Category: Blog, Branches and Groups

The following is a guest blog about the Autumn Gathering from Joy McLean, West College Scotland. Joy’s place was funded by the Academic and Research Library Group Scotland

The CILIPS Autumn Gathering 2017 was a thoroughly enjoyable day.  I appreciated the opportunity to attend informative and engaging sessions, to catch up with and meet fellow library professionals, and to engage with the exhibitors attending.  It is often difficult to attend CPD events throughout the year so the Autumn Gathering provides an excellent opportunity to discover what is happening in the wider library community.  I have to thank ARLGS for sponsoring my place at the conference.

The initial keynote speech, Influencing decision makers and advocating for libraries and librarians by Douglas White of Carnegie UK Trust and Duncan Wright of Save Scotland’s School Libraries Group, was pertinent in defining advocacy and highlighting how it can be achieved especially when libraries in all sectors are threatened by varying levels of cuts to services, staff and budgets.

I found it difficult to choose from a range of pertinent and interesting sessions offered.  Of those I did choose, I particularly enjoyed User engagement with local history through social media using photo elicitation by Professor Peter Reid and Caroline Hood of Robert Gordon University, and Combating ‘fake news’ – Separating fact from fiction in an ever-changing world by Alastair Brian of Ferret Fact Service.  I think the use of social media as a means of engagement is becoming ever more important and it was fascinating to hear about Robert Gordon University’s project with Buckie and District Heritage Fishing Society and the responses it elicited from the public.  The session on ‘fake news’ felt very timely, particularly as more people are bypassing traditional sources of news, such as newspapers, and using alternative sources like Facebook and Twitter.  Teaching information literacy is ever more important and this session reinforced the need to look behind the stories and check authorship and original source material.

Throughout the day I met librarians from different sectors but also had the opportunity to meet colleagues from other further education colleges.  It was really valuable to discuss the challenges we face in further education and how we deliver our services.  The opportunity to engage with exhibitors such as the Scottish Book Trust and Amnesty International was beneficial as I am working on a literacy initiative with students at our college and both highlighted resources and offered constructive advice.

Overall, I found the Autumn Gathering to be extremely informative, engaging and inspiring.  I left with new ideas and new contacts.  I would urge anyone who hasn’t yet attended to register for next year’s Autumn Gathering once booking opens.  I will certainly encourage other members of our library team to attend.