The National WiFi in Libraries Survey 2009 has been launched by Civic Regeneration and Chris Batt consulting. The survey will review the use of wireless broadband technologies in public libraries. This is a UK wide initiative to assess the value of the digital rollout and the means by which library services can improve and deliver an improved range of services utilising such networks.
The information collected from the survey will be made available to all public library services in the UK in September 2009.
A similar survey was conducted in 2006 and found that an average of 23% of libraries provided free to end user connections in approximately 25% of the libraries, with 42% of library services actively planning on implementing services in the future. Added: 16 Jul
Numerous changes and additions have been made to TechXtra the free technology search service. TechXtra is provided by the Institute for Computer Based Learning (ICBL) and Library at Heriot-Watt University.
Using TechXtra, anyone can find articles, books, the best websites, the latest industry news, job announcements, technical reports, technical data, full text eprints, the latest research, thesis & dissertations, teaching and learning resources and more, in engineering, mathematics and computing. TechXtra searches over 4 million items from 31 collections in technology, and provides several additional services.
For full details of the improvements, please see the TechXtra News Blog. Further collections will be added to TechXtra in the future. Details will be announced on the TechXtra News Blog. Added: 9 Jul
Inverclyde Libraries recently launched their Reading Roots promotion, the collection representing the diversity of writing and publishing in Scotland put together in celebration of the Homecoming, in Greenock Central Library. Guests were entertained by a talk from the immediate past president and archivist of the Greenock Burns Club, Margaret Kane, on ‘Personalities of the Past’, a light-hearted piece on local luminaries of yesteryear, the research for which was carried out in Greenock’s local history library, the Watt.
Following light refreshments, everyone enjoyed ‘A Wheech Around Scotland’, a DVD provided for the occasion by Scottish Screen Archive, featuring a series of film clips from all over Scotland, specially chosen by the Archive staff.
Alana Macmillan, Development Team Leader at Inverclyde Libraries, said: “We are delighted to present this collection in honour of the Homecoming to our library users in Inverclyde. The launch event was a good opportunity to combine a little bit of local history with great examples of creative works from around the nation.” Added: 8 Jul
The City of Edinburgh Council's Reading Champion Project is one of just three finalists for this year's Libraries Change Lives awards. This innovative Edinburgh-wide initiative encourages reading for pleasure amongst looked after children and young people in residential care in Edinburgh. The Project encourages staff to help the most vulnerable young people discover the pleasures of reading, contributing to their self esteem, sense of attachment and educational achievement.
As part of the initiative, a Reading Champion is employed to develop 'bespoke' reader development programmes in partnership with looked after children, carers, library staff and other partners. Central to the project is influencing staff on the relevance of books and reading for looked after young people. The long term aim is to effect 'cultural change' in which care and library staff promote reading as a normal activity in all centres.
Watch a video about the project on Youtube or download the video from the CILIP website if you can't access YouTube. An audio recording is also available.
The winner will be announced at CILIP's prestigious Libraries Change Lives Award ceremony which takes place on 15 Jul as part of Umbrella 2009. Added: 8 Jul
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.
Feb edition now online.
Read the main features from the last edition of Information Scotland:
Coming soon: April 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.
CDG (Scottish Division) is currently looking for a Candidate Support Officer who will offer support and run workshops for those working towards Chartership, Re-Validation and Accreditation. Contact Chair, CDG Celia Jenkins e:c.jenkins@ed.ac.uk; or t: 0131 650 3188Added: 16 Jul
CILIP members automatically receive a 20% discount to attend Internet Librarian International (ILI), through a unique Association Sponsorship negotiated by CILIP in London. All members welcome. Enter priority code CILIPILI09 at the registration page to claim the discount. Added: 13 Jul
The Scottish Poetry Library (SPL) has been nominated in the Best Arts Project category of this year's National Lottery Awards. The Library, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has made it through to the semi-finals of the awards, and now stands a chance of winning £2000 to help in its work of bringing people and poems together. Votes can be cast online until 10 July Added: 8 Jul
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is currently accepting applications to its annual Access to Learning Award (ATLA), which recognizes the innovative efforts of public libraries and similar institutions outside the United States to connect people to information and opportunities through free access to computers and the Internet. For more information visit the website. Added: 8 Jul
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 11-May-2011
