Academic & Special Libraries Conference 2024 ‘Fair for all: creating Equitable and Universal Access to Information’

Guest post by Mona Power, Library Assistant at UCC Library

Early on the morning of the 21st of March, I was surrounded by sleepy commuters on the train to Dublin, some already starting their workdays on laptops and tablets. I was struck anew by the Doctorow quote about technological advances, which had caught my eye on the A&SL website several weeks prior:

Universal access to human knowledge is in our grasp, for the first time in the history of the world. This is not a bad thing.

My own journey to being an LIS professional was made entirely possible by the advances Doctorow refers to. I undertook the MLIS at UCD's iSchool during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and was able to attend lectures, access library materials, connect with fellow students, and even make lifelong friends - all entirely online.

Yet the access to information that I enjoyed during this time is not strictly universal. And it is not free. This injustice is damaging to global society on many levels, and something I’d not thought about very deeply until I began the MLIS. Becoming a qualified librarian has opened my eyes to the power and importance of universal information access. If we cannot collectively draw from it and contribute back to it, the global pool of knowledge is diminished. Knowledge is not a finite resource. By sharing it, we do not deplete it. By making knowledge access universal, we create the circumstances under which it can be built upon and furthered.

These thoughts carried me to the Ashling Hotel, the venue for this year’s Academic and Special Libraries Conference. I’d been eagerly anticipating the conference since the bursary winners were announced, and even felt a little nervous as I found my way to the conference room. This would be my first experience of an in-person conference, and all week my colleagues at UCC Library had been offering sage advice (chat to people from outside your own library, take some time to look at the posters, take lots of pictures).

The first keynote speaker of the day was Marilyn Clarke, who opened her talk, ‘Libraries as Liberatory Spaces: knowledge justice, sites of memory, and acts of resistance’ with a poem by Ferdinand Levy, Jamaican poet who had lived in Dublin in the 1930s. Marilyn used Levy’s poem, and the fact that he is not well known as a figure of literary history in Ireland, as a jumping off point for her talk. She focused on the question of who is and is not remembered – and who we do, and do not, study in the classroom. Marilyn’s talk was expansive and inspiring, and even as I took notes, I knew that I would have a challenging time doing it justice in this review. Four words that I underlined several times in my notebook are: Recognition, Reparation, Restitution, Representation. These are words, Marilyn says, that she comes back to whenever she needs to think about what she is doing, and in answer to the question “what does social justice mean to you?” Listening to Marilyn speak, it became clear to me that knowing your “why” - the reason or purpose behind your actions - is a deeply valuable compass for life.

The first of the morning’s three case studies, ‘Inclusive Technology is everywhere: Why is it then so hard to find?’ was presented by Trevor Boland, who, according toinformation gathered by the A&SL Committee, can crochet a pair of slippers in three hours. Trevor’s presentation took us on a whistle-stop tour of some incredibly useful Assistive Technology (AT) – from the glasses many of us wear on our faces each day, to document conversion systems like SensusAccess, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology that can read text within a digital image.

Dean Watters and Dr Ruth O' Hara delivered the second case study of the morning, ‘Diversifying Dewey: Changing the DDC23 to better represent Irish Travellers’. This uplifting presentation was a brilliant real-life example of librarians challenging established systems and making positive changes. The presenters stressed the importance of doing this work not just because it is vital, but because it is work that inspires others and that people will build on in the future.

Eilís O' Neill concluded the morning’s presentations with her case study ‘Let’s take it outside (the classroom): Implementing UDL practices in non-teaching roles’. Eilís provided a compelling argument for undertaking a universal design for learning (UDL) course, and applying UDL principles to library work. She emphasised the importance of simplifying language and letting go of jargon.

The second keynote speaker of the day was David Hughes, who gave a rousing presentation entitled ‘Why Do We Need "Open", Anyway?’ David approached an answer to this question by introducing what he termed the “four horsemen of the library apocalypse”: Hyper-capitalism, academic publishing, artificial intelligence, and the fact that John Deere tractors now come with a remote kill-switch. David then launched into compelling arguments for each of his horsemen, citing Cory Doctorow’s "Entshitification" model, and the importance of true open access (OA) publishing. Some of David’s slides drew audible gasps from the audience, in particular his screenshots of blatantly AI-generated text that had made its way past the peer review process and into academic journals. For David, “open” is not just about publishing, but a philosophy and a rallying call. He urged librarians to lead by example and promote open educational resources and diamond OA.

The second round of case study sessions started with a presentation by Laura Rooney Ferris, entitled ‘Building a culture of Open Research for Health and SocialCare Practitioners’. Laura described the significant barriers to open publication for health practitioner researchers. A particularly powerful point that she made was that, in her own words, “medical research conducted on the public should be accessible to them.”

Jane Buggle and Marie O' Neill followed with their case study, ‘Diamond Open Access Publishing: Navigating the Impact of a Single Library Published Journal’. Jane and Marie made a passionate case for diamond OA, citing the destructive influence of the gold OA publishing model, and echoing David Hughes’ point that the truth is paywalled while lies are free. "We're not going away", said Marie, “this is only going to get better.”

Paola Corti’s case study, ‘Librarians as agents of change - SPARC Europe's Strategy to advance Open Education in Europe’, introduced us to the work of The European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL), a network of academics advocating for open education in Europe. Paola praised the generosity of librarians for sharing their knowledge and encouraged anyone wishing to get involved with ENOEL’s work to become a member.

The final case study of the day, presented by Ann Byrne and Emberly Davey, was titled ‘Digital literacy for all: reflections on creating a Digital literacy OER’. Ann and Emberly described their journey of developing an open educational resource to improve digital literacy. Modelling the precise generosity Paola Corti had cited in her presentation, Ann and Emberly have made their course open to all.

The day's talks emphasised the vital role of libraries in promoting knowledge equity, in particular at the intersection of technology and social justice. These speakers demonstrate that the future of librarianship will be shaped by a commitment to inclusivity, openness, and dismantling barriers to information access.

For my part, I feel privileged to have attended the A&SL conference. The passion and generosity of these librarians is inspiring. It is a wonderful thing to attend a conference and feel that you are among “your people” - I am grateful to the A&SL Committee for awarding me this Bursary.

Image by A&SL Committee

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Libraries of Sanctuary: Supporting Migrant Communities

Guest post by Louise Cooke-Escapil  Louise works as a Library Assistant at Maynooth University Library. She is interested in the social impact of libraries.

Introduction 

The City of Sanctuary is a collection of groups across the UK and Ireland - including theatres, schools, colleges, universities, churches, and gardens - that aim to build a culture of inclusiveness for incoming migrants. Specific organizations involved include Places of Sanctuary Ireland and, as of June 2020, Libraries of Sanctuary. The Library of Sanctuary title is awarded to libraries working to fill gaps in provision of information and resources to refugees and asylum seekers. Libraries playing this role is not novel, however the introduction of this title is a welcome step towards further developing public library services for those who may otherwise be left unseen.

Proto-Library of Sanctuary

It was this aspect of libraries working as powerful regenerative educational institutions that first drew me into librarianship as a profession in 2015. My first paid library job was in the Public Information Library in the Pompidou Centre in Paris. This experience shaped how I think about libraries and showed me the important social role they can play in people’s lives. In 2015, a new wave of migration into Europe had reached an all-time high. I worked in the autodidactic section of the library, where patrons came to borrow materials to help them learn new skills, such as driving, study skills for secondary school exams, or, most frequently, learning a language. I found myself working in a library in France that had more resources on learning Irish than my local library had back home in Ireland. If people chose to, they could borrow materials on learning up to 250 languages, including Sámi, Zulu, and Navajo to name a few. This section of the library also had a huge variety of materials, from books to CDs, DVDs, computer programmes, newspapers, magazines, and TV channels from 11 different countries.

Photograph: Pixabay

During the year I worked in the library, I realised how necessary this service was to many of the patrons. Before taking up this post, I had experienced language learning in a very different context. Learning a language was something people did out of love of the language or to be able to travel with greater ease. Now, many of the patrons who regularly came to my desk came to learn French out of necessity. Often, patrons could not speak French or English and did not have the means to ask for what they were looking for in the library. Word must have travelled and as more patrons would come up to our desk we quickly learnt to adapt. Myself and my desk colleagues started to keep a list of languages at the desk, each language written in its own script. We would ask the patron to go through the list until they identified a language, be it Arabic, Pashtu, Urdu, Farsi, or any of the other dozen languages we had listed. Once we had determined the patron’s mother tongue, we would find language-learning materials for them and set them up at a work desk. Eventually, those who kept returning would be able to ask for the materials they wanted in French. It was so rewarding to see patrons’ progress month by month as they moved on to more difficult materials, grew more confident in their abilities, and became more fluent in French.

Home to Ireland

After my time in France, I worked for a short spell at King’s College London. That was cut short by COVID-19. In January of this year, I took up a post in Engagement and Information Services (EIS) at Maynooth University. Returning to Ireland, I was delighted to see similar work to that I had encountered in Paris. Last year, Maynooth University became a University of Sanctuary and we currently have three students who live in Direct Provision undertaking degrees.

Libraries of Sanctuary

New initiatives such as Libraries of Sanctuary are encouraging libraries across the UK and Ireland to strengthen their services to refugees and asylum seekers. Like the Public Information Library in Paris, Libraries of Sanctuary have identified a new need, particularly pronounced over the last few decades, to pay particular attention to emerging communities in their locale, as well as existing ones. A resource pack, created by John Vincent, was released in June 2020 which gives libraries interested in this initiative a roadmap towards being recognised as a Library of Sanctuary.

The first Irish library to qualify for this title was Portlaoise Library on the 10th of March 2020. Librarians worked with communities from the local Direct Provision Centre to foster a space where everyone in the community could find tools and resources which were tailored to them (City of Sanctuary, 2021). At the award ceremony, County Librarian Bernie Folan said on the day;

“Places of Sanctuary is a movement that seeks to promote a culture of welcome in every sphere of society, a network of places of sanctuary where refugees and migrants are welcomed and included. We know that newcomers have a lot to offer, and we believe that as barriers come down and connections are made, the whole of society benefits” (Kiernan, 2020)

Photograph: cityofsanctuary.org

Going Forward

Libraries are in a unique position in that they are situated in almost every village and town in Ireland. Library staff are reaching out to migrant communities in their area and provide much needed services. They are a bridge for new communities, providing services to all. The first library to be awarded this the title of Library of Sanctuary, Thimblemill Library in the West Midlands in England, offered a number of services to emerging communities in their area such as ESOL classes for those who wanted to improve their English, welfare and asylum sessions to help with the mental and physical impacts seeking asylum can cause, and “Welcome to Your Area” events that aim to introduce locals to each other and allow newcomers to feel welcome (Vincent & Clark, 2020). It’s exciting to see this work being recognised and encouraged in libraries. Over the next few years, I hope many more libraries all over Ireland will continue to develop their services for refugees and asylum seekers. Public libraries have a key role in creating an inclusive and welcoming society.

More information on moving forward with qualifying for the title of Library of Sanctuary can be found at the Irish City of Sanctuary group’s contact us page. The Library Association of Ireland’s Career Development Group will also be holding an information evening later this year where John Vincent, the creator of the Libraries of Sanctuary resource pack, along with other speakers, will discuss the process of qualifying for the Library of Sanctuary title. In order to be the first to hear about booking information for this event, be sure to sign up to the LAI’s Career Development Group’s mailing list, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

References

Kiernan, L., 2020. Launch: Multicultural Portlaoise to receive Library of Sanctuary award. [online] Leinsterexpress.ie. [Accessed 9 March 2021].

Places of Sanctuary Ireland. 2021. Portlaoise Celebrates Ireland’s First Library of Sanctuary. [online] [Accessed 9 March 2021].

Sinnott Solicitors. 2015. Direct Provision 'A Severe Violation of Human Rights' - Sinnott Solicitors. [online]  [Accessed 9 March 2021].

Vincent, J., 2020. Libraries of Sanctuary Resource Pack. [ebook] City of Sanctuary. Available at: [Accessed 9 March 2021].

Vincent, J. and Clark, B., 2020. Libraries of Sanctuary. Alexandria: The Journal of National and International Library and Information Issues, 30(1), pp.6-7.

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Accessibility and libraries.

Hafuboti.com

Guest post by Elaine Chapman. Elaine is a library assistant working with the TU Dublin Library Service - City Campus. She is interested in the areas of accessibility for all and universal design. 

Following a recent presentation at the LAI/ CILIP annual conference, I was asked if I could write something for the Libfocus blog- yay! The theme that I had said I would run with here is accessibility, but I might have ‘diversified’ it a little bit! To me at least, improving accessibility and increasing diversity in our workforce go hand in hand.

At the conference I co-presented with my colleague, Sarah Anne Kennedy, the College Librarian for the College of Business, TU Dublin Library Services-City Campus. We presented a talk called “Nothing About Us Without Us- The benefits of hiring staff with a disability in libraries”.

The theme for the conference this year was Inclusive Libraries, and as an autistic member of library staff, I wanted to explore what it is that disabled people can do for libraries.

I would like to think that, these days, we all recognise that diversity is important. It’s how we grow as a society. However, many interpret that to just mean diversity of ethnicity. While that is hugely important, diversity of mind and of ability are also as important. When we say we want to embrace diversity, we should mean the full range of it, not just one specific aspect of it. Intersectionality is an increasing area of study, which examines how disadvantages caused by disability, race, sexuality, poverty, age, and gender are often not separate, but interwoven. That is to say that someone who is black, transgender and disabled is often more disadvantaged by society than someone who is white and cis gendered but still disabled. It’s only by employing staff across the range of diversity that we can come to understand the level and range of access barriers that many face when trying to access our services.

If we want to find ways to make our services more accessible, then areas of studies like this, and contacting community groups, are things that we need to be looking at, especially if we do not have staff who are from different minorities. If we don’t know what the issues are, we cannot fix them. For example, a poor student with a child, or a student who is a single parent may struggle to be able to access our services in academic libraries as they can’t find someone to mind the child. We don’t know of this unless we are in communication with them or their community. Queens University are a good example of a library that have come up with a solution to that, in that they have added a small children’s collection and allow parents to bring their children into study rooms. When people think of accessibility, they often just think of it in terms of disabled people. Accessibility is not, and should never be, just about improving our services and buildings for people with disabilities. It needs to take into account the needs of every single potential user. Can’t get in as academic libraries do not welcome children? The library is too hard on your senses? It has no place to rest or lay down if needed? Is too far away? Or you can’t access its online resources? These are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of accessibility issues. Just as embracing diversity should mean embracing the full range of diversity, tackling accessibility should mean tackling all issues that prevent accessibility, no matter who it is that they impact.

I feel that, as a profession, there is a lot more that we can do to increase our accessibility. We can look at our job advertisements- do people really need ‘excellent’ communications skills for all library roles? Do all library assistants have to be able to shelve? Have your staff had training in how to work with disabled people? Is your building fully accessible? Have you ever performed a sensory or physical audit of the building to determine access barriers? I know that we cannot necessarily control all of these issues, but there are many that we can. And those that we can’t currently control? We fight for that to change.

In terms of accessibility, one recent example of my own relates to this years LAI/ CILIP joint conference. The combined exhibition and break room was a bit hellish for me at lunch/ break times! It was full of people going every different direction, extremely noisy, warm and quite bright, with no seats. I feel like having a designated Quiet Space in the conference area would have been of such benefit to people- these are not just for autistic people! On the first day I had to take a break from the ‘break room’ and go out to the gardens to get access to a quiet area, but due to preparing for my own talk on the second day, I did not get time to do this, hence the reason why having a Quiet Space as part of the conference area is preferable! Also, we are famously a profession of introverts, so giving everyone a space where they can quietly retreat or prepare for the next set of talks would be great! Ideally with dim lighting too. In addition, I feel like the exhibition area could have done with some seats for the lunch and break times. It was really difficult to find somewhere to stand and eat where you weren’t getting in people’s way, as well as just standing in a warm crowded room. Perhaps these can be things to think of for future events?

As was said in my presentation, we are an information profession, and the ability to meet changing information needs is something we have to continue to do. Recruiting disabled, black and minority ethnic staff better enables us to do this, as they can highlight communication issues that we were not aware of, and provide us with information that we were not aware of too. I feel that engaging such staff helps in our core responsibilities of making libraries help to promote equity, accessibility, and engagement in both the social and learning spheres. They can highlight changes that we need to make and barriers that we need to take down. This all depends on us being open and supporting enough to them to allow them to feel like they can safely speak up though.

In relation to working with disabled staff, training can allow for a better understanding of the struggles that disabled staff can face in some areas of work. Disability awareness training allows managers to better support their own staff and enables all staff to reach their full potential. Understanding potential limitations, whether it is knowledge and attitudes of other staff, or limitations from the disabilities themselves is key. Working towards this understanding is something that has been proven to be worthwhile as research shows that it gives us access to a larger talent pool, aids with retention of all staff, increases staff morale, and improves your image in the community.  In Ireland, disabled people make up 13% of the working age population, yet the public service quota, which is supposed to promote employment equality, is just 3%. I think employment is a service, and services should not be measured by quotas. I also think that there is an idea that employing a disabled person may place more burden on other staff, managers, and finances, when in fact most of this is not true. The training mentioned above helps to tackle how the needs of managers and other staff can be merged with the needs of disabled workers and there are grants available to cover many adjustments that are needed to make workplaces accessible.

In addition to this, the quota system is one that can be used against disabled people to some extent. I have been told by people working in HR in a part of the public sector to not say that I am disabled when applying for jobs with them, as if the quota is already filled they will not hire me. In addition to this, I have been advised by job coaches that they would “hesitate to tell a potential employer they are disabled”, ie don’t disclose your disability. I have likewise heard of black and Asian people in Ireland being told to “whiten” their names. Why? Employers pick the cream of the crop. What they don’t realise is that minorities can be the cream of the crop.

If you want to attract the cream of the crop, it has to be made clear what type of employer you are. If you are an equal opportunities employer, don’t hide that towards the end of the job advertisement- put it front and centre. Shout it from the rooftop! Include positive action statements in your candidate briefs. To give an example of one potential solution, TU Dublin have created a new employment slogan, “Recruiting difference; Reflecting diversity”, and it features on the first page of all job advertisements. It is one of the first things that people applying to us will see when they open the advertisement.

Diversifying our staff and improving our services should always be an aim. We should never settle and think that we have reached that goal, because then we become complacent. Employing disabled staff is just a cog in the wheel that is driving libraries towards the future, and that wheel should never stop.

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Your Local Library: A space for Everyone (Library Services for homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers)

Libraries are for Everyone. (New York Public Libraries)

Guest post by Sheila Kelly. Sheila is a Divisional Librarian working in Dublin City Libraries. Through her work in branch libraries across the city,  she has developed a strong  professional commitment to equality and inclusion, and evidenced the impact of public libraries on marginalised and disadvantaged groups

Homelessness Services Background
The Dublin Homeless Region Executive, the authority responsible for housing in the Dublin region, provided me with contacts for hostels, hubs and hotels. These were mainly Development Managers who work for homeless charities such as Focus Ireland, Respond, Peter Mc Verry Trust, Dublin Simon, Depaul and the Salvation Army. I had the opportunity to visit some hubs and set in place a framework to ensure that homeless people had access to our library services. I’d like to share my thoughts and experiences.

People living in homeless accommodation are not a homogeneous group… homeless people are families and children.
Women’s homelessness and family homelessness is a new and devastating phenomenon. Children are being born into homeless accommodation; small and older children share rooms; young people have no study space and parents have no privacy. Parents must be in constant charge of their children and no visitors are allowed.

Many people, particularly fathers go to work from homeless accommodation.  During my visits and discussions, I came to realise that some accommodations had changes in service or development managers and were managed by a hotel manager solely. While this ensured adequate meals and good hygiene, these are far from what we would call ‘home’.

These are heart breaking scenarios and we had to set our parameters and focus on what is our remit – that is to provide a library service to everyone equally.

Thoughts on equity in library service provision 
Initially I identified hostels and hubs and linked them to local branch libraries. People living in the hubs were offered a block loan; advised of contact persons in the local library; library tours were arranged for Development Managers, individuals and families.  Focus Ireland’s Family Homeless Action Team Leaders were briefed on library services available for people accessing emergency accommodation.

And then I thought “that’s that..sorted” … until, through my visits and discussions I came to understand that hidden barriers existed for homeless people. We automatically assume educational and cultural barriers to library usage, but increasingly for homeless people the barriers are circumstantial and problems of loneliness, isolation and de-skilling prevail.

With the greatest respect for people’s privacy and confidentiality I learned that individuals living in homeless accommodations may lose life (home-making) skills- meals are arranged, rooms cleaned, financial and independent decision making opportunities are eradicated. However, individuals are expected to source suitable accommodation for themselves and their families.

In public libraries we say everyone is equally entitled to a free library service. We need to progress this to include the notion of equity- a notion involving fairness and impartiality. In an “equal” system everyone is given the same library service; in an “equitable” library service people are given the service based on the eradication of existing barriers and supporting individual’s needs.

Library Service: Our Aims and Focus
Our aim in Dublin City Libraries was to offer individuals and families living in supported temporary accommodation the opportunity to use our library services in the same way that everyone else does. Our focus was not that homelessness made people ‘different’- our philosophy is that homelessness makes no difference in our branch libraries. We sought to provide a robust, sustainable and easily resourced framework that would accommodate transient families, staff, and changes in homeless services provision.

In terms of equity in library service provision it became glaringly obvious that our membership rules, requiring proof of home address, were a distinct barrier for homeless people. We introduced easy membership, accepting different forms of proof e.g. letters form the Dublin Homeless Region Executive, Homeless Charities Development Managers, Hostel, Hotel or Hub managers etc.

Targeting Services
Hubs, hostels and hotels vary and some specific interventions were put in place. A library Open Day is planned for immigrant families who want to integrate in their community, kinder boxes were provided to two hubs, and we plan to lend tablets (particularly for library eResources) in the future. We offer one storytelling session to introduce the library if this can be made available in the hub.
We have collaborated with one local area partnership to deliver a specific Storytime project to encourage and help parents read to their children. This will take place in a hotel where families are particularly isolated.

We targeted two Integration centres- one already has links with the local library. The second one required a greater intervention. We designed and printed a leaflet inviting residents to join the library which included a map of how to walk to the library. These leaflets were placed under bedroom doors.

Challenges
Hostels can be difficult to manage and reach as individuals may be isolated or have mental health difficulties. One hostel is successfully linked to one library and residents have joined up independently.  Management of hubs can be sporadic and dependent on the homeless charities involved. Various charities operate in diverse ways and even when Development Managers are assigned there is a quick turnover in staff.

We have to understand that hubs are not group homes- every bedroom door is a family’s front door. Privacy and respect are paramount so any performance indicators can only be anecdotal. We have clear anecdotal evidence from our branches that the numbers of homeless people using the service has increased noticeably.

Location is also problematic depending on hub and library locations and access to public transport.

Learning
It is a privilege to work on this project which I believe reflects the heartbeat of the profession of public librarianship. It allows us reach those who need us most- the newly arrived immigrant, the young teenager studying for Leaving Cert on a hotel bedroom floor, or the newly registered homeless father. There are serious complexities involved in reaching people in homeless accommodation and as always the development of good communication channels is paramount. We need to stop talking to ourselves! We need to promote our libraries using clear informal language. We need to simply say “you are welcome here” and loose the information overload. Once those (so) marginalised people come through our library doors we can be confident they will get the best service, the best welcome, the best sense of belonging as we vitalise our professional conduct, activate our public service equality ethos and reach those who need us most. To that end I would like to thank the wonderful Dublin City Libraries staff I work with, for their enthusiasm, professional commitment and excellence in service delivery. I am reminded of Maya Angelou who said:

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned”

A bit like our libraries then….

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Promoting and facilitating STEM in Public Libraries

Guest post by Maeve McElligot. Maeve has an MLIS from UCD and a postgrad in Community Arts and Education from NCAD. 

Photo courtesy of Maeve McElligot

 
Libraries have always had a reputation for being places of learning. Traditionally, the books housed in libraries have been perceived as the library's main purpose and intrinsic value. However, in today's increasingly digital world, public libraries are also a great source of person-to-person and creative learning experiences. This learning experience is what will keep public libraries relevant in a world where access to information and books is changing rapidly. Since the early 2000’s maker spaces and workshops have played a significant part of many public libraries programs in the US. Here in Ireland we have seen the popularity of Codojo and Scratch workshops in libraries, proving that public libraries have a significant role to play in this era of digital learning.

Since 2014 a LAB program of workshops in 3D printing, coding and electronics has been happening in dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire. This program has included workshops for kids 8-12 years in Scratch, Mine-Craft, Basic Coding, Raspberry Pi and teen STEM projects. dlr Libraries has developed the educational program of the LAB space with monthly Maker Drop in Sessions These sessions are open to anyone with an interest in exploring new tech ideas and developing prototypes. The Digital Technology Curator Dr Jake Rowan-Byrne is on hand to work on developing ideas and provide tech help. With a membership of over 300 individuals on meetup.com, this is proving a popular part of the program.

In 2016 a Teen STEM Entrepreneur Boot Camp was launched in the LAB Space in LexIcon, involving 6 weeks of workshops and maker sessions with 24 TY Students (15 - 16 years) from 8 local Secondary Schools. The project was funded by dlr Libraries and dlr Local Enterprise Office (LEO) with workshops given by Dr. Jake Rowen Byrne and Arial O Sullivan.

The aims and objectives of the project were:

• To encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects and learning in a library environment
• To promote skills such as coding, 3D design, electronics and programming among a mixed gender group of 15 - 16 year olds
• To develop maths skills that could be applied in a school setting and exams
• To build team work and communication skills through group presentations and pitches.
• To promote entrepreneurship
• To promote the library as a place of learning to teens.

The program consisted of 4 weeks of workshops in Coding, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, 3 D Printing, Prototype Design, Business Pitching, and Design Thinking. The workshops were student-centred with an active learning pedagogy marrying theory and practice. To enrich this experience, the students met with a new technology developer and entrepreneur, Anthony Quigley who shared insights into career options in STEM. To complete the learning cycle student teams of 4 – 5 students were challenged to develop a project to integrate and apply their learning during 2 maker days in dlr LexIcon. The program finished with a Show and Share event at dlr LexIcon on 30th November 2016 at which participants demonstrate their projects to peers and other stakeholders including the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O Connor TD. Projects include a MEDISPENSER, a programmed unit to dispense medication daily and alert your local doctor if /when your prescription was running out. An Enviro – Bin that sorts and compresses recycling waste for more compact storage in the home and the Haiku watch, a wearable usb storage device that could only be used and unlocked with an individual secure code.

Feedback from the students was hugely positive. In March 2017 we are planning on running a focus group with the students involved so we can improve and expand the project in autumn 2017.

All workshops and materials for the camp where free which does put a strain on resources but dlr libraries is hoping to seek SFI funding this year to expand and develop the project.

What we (the librarians) the learned.

Programs must be designed with

•  Clarity: Clear aims and objectives, learning outcomes and evaluation structure
•  Layering: Involve learning skills, while also explore theory and problem solving pathways
•  Involve meaningful engagement in real life issues and problem solving
•  Explore new ways of learning; group work, process over outcome, reflection etc
•  Foster exploration, investigation, imagination and thought

Programs and workshops should be based on an Inquiry Based Learning Model: Not just facts and skills but problem solving and investigation for real life, ethical community and personal problems (Example; ECO-Bin, STEM TY Camp 2016)

Summary

The role of the library in these projects is to be less of a content/book depository or provider and more of a networking, community and creative space and platform, where participatory activities and learning is promoted and supported in the building. This is an exciting time for public libraries and Lab/Maker spaces offer new and meaningful ways to engage with our communities and library members, as well as the opportunity to attract new members.

Photo courtesy of Maeve McElligot

For more information on the dlr LexIcon and the LAB program see: dlr Libraries

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Irish Librarians making an impact in Ireland and beyond.

Guest post by Israel Chidavaenzi. Israel is the Business Librarian at DIT Aungier Street. He is originally from Zimbabwe but has been working in DIT for 15 years

Librarians are a caring lot and oftentimes, their caring extends beyond call of duty. Yes, a caring lot is the best way to describe Librarians and I can say this with a lot of gusto because as a librarian who has been in the field for more than 20 years, I have seen and experienced the joys and tribulations of the profession. As librarians, our primary role is to quench the informational needs of those who use our services; this is largely dictated by why the library was ever established. It is no surprise that more often than not, expectations of those who use our services go beyond the scope of the many job descriptions that informs what you as library profession does every other day. Often times, there is now this natural expectation that is organically growing and its now almost a given than most librarians are now venturing beyond their comfort zone, all in the hope of satisfying what they perceive as achievable - including networking and collaboration.

Networking and collaboration, herein used in the most generic sense isn’t a bad thing after all - for thus how we all get to know what others are doing hence this influences how we thrive to better our own practices. The quest to know what is happening in elsewhere is probably why you are reading LibFocus, which is a home grown platform where Irish librarians share their professional tit bits. It was through LibFocus that DIT and UCC recently collaborated on a project that will benefit students in an educational establishment situated more than 8,000km from Ireland.


Give what you have
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882) is widely credited with promoting the idea of passing on to others, objects whose usefulness is no longer relevant to current owners. This well-known saying is attributed to him:

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
Giving is sharing and sharing is caring, true to the last word – a good example of this is how Irish academic librarians recently cared beyond satisfying the immediate needs of Irish students but also that of students in Malawi. This was made possible through LibFocus which earlier in the year had featured an article about how fire had destroyed the Mzuzu university library in Malawi, resulting in the loss of more than 45,000 books. Librarians in DIT (Aungier Street) together with Martin O’Connor from UCC partnered a UCC Governor, Dr Rosarii Griffin in to putting together and dispatching a consignment of 22 boxes with more than 600 titles. DIT got books from its decommissioned collection, donations from well-wishers and from lecturers who often receive unsolicited donations from publishers.


Caring beyond the call of duty?
Well, in this instance “caring beyond the call of duty” is true because none of the librarians involved with this collaborative effort has any direct link with Malawi. This lack of direct link did not stop us from caring about the lack of library books to more than 4000 students at Mzuzu University. If librarians put their heads together something good comes out of their effort, thus collaboration makes things happen. It is a known fact that libraries in the developing world are the least funded and in some cases they operate with zero budgets so receiving a collection such as the one we dispatched from Ireland is for many, probably the only way to get new books in to the library. It is for this reason that, we the Irish librarians should blow our own trumpets for our help is going beyond the borders – we care for the educational wellbeing of people we will never meet.


It just didn’t start with the Malawi project
Prior to sending books to Malawi, books from DIT have been going to Zimbabwe where they were being received with the highest appreciation one could ever imagined. For years, Zimbabwean libraries were solely relying on donations from well-wishers because they just didn’t have money. Any budget allocations were wiped out within hours due to super - hyperinflation.  A quick layman’s check on the internet shows that at one point, the inflation rate was predicted to reach 1.5 million per cent. I am going to be bold here; I will not cite the source of the above figure as this record breaking inflation rate was at the time, common knowledge. So in such an environment, Libraries were left with no money so books from DIT went a long way in supporting the Zimbabwean education system during its darkest days. More than 20,000 books were shipped to Zimbabwe over a 10 year period. This was largely a solo project from me, I did everything from sourcing the books to arranging the shipping logistics and financing the shipping cost though occasionally I would receive help from others, for example one year DIT students’ Union paid the shipping cost and occasionally DIT lecturers would contribute towards the shipping cost.

The Challenge
Shipping books isn’t cheap and it’s not easy. Although I did it on my own for more than 10 years, the experience has shown that this approach is just not sustainable – collaboration is the way to go, just like what UCC and DIT did with books to Malawi. From personal experience, I got great satisfaction from doing this and I would challenge other librarians to extend their caring attitude beyond their immediate traditional users and one way is to help those in need from far afield. Every year, libraries decommission books that still have a life so instead of dumping that book in a skip think about how that book could potentially make some life changing contributions to the education of others. If you are to coordinate book donations for overseas institutions, you ought to be selective on what you dispatch to them – do not use your beneficiaries as a dumping ground, if you do so then certainly it will not be a cheap way of getting rid of your books.
I have done it, DIT and UCC have collaborated on it and many of you have also done it for years so let us continue the good work for our efforts are making an impact in Ireland and beyond. Remember, “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think” and what you give might be all there is to that someone.

 

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Maynooth Students Union and Maynooth University Library supporting students during exam time

Guest post by Maureen Finn, Maynooth University Library

The library at Maynooth University is a hive of activity at any time but no more so than during exam time. With upwards of 3,500 patrons passing through the turnstiles on any given day during the busy examinations period, the needs of the students are many and varied. As many of them have travelled considerable distances to study in the library, they end up spending several hours here at a time in order to make their visit worthwhile.

As a means of better meeting their needs in a holistic way, and having reflected on what could help students by smoothing out the stress factor, Maynooth Students’ Union decided on a three-pronged approach. Firstly, they provided snacks and refreshments for students free of charge in the foyer of the library. A few times throughout the day during exam time, members of the Students’ Union set up tables in the open-plan library foyer and served up snacks such as pancakes, fruit, muffins, yoghurts and soft drinks. Needless to say, these were snapped up and are very much appreciated by the students.

Síona Cahill, Vice-President Welfare and Equality, Maynooth Students’ Union 2015/2016 & SU members distributing free breakfasts in the Library foyer

A second support implemented by the Students’ Union was the provision of small hampers of personal care and hygiene items such as deodorant, tissues, hand cream and so on, which were placed in the rest rooms during exam time. These were well received and much appreciated. A third strand to this initiative was the placing of posters at strategic locations in the library highlighting the helplines, supports and services available to students throughout the busy exam period as well as at other times.

Support posters displayed in the Library by MSU

When speaking with Siona, Vice-President for Welfare and Equality, Maynooth Students’ Union, regarding this student centred initiative, she had this to say:

“Our MSU #MayTheForceBeWithYou initiative was a collaborative partnership with Maynooth University to support students during a very stressful exam time. As student reps, we thought about what we would really have loved to have during that time, and we wanted to provide that to our students! It's all about creating a study environment that encourages looking after both your mind and body, by maintaining a positive attitude, supporting your friends and knowing what supports are available if you need help or are having any difficulties.”

#MaytheForceBeWithMU promotional poster on Twitter

Maynooth Students’ Union won the overall National Education Campaign of the year award at the Student Achievement Awards with the Union of Students’ in Ireland (USI) with their campaign entitled #MayTheForceBeWithMU from Christmas 2015 exam time. The awards ceremony took place in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) on May 26th 2016.

This significant achievement was made possible by the synergy and sense of co-operation that exists between the Students’ Union and the library at Maynooth University.

“I want to extend our genuine thanks on behalf of Maynooth SU for your co-operation with our work in the Library over the exam period at Christmas.We were judged by the head of the National Centre for Teaching & Learning, who praised the partnership with the library in particular, the focus on student welfare in our messaging, the supports being promoted, the ability to use Library spaces for both postering, tables for fruit/free items/info, as well as the use of the library bathrooms and doors for materials.”

Síona Cahill, Vice-President Welfare and Equality, Maynooth Students’ Union 2015/2016

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Right of First Sale for eBooks?

Guest post by Rebecca Ciota

Since 2011, Amazon has been filing patents in the United States and Canada around setting up a marketplace for used ebooks.  In January 16, they filed a 46-page document with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office which outlines their plans in more detail.

In the United States the first-sale doctrine (also known as the right of first sale) limits the rights of the copyright and trademark owners, and protects the distribution chain, library lending, video rentals and secondary markets for copyrighted works (like used bookstores or used record stores) - by providing rights to the purchaser (and owner) of a physical copy of a work to distribute that physical copy as they see fit.  However, the first-sale doctrine does not hold for digital objects because there is no transfer of a physical copy from the copyright owner to the purchaser.

Thus, the resale of ebooks does not have legal protections in the United States.  So, Amazon's attempts at making a used ebook marketplace seems ambitious.  A used ebook marketplace would require new interpretations of the doctrine of first sale, to allow ebook purchasers to become owners and resell their copies.

Amazon seems to be willing to provide the copyright owner a percentage of the sale, which may earn them support (or at least less ire) from publishing companies.  Also, Amazon hopes to make ebooks more like print books by removing ebooks from the seller's inventory once the book has been sold, even though ebooks are copies of an original publisher-owned digital file.  One could in theory continuously copy and disseminate an ebook over and again, retaining their file.  Amazon's forceful removal of the copy from the seller's inventory might persuade copyright holders that some other individual or entity is not repeatedly profiting from the reproduction and sale of the ebook.

However Amazon manages (or doesn't) to set up its marketplace with the acquiescence of publisher and the support of the law, it will be interesting to watch how Amazon and its used ebook marketplace will challenge information policies.  And I'm hopeful that I can clear out my Kindle library, and get a few cents for new books.

​"eBooks can now be read on a large variety of devices" by Per Palmkvist Knudsen, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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An Appeal to Assist an African University Library Devastated by Fire

Guest post by Dr Rosarii Griffin, UCC Governor, Lecturer in Adult Education and Researcher in the Vice President’s Office for Teaching and Learning. Rosarii is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Centre for Global Development at UCC

picture courtesy of  Nathalis Wamba 

Mzuzu University Malawi is partnered with University College Cork, Ireland. On Dec 18th, we received the news that a devastating fire at MZUNI University Library had just destroyed 45,000 books, the lifeblood for 4,000 University students who depend on it. The staff and students at MZUNI are appealing to anyone, but particularly its partners, for help. Help includes: funding to support a temporary library facility, access to e-resources and/or gifts of books to populate the temporary facility. Any assistance from Higher Education Institutions and particularly Libraries, would be most gratefully received to assist them in their plight. Please help if you can.

I recently visited MZUNI on a capacity building project and I was in that Library in September, and I admired it, especially the dedication of its staff’. Although not resourced with ‘state of the art’ facilities – and still very much dependent on the text book - and with little access to computers or the internet, nevertheless, it worked. It was a lovely library with a lovely atmosphere. It was used and loved very much by the students. They had study areas attached to the reading areas, again, equipped with no powerpoints, indicative of the lack of technical resources available to staff or students. Nevertheless, the Library hummed of busy minds reading, studying, and the sound and smell of turning pages and older books was one I had not experienced for a while. Impressed by its form and function, I took many photos of the library, and that is what made the news so shocking for me. And if it was bad for me, it must be totally devastating for MZUNI staff and students – their bright, airy, vibrant library resource lost, overnight. Devastating, just devastating!

picture courtesy of  Nathalis Wamba 

Fr John Ryan, an Irish Kilteagan priest and Professor of Maths at Mzuzu University, with over 40 years experience in Africa says  "The fire has indeed been a devastating blow to MZUNI and it is only by a concerted effort by all partners, stakeholders and friends that we can 'solve' this one. The main focus of the university is to remain open and to keep to the academic calendar for the sake of the students. Any help given will certainly be very much appreciated by Mzuzu University. Mzuzu is the main city in the northern region of Malawi which is often regarded as isolated and 'not developed' even to Malawian standards.  And Malawi is now ranked the poorest country in the world, ranked according to per capita income."

The Vice Chancellor, Robert Ridley, says ‘We are planning to convert the hall into a temporary library and to move the student cafeteria to the Community Development Centre just outside campus. We will also seek funds to build a prefabricated structure to take the place of the hall for exams and other events - possibly located on flat ground close to ESSUP building.   We are finalising our book lists and various needs and losses and should have lists for people and institutions to provide gifts in kind by the new year. We are also setting up an account to receive donations under the Trust Fund and will be advertising that soon.’

See below for more information on the fire

 45, 000 books destroyed in Mzuzu University library inferno

Govt pledge support to Mzuzu University after burnt libary:

Dr Ridley is trying to connect with as many partners and stakeholders as possible as it is only through a concerted effort that this can be solved. Any assistance for MZUNI library would be gratefully received.

If you are able to, and wish to, help please find details of the account as well as the Bank Swift code for Standard Bank Limited, Mzuzu Branch. Funds can be transferred through TT (Telegraphic Transfer) to this account. Note that it is a US$ account.

Account Number: 0240036228300
Account Name: Mzuzu University Library Fund
Branch Code: 1021
Swift Code: SBICMWMX

Mobile: +265-888-824-095 or +265-999 274-224

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Usability Versus Identification

We've made some changes at my library since I became Director in February:

• We now have a single loan rule – everything in the library, whether it's a book, a DVD, or a ukulele, circulates for two weeks, can be renewed twice, and accrues fines at a rate of 10 cents per day, with a maximum overdue fine of $5.
• Having a single loan rule means that we no longer have a non-circulating reference collection. The reference collection is now integrated in our normal non-fiction collection and circulates just like everything else in the building.
• We now buy multiple copies of most items, and many copies of our most popular items. This reduces the time patrons have to wait before they are able to borrow the item they want and also helps to keep the shelves stocked with in-demand materials.
• We plan our events a full year in advance, allowing us to print and hand out a paper schedule and notify patrons well in advance of events that might interest them.
• We're moving from desktop computers to laptop computers, so patrons can use a computer wherever they want to in the library, whether that's at a table out in the open, in a private study room, with peers in a group study area, or in one of our big comfy chairs to watch movies.
• We're about to launch a new website that is better organized and easier to use and matches the minimalist aesthetic of our physical space.

These changes have been successful – our numbers are up and feedback has been uniformly positive, from staff and public alike. I think the reason these changes have gone over so well is because they make the library easier to use. That's one of my constant priorities – ease of use. I think about usability whenever I consider a new project.

However, I did make a change at the library, even though I knew it would make the library a little harder to use. We now require patrons to present their library card if they want to borrow materials. We won't look patrons up and we won't let patrons check out without a card even if we know them by name. We're doing this to protect patron privacy, to prevent the misuse of cards, to ensure equal service for all, to prevent mistakes, and to comply with network regulations.

These are good reasons, good enough that I went forward with this policy change even though I knew that it would the library a little harder to use. But usability is a priority, so we took steps to mitigate the difficulty of this policy change:

• We no longer charge for replacement cards, so if a patron has lost their card, we'll give them a new one for free.
• We let patrons check out with their driver's license or state ID.
• We let patrons check out using a free card management app like CardStar.
• We started advertising the policy change two months before the policy went into effect.

Even with these steps, on a handful of occasions, we've had to turn people away because they didn't have any form of ID with them. This kind of situation leaves everyone involved unhappy. After this happened a few times, we changed our policy slightly. Now, the first time someone forgets their card, we look them up, let them check out, and add a note to their account saying “forgot card on <DATE>”. We tell them about the policy, show them the app, and let them know that if they forget their card again, we won't be able to check them out.

Whether or not this adjustment is the perfect solution, this situation is an example of tension between ideals (usability) and practice (the need for identification). This theory/practice tension shows up in libraries frequently. For example, a group of patrons might want to work together (and, in doing so, make some noise) in an area where other patrons want to work quietly. As a librarian, you want to accommodate both needs, but can't.

It seems like, by their very nature, these types of situations demand ad hoc solutions. We do our best and when our best isn't perfect, all we can do is explain where we're coming from, ask for feedback from the patrons, and adjust. Have you run into a situation like this where your goals are in conflict? Do you have any suggestions?

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