Author Archives: richards

Trouble and unrest in Swedish libraries

IFLA_Torbjorn-Nilsson

 

 

 

 

Trouble and unrest at the libraries, quiet libraries, or libraries for conversations and events?

The debate has been heated in Sweden recently and fuel has been added to this debate by the Union for Academics, DIK, which has released an interim report about the library staff’s working environment.

During the summer, DIK asked its library members about unrest, disorder and aggressive behaviour exhibited by visitors, as well as offensive or humiliating attacks. More than 1,800 people, which is a third of the member group, took part in the survey. The report shows that there are major working environmental problems at Swedish libraries; in some places the situation is unsustainable. The problems more prevalent among public libraries and school libraries, but also occur at research libraries and hospital libraries. The problem exists all over the country, both in urban and rural areas.

Respondents at public libraries and school libraries are experiencing an increased level of unrest and disorder. They indicate that the main reason for this increase is a rise in unemployment and social exclusion. Other reasons that have been mentioned are activities for the mentally ill that have been discontinued, decommissioned recreation centres and increased drug availability.

The report has, among other things, led the Swedish Library Association, via its chairman Calle Nathansson and Secretary General Niclas Lindberg, to write a petition in which they underline how important it is that the library is a secure place for staff and visitors alike.  They also suggest that a handbook be developed to assist the library staff.

DIK now also requests that all the members’ experiences are classified as occupational health problems and that all libraries have a functioning incident reporting. Karin Linder, Chairman of the DIK association, has spoken out in the media and stresses how important it is that the employers take responsibility at a local level so that discussions between employers and employees are initiated in the work places.
The report from DIK it titled “We are Librarians, not Psychologists or Social Workers” from a quote by a librarian who took part in the survey.

Responding! Public Libraries and Refugees

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Libraries throughout the world have a strong history of responding to natural disasters and humanitarian crises providing a welcoming environment, a place of refuge for body and soul, and a source of information.

As we have watched the refugee crisis unfold in Europe we have been flooded with examples of how public libraries have responded in practical and heartfelt ways.

Members of IFLA’s Public Libraries Standing Committee and their colleagues have joined together to collect some of these examples and stories. The resulting document is not meant to be exhaustive but is more of a starting point for shared experience and inspiration and demonstrates the power of libraries to make a difference in people’s lives.

If you would like to share your story we would love to hear from you.

‘Reading Holiday’ in Sweden

IFLA_Torbjorn-Nilsson

 

 

 

 

The result of the PISA survey 2012, published in 2013, was a real wake up call for Sweden, as it revealed that Swedish pupils performed significantly worse than students in other OECD countries in terms of literacy.  As a reaction to this negative result, a number of reading promotion projects started, focussing on children’s reading and reading comprehension ability.

The latest project, Läslov (Reading Holiday), was launched during the Gothenburg Book and Library Fair at the end of September this year, when the Minister for Culture, Alice Bah Kuhnke, as well as the Minister for Education, Gustaf Fridolin, participated.

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Läslov is about turning the autumn break, the old potato and harvest holiday, which occurs in week 44, October 26-30, each year, into a week of reading activities, where the output of the venture is, instead of rich potato and cereal harvests like in the old days, increased literacy and knowledge.

Läslov is run by the non-profit organisation Läsrörelsen, which has both individual and institutional members at all levels of society.
During Läslovet, school-aged children will be invited to take part in reading activities in the municipalities. The goal is to get Läslovet v44 added into the Swedish curriculum in 2016.

IFLA – BibLibre International Marketing Award 2016

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Our friends in  IFLA’s Section on Management and Marketing in collaboration with BibLibre, Paris, France, has the pleasure to announce the IFLA – BibLibre International Marketing Library Award for 2016.

The IFLA – BibLibre International Marketing Award honours organizations that have implemented creative, results-oriented marketing projects or campaigns. Up to 10 finalists will be chosen to recognize them for their outstanding achievements and three winners will be selected.

The first and the second winner will receive airfare, lodging and registration for the World Library and Information Congress: 82nd IFLA General Conference and Assembly in Columbus, Ohio, USA 13 – 19 August 2016. Cash awards of €2000, €1000 and €500 respectively, which must be used to further their marketing efforts, will also be awarded to the first, second and third-place winners.

The finalists and winners will be announced in March 2016. The winners will be announced officially during the IFLA WLIC Awards Ceremony in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Satellite Presentations now Available

The team that made it possible.

The team that made it possible.

How quickly does time go? It’s only just over a month since the wonderful IFLA Public Libraries satellite in Cape Town hosted by our friends and colleagues from the City of Cape Town Library Service and the Western Cape Provincial Library Service.

It was a truly inspirational 2 days – thought provoking presentations; workshops where everyone participated; generosity of spirit in the sharing of ideas; networking, networking, networking; and some vibrant libraries to visit. I know that everyone who was there benefited greatly from the experience.

For those of you who weren’t able to join us we’ve now made  most of the presentations available  on the Satellite website. The formal papers will also be available on IFLA Library in due course.

Thank you again to everyone who made this event possible. If you can add a satellite experience to your next IFLA Congress do so. It’s worth the effort.

Libraries Transform

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The American Library Association has announced details of its new public awareness campaign, Libraries Transform, will launch in Washington, D.C. and in communities and libraries around the country on 29 October 2015.

The purpose of the new campaign is to increase public awareness of the ways that libraries of all types transform people’s lives and communities; shift perception of the library from “obsolete” or “nice to have” to essential; and energize library professionals and external advocates to influence local, state and national decision-makers and increase support for libraries of all types.

Wherever you are in the world be sure to visit this site and explore the resources.

Libraries at the Crossroads – New Research Released

A new survey from Pew Research Centre highlights the issues currently facing American public libraries and provides food for thought for public libraries globally.

The report show that while citizens believe that libraries are important community institutions and profess interest in libraries offering a range of new program possibilities there are signs that the share of Americans visiting libraries has edged downward over the past three years, although it is too soon to know whether or not this is a trend.

Many Americans say they want public libraries to:
◾support local education;
◾serve special constituents such as veterans, active-duty military personnel and immigrants;
◾help local businesses, job seekers and those upgrading their work skills;
◾embrace new technologies such as 3-D printers and provide services to help patrons learn about high-tech gadgetry.

Additionally, two-thirds of Americans (65%) ages 16 and older say that closing their local public library would have a major impact on their community. Low-income Americans, Hispanics and African Americans are more likely than others to say that a library closing would impact their lives and communities.

Worth a read!