World Book Day will be a busy time for East Dunbartonshire libraries. Twice Born author, Leela Soma, will visit Milngavie library at 2.30pm. ED Libraries will also launch the Books for Africa appeal, as part of WBD, in conjunction with Community HEART and the Eastern Cape Provincial Libraries Department. If you have books you no longer want, take them to any of the East Dunbartonshire public libraries.
Perth & Kinross school libraries are holding a scholastic book fair over WBD and distributing book tokens. The author Jamie Jauncey will also be visiting.Added: 20 Feb
A new initiative aimed at promoting poetry in the community will see poems displayed in public toilets around Shetland. The Bards in the Bog scheme is the latest idea from Shetland’s Poet Partner project, in collaboration with poet Jen Hadfield. Local poets are invited to submit poems, with six of the best will being chosen each quarter to display in public toilets around Shetland. Ms Hadfield, who will make the selection, said: “I’ve always loved the idea of sneaking poetry into unexpected places…proving that poetry’s place is in the real world, in real time.”
The project will be launched at Shetland Library on Wed 11 Feb, with a reading from Ms Hadfield and an open mike poetry session. Karen Fraser from Shetland Library said: “It should brighten up folk’s day, and maybe they’ll be inspired to pop into the library and borrow more poetry”. The first set of poems will be installed in March and displayed on the library website. Poet Partner is sponsored by the Shetland Library, Shetland Arts, the Scottish Poetry Library and the Paul Hamlyn Trust. Added: 11 Feb
Europe Direct Aberdeen hosted a Schools Debate on Thu 29 Jan in the Aberdeen City Council Chambers. Four teams from secondary schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire demonstrated their debating skills in front of an audience as they competed to win the annual Europe Direct Schools Debate. This year’s debate was chaired by Mr Ian Hudghton MEP, President of the SNP with Aberdeen’s Lord Provost Peter Stephen presenting the trophy to the winners. Europe Direct is an information service on Europe and the European Union based in the Information Centre in Aberdeen Central Library.
The first round saw a team from Banchory Academy successfully opposing the motion from Robert Gordon’s College that the EU is doing all it can to help the environment. In the second round a team from Aberdeen Grammar School successfully defended their motion that the EU has a role in the wider world against a strong opposing argument from Portlethen Academy. After a well earned refreshment break the final debate saw Banchory Academy robustly defending their motion that joining the Euro would benefit the UK with Aberdeen Grammar School’s opposing arguments just narrowly defeating their motion. Added: 05 Jan
CILIPS is holding its Annual Conference on Mon 1 – Tue 3 Jun at Peebles Hotel Hydro. This year’s theme will be Inspiring Excellence: yourself; your service; our future. The Branch and Group Day will take place on Wed 3 Jun. Branches and Groups are invited to put forward suggestions for sessions. The CILIPS AGM will also take place at 1.45pm on Wed. Keynote papers and sessions for school librarians, as well as others with a more general CPD focus, will be presented on Tue 2 Jun. Complimentary bus services will be provided on Tue and Wed. More information will be added shortly or contact Rhona Arthur. Added: 05 Feb
To coincide with this year’s event on Thu 5 Mar, a new survey has been launched to find out about the nation’s guilty reading habits. As well as uncovering details of exaggerated reading claims, the survey includes some librarian’s horrors such as writing in library books and turning down pages to keep a place. The results will be revealed on World Book Day (WBD), which will also be marked by the release of new £1 children’s flipbooks, containing two stories by the same author.
For the fourth year running, a series of Quick Reads will be published for adult readers including best-selling authors, non-fiction books and a new Doctor Who title. As part of WBD, SLIC has launched an online form to help publicise all events planned in Scottish libraries and schools. Added: 04 Feb
Alloa Library now has a collection of over 100 Polish books for the benefit of migrant workers who have set up home in Clackmannanshire. The new collection consists of both adult and children's books including popular classics and more recent best sellers.
Tracy Docherty, Stock Circulation Librarian, said: "We are very proud to be able to provide stock to meet the language demands of the local community in Clackmannanshire. If they prove popular we will be enhancing the stock numbers and building up the collection.” Renata Krol, president of the Association for Migrant Integration, added: "Being able to access Polish books has made a huge difference to the lives of Polish people who have come to live in Clackmannanshire. We are so pleased to be able just to walk into a library and to get easy access to material in our own language so far from home." Added: 02 Feb
On the day following the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and the start of the Homecoming year, the ScotlandsPeople public library voucher scheme was launched for Scottish Borders Library and Information Services. Raymond Evans from General Register Office, website manager for Scotland’s People formally introduced the scheme and gave a brief history.
The event was attended by Graham Garvie, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member For Culture, Sport and Community Learning, and John Lamont MSP. The invited guests and the public then participated in taster sessions.
ScotlandsPeople is the official Government web source of family history information in Scotland, which is usually accessed on a pay per view basis. Under this national scheme administered by SLIC, vouchers are available from public libraries giving library users throughout Scotland the opportunity to access the website at a significantly reduced cost. Added: 02 Feb
Inverclyde Libraries were recently awarded learndirect Scotland branding and celebrated by holding a launch and Give it a Go day on Mon 26 Jan. The day gave people the chance to come and see the many ways the library provides learning to the local community. The event was well attended, with around 500 people getting the chance to speak to library course providers such as James Watt College, the University of the West of Scotland and the community learning team, as well as trying out some of the 600+ learndirect online learning bytes. Users also had the chance to find out about the ABC Project that helps library learners with disabilities and was originally set up through funding from the Public Libraries Quality Improvement Fund (PLQIF). Added: 30 Jan
East Lothian Libraries launched a new self-issue system on Mon 27th of January thanks to the Public Libraries Quality Improvement Fund. East Lothian are the first public library authority in Scotland to choose 3M as their self-issue provider. The B-series system was chosen due to its intuitive interface and ability to accommodate the use of smartcards and traditional library cards. Providing a self-issue system will enable users to skip the queue at busy times and allow staff to focus on delivering a more personal customer service. Added: 29 Jan
HMIe report entitled Education for Learners with Dyslexia, published in Oct 2008, recognises the contribution of school librarians to literacy development. "...School librarians often provided effective support for pupils through literacy and reading groups held at lunchtimes..." (quote taken from p6 of report) Added: 29 Jan
Information Scotland is the journal of CILIPS, which is published six times a year. The online version is usually made available around three weeks after the printed publication.
Dec edition now online.
Read the main features from the last edition of Information Scotland:
Coming soon: Feb 2009 edition
Information Scotland is published bi-monthly and distributed to over 2300 CILIPS members as well as an international subscription base. Download a copy of our media pack to find out more about advertising opportunities.
SLIC is pleased to announce 2009 funding call for Innovation and Development now open. Further details and informtion pack available from the IDF website. Added: 2 Mar
Michael Russell, new minister for culture, delivers first speech of his tenure.Added: 20 Feb
Inspiring excellence, yourself, your service, our future. For details on speakers and topics, visit the CILIPS Conference homepage. For general enquiries and information on exhibiting contact e: cilips@slainte.org.ukAdded: 17 Feb
Brian Osborne memorial evening to be held in Glasgow on Fri 3 Apr. For further information, download the memorial notice or contact Alan Reid, e: alan.reid@midlothian.gov.ukAdded: 16 Feb
Shetland Library is celebrating LGBT History Month by showcasing a selection of books with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual theme. There will be a display in the library and booklists, leaflets and quizzes on offer. Added: 12 Feb
Scotland has new ministers in charge of culture and education following the cabinet reshuffle of Tue 10 Feb. Mike Russell will replace Linda Fabiani as culture minister and Keith Brown has become education minister for schools and skills. Added: 11 Feb
The AGM of CILIP in Scotland (CILIPS) will be held on Wed 3 Jun at 1.45pm in the Peebles Hotel,Hydro, during the CILIPS Annual Conference. Notice of motions should be sent Elaine Fulton, Director CILIPS not later than 31 Mar. The agenda for the meeting will be circulated to members and will be posted on SLAINTE when available. Added: 11 Feb
Aberdeen City Council is planning to reduce library opening hours as a result of budget cuts. According to the BBC, 18 libraries will see their opening hours cut leading to estimated savings of £50,000. Added: 11 Feb
Staff moderating websites with interactive content aimed at children must be cleared to work with children under a new law which comes into force in on 12 Oct in England and Wales. The change is a result of an amendment to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006), according to OUT-LAW. The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) (Scotland) Act 2007 closely mirrors the UK system. Added: 11 Feb
The Scottish Poetry Library (SPL) in Edinburgh will hold a Valentine’s Day event on Sat 14 Feb. Irene Brown, Anne Connolly and Colin Will will read poems around prime-time love at this free event. Added: 11 Feb
JISC has recently broadcast an interview with John Crawford and Christine Irving, of the Scottish Information Literacy project as part of its podcast series. The speakers argue that information literacy is the democratic right of every learner and central to lifelong learning. The interview was recorded during the SLIC annual FE Conference in Edinburgh last year. Added: 11 Feb
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled the act of taking a photograph a breach of privacy, even though the photograph was never published. According to OUT-LAW, the case involved a baby being photographed without the parent’s permission. Added: 11 Feb
Entries close on Fri 13 Feb for this prestigious award which is open to any sector of the library and information profession. Libraries Change Lives is open to reading projects, learning projects, or initiatives that promote information, provided they demonstrate that they have affected lives for the better. The award ceremony will take place on Wed 15 Jul at CILIP's Umbrella 2009 event. Added: 05 Feb
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) Europe is inviting applications for the SLA Europe Information Professional Award 2009. The Award, now in its 16th year, recognises outstanding achievement in the information profession. The winner receives an expenses-paid trip to the next SLA Conference in Washington, DC, 14-17 Jun 2009. Added: 05 Feb
UK research libraries are invited to participate in a JISC-funded study to scope a UK architecture for the analysis of OpenURL linking data. The study is being conducted by EDINA, the JISC National Data Centre based at the University of Edinburgh. If you are responsible for the OpenURL Resolver at your institution, please take part in the online survey. Added: 05 Feb
Scotland's online current affairs magazine, the Scottish Review, is a twice-weekly mixture of authoritative commentary and personal observation on current affairs. Edited by former UK Columnist of the Year, Kenneth Roy, and published by the Institute of Contemporary Scotland, it appears every Tue and Thu and is free. Register to receive a copy for your library. Added: 05 Feb
A human error led to the whole internet being listed as malware by the Google search engine. As a result, all Google searches were rendered ineffective for around 40 mins on Sat 31 Jan. The problem was caused by a misplaced ‘/’ and was quickly rectified by Google staff.Added: 02 Feb
A number of temporary vacancies have arisen for school librarians in North Lanarkshire Council. Positions are available at Abronhill High, Airdrie Academy and St Margaret's High. Please contact slic1@slainte.org.uk for further details.Added: 02 Feb
The Scottish Government published the Scots Audit report yesterday. The research recognises the 'potential cultural and economic benefits' linked to wider promotion of the language and identifies where provision currently exists, who the providers are, where there are gaps, and what opportunities may exist to expand provision in Scotland. Added: 28 Jan
Scotland's Information
Research Collections Online
Scottish Library and Information Resources
Scottish Distributed Digital Library
Scottish Collections Network
Co-operative Information Retrieval Network for Scotland
© Send comments, suggestions and queries about SLAINTE to Gillian Hanlon. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 UK: Scotland License 12-Sep-2011
