SE Branch AGM at Woking

Next Tuesday is the SE Branch AGM at Woking Library. In addition to meeting up with colleagues from around the South East there is also the opportunity to hear CILIP President, Ian Snowley, speak on 'Creating our Professional Future'. It's been advertised quite widely but how about some blog posts or comments about who's going and our thoughts afterwards? Or, if you can't make it, is there anything you'd like someone to raise on your behalf? Questions you would like to ask our CILIP President? I'll be there(train permitting!), anyone else??
Sarah

Oh dear, what a shame

In the last few months we have highlighted issues of professional concern by management restructure in Hampshire, but during the same period something more shameful has been noted. Two instances have been noted of people claiming to be current Chartered Librarians on lapsed membership of CILIP/Library Association. This is a serious breach of the rules and has the potential to damage our professional image by such false claims. As soon as membership of CILIP lapses, so does your entry on the Register of Chartered Members and the right to bear the post nominal letters. In both cases the post nominal letters were wrong, and a quick check with CILIP membership confirmed suspicions. I have no hesitation in reporting such people and I urge the library community to be vigilant for suspicious claims.

Does HIOW meet the expectations of our new CILIP President?

In the April edition of Update, there is a fascinating article from your new CILIP President, Ian Snowley, entitled "Encouraging member activism". Prompted by this, and Edward Dudley's column headed "activists arise" I am blogging the thought of how HIOW has made an impact on the region and do we, through the Committee and members, achieve the Presidential aim.

Mr Snowley is very much in favour of activists from the membership and HIOW is a good example with a strong Committee, supportive membership encouraged through a varied programme of events, and challenging bad journalism on librarianship in the region. Verbal and written feedback has confirmed that we are doing things for our members well and good communication is keeping the Committee fed with ideas. I have always cheekily thought of an advertising strapline for HIOW which is "local CILIP in action" and that's what sub Branches should be about. I have created an email service to promote communication in the region and given an opportunity to engage in web 2.0 with this blog

The other main comment in his article was about professionalism in it's broadest context; not status but pride in our qualifications and skills at all levels of library and information work. It is a shame that the management of Hampshire Libraries do not share this view and regardless of mounting criticism from employees and, importantly, the public, continue to demote and demoralise librarianship to new depths. From the letters to the local papers there would seem to be sufficient support to pass a motion of no confidence in the library management, if this was possible. HIOW has only been able to offer verbal support to colleagues under pressure but at least one local paper know that the Sub Branch has a strong view on their negative reporting on our profession and its skills. HIOW has been active in providing support networks for the Framework of Qualifications through informal email contact groups for Certification, Chartership, and Fellowship, which also include revalidation. We are also compiling a list of mentors in our region, something which has not been easy to identify from the CILIP web pages.

On the back of this Mr Snowley says that you should have fun in what you are doing. I am not sure as to whether my warped humour on librarianship is what is expect by our President. At the 2007 AGM we commented that Web 3.0 will follow Web 2.0, but soon after I found someone had adopted a picture from Star Trek's Jean-Luc Picard as Librarian 3.0 to deal with the emerging technologies efficiently. My favourite site is Warrior Librarian from Australia, from whom I have purchased the book and tshirts etc but a recent entry of cringeworthy note is a website with the blogga song; oh dear. Next year, I celebrate thirty years in the library profession having started in my primary school and continued in paid and voluntary positions. I love this career and all the challenges it brings, but having fun is just as vital as the qualifications and activism.

So viewers, or bloggas, comment on this blog or better still, get a Google account and contribute; this site is for you, the members of HIOW to use. HIOW works because of the members; we are a young Sub Branch but are very active and we will support the qualifications and skills through CPD and other events, therefore fulfilling the qualities required by our current President.

AGM - Web 2.0 by Kara Jones

I really enjoyed Wednesday's AGM - both sessions were really informative and I think the afternoon was a great example of why local CILIP groups are so important. For anyone who missed it or wants a reminder I thought a link to Kara Jones' powerpoint presentation would be useful. Here it is on Slideshare - Hants and IOW CILIP 05/07 and it's also a good opportunity to see what Slideshare does. Looks a little like YouTube with Powerpoint..

Sarah

Join the blog

After a very successful AGM we hope HIoW members and non-members alike join in with the blogging to share ideas, news, interesting things picked up from training events and conferences and to discuss current topics etc

Glad the muffins went down well

Spread the word.....

conference - All change - Adapt and Thrive in a digital age

Went to the London Museums Librarians and Archivists Group conference at the end of April and Brian Kelly (a colleague of Kara's) was speaking on Web 2.0 - and I certainly came away full of enthusiasm for changing the way we do things at work - now it is a question of persuasion. Another fantastic site was a co-operative partnership of UK university libraries for accessing first editions of manuscripts held by their libraries. www.britaininprint.net - the best bit is the Shakespeare online section which has scans of the first editions, a transcription and an actor reading the text- in addition there are academic essays on different aspects of the text/plays and something less highbrow for those who want to explore in a less academc way.

Excellent day - all round - and held in the British Museum's BP lecture theatre - hadn't been to the BM for years and was well impressed with the great court.

Live from the AGM

Welcome to the HIOW AGM with hands on blogging...

Kara Jones has been exploring the potential uses of Web 2.0 especially for information literacy. Given lots of ideas for my organisations website which is technosaurus.

Practical sessions covered e-books (thanks to Ian from Uni of Portsmouth) and this blog and our JISCmail area led by Nigel.

The AGM is really well attended - with quite a few new faces "AGM Freshers"

Thanks to Ian and James at the University for the facilities and muffins