerPoint Presentations”, Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology, 1(2), pp. 26–42. Available at: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/jotlt/article/view/3109 (Accessed: 31 August 2022).

Christianson, M., & Payne, S. (2011). Using the 20x20 format for presentation training. Language Research Bulletin, 26, 1-15.

About LIR: 

LIR HEAnet User Group for Libraries provides a forum for discussion on the use of electronic resources and networks by HEI libraries and assists in development and training for their effective use.

LIR encourages communication and co-operation between member libraries in accessing electronic resources.  LIR aims to help academic libraries explore and develop their digital capacity by providing seminars and workshops for members, as well as other such events which bring this community of practice together. 

Follow LIR on Twitter @LIRHEAnet 

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NORF Open Research in Ireland webinar: Open Access

As part of a webinar series on Open Research in Ireland, the National Open Research Forum (NORF) presented a webinar focused on Open Access to research publications on 4 May 2021.

NORF has been developing a National Open Research Landscape Report to summarise progress and challenges in each of the strategic areas of Ireland’s National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment. Against this background, speakers discussed national strategies for Open Access in Ireland, France, and Denmark, and highlighted key challenges and issues such as bibliodiversity.

Speakers included the chairs of NORF’s Working Group on Open Access (Susan Reilly, UCD & Niamh Brennan, TCD), Marin Dacos (Open Science Advisor, French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation), Hanne-Louise Kirkegaard (Senior Advisor, Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science) and Karen Hytteballe Ibanez (Senior Officer, Technical University Denmark).

Programme:
Introduction to NORF – Daniel Bangert (Digital Repository of Ireland)
Open Access in Ireland – Susan Reilly (University College Dublin), Niamh Brennan (Trinity College Dublin)
Open Access in France – Marin Dacos (Open Science Advisor, French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation)
Open Access in Denmark – Hanne-Louise Kirkegaard (Senior Advisor, Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science), Karen Hytteballe Ibanez (Senior Officer, Technical University Denmark)

The recording of the webinar can be found {here}.

Webinar slides are available below:

https://www.slideshare.net/dri_ireland/open-research-in-ireland-open-access-to-research-publications

https://www.slideshare.net/dri_ireland/french-national-open-access-policy

https://www.slideshare.net/dri_ireland/denmarks-national-open-access-strategy-the-importance-of-monitoring

In case you’re interested in the previous webinars, those materials are linked in the event pages:https://norf.ie/index.php/events/

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