Author Archives: richards

Libraries as Media – Call for Papers

Our colleagues in the Management and Marketing Section are calling for papers for their Satellite Conference that will be held on 15 August 2014 at the Centre Georges Pompidou Paris, France.

The theme is Libraries as media; how libraries can contribute to explain the world by through the production and organisation of information and media.

The program is aimed at Academic and Public Libraries

Libraries are producing content such as text, video, and digitized. In the process arguably becoming ?media.? This conference will explore this provocative and rapid transition libraries are within and directing, as they go from purveyors of media to producers. Illustrative examples of content are desired for furthering the topics below.

Topics of Interest

Human Resources: who is participating on the staff and how are assignments blended in with other duties?

Skills Needed: designated and driven by content or outcome?

Editorial decisions: who makes these and what are the challenges?

Social media: which online presence is related to content?

Evaluation: how is the library adjudged for the content it produces?

Collaboration: what are optimal ways to connect Internet users and local communities (via content production)

Libraries as media: how are we different than the media of television, radio, social or print?

Language

Abstracts may be delivered in English or French. For presentation at the conference, Speakers may also be in English or French.

Proposals for Presentations

The form (no more than 250 words), should be sent by 31 January 2014.

The one page proposal should also include the name, contact information and institutional affiliation of the author as well as abstract. All proposals will be evaluated by a committee representing the section and supporting library professionals. Eight to ten papers will be selected for this five hours program.

To submit your proposal https://docs.google.com/a/silvae.fr/forms/d/17PcBam4IrfBvWtE1Bay0mq5Z2HSZ7xg389tKiweEkAQ/viewform

Final versions of the full papers must be submitted to : [email protected]

New call for innovative projects

EIFL’s Public Library Innovation Programme has launched a new call for proposals – for library projects serving the needs of children and youth. This exciting opportunity is open to public and community libraries in developing and transition economy countries. To apply, libraries must identify a local need (or needs) of children or youth, and develop a project that:

Is completely new for the library, or for the community
Uses information and communication technology in new and creative ways
Develops new partnerships, with agencies like government departments, civil society organizations or technology innovators.

Applicants may submit proposals for up to US$20,000. The deadline for applications is January 31 2014. Click http://www.eifl.net/call-proposals to find out more and to apply for a grant.

Is Yours a Green Library?

We’ve had a request from a colleague, Petra Hauke in Berlin who is preparing a paper for the BOBCATSSS Conference 29th-31th January 2014 in Barcelona, Spain

Petra is giving a paper titled Green Libraries Coming Up! National and international initiatives fostering environmental sustainable libraries and library services and has asked us to pose a few questions:

Are there any national Green Library initiatives in your country, e.g. by the national library association: a working group, round table, Green Libary policies etc.? –
Are there any regional/local Green Library initiatives, e.g. public or academic libraries going green? Regional/local Green Library networks?
Are there any institutions fostering the Green Library movement – e.g. library schools teaching “The Green Library”, library conferences going green etc.?
Are there any Green Library’s websites, journals, networks? – Are there any other Green Library initatives?

Petra is on a tight time frame and is looking for a quick response. She can be contacted at [email protected]

Future Library Unconference

You are invited to the Future Library Unconference which will take place in Athens on 9/10 December 2013.

Supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the Future Library movement http://2013.futurelibrary.gr/ is bringing about a modern transformation of public library services in Greece, alongside the establishment of a magnificent new National Library as part of the SNF Cultural Centre in Athens, creating a highly positive impact at a challenging time for the country.

The Unconference, also supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and by the Europeana Commission through the Europeana Awareness Best Practice Network, will highlight the role of modern public library services in engaging people of all ages with their culture, learning and communities. It aims to bring together public library stakeholders from Greece, the Balkan region, Europe and beyond.

Attendance is free but places are limited. You can find further details and register at http://2013.futurelibrary.gr/

Access to Learning Award Deadline Extended

This message is to inform you that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2014 Access to Learning Award (ATLA) has extended its deadline for application until 9:00 AM (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time), 15 October 2013. If your library or organization is currently providing free public access to computers and the Internet, we would encourage you to apply for the 2014 ATLA. Similarly, if you know of a colleague who is working an organization providing these services, please forward this message to them so they may consider applying.

Applications for the 2014 Access to Learning Award must be submitted via an online submission system. The application form is available only in English and must be completed in English to be eligible for consideration. However, while applications must be submitted in English, the foundation does offer informational brochures in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Additional information, including the foundation’s online submission system, may be found at www.gatesfoundation.org/ATLA. *Note – if you have already submitted an application to the 2014 ATLA and received a confirmation email, you do not need to re-submit your application.

Please send any inquiries about the ATLA to [email protected].

BibliosBCN. La Nova App Mòbil De Biblioteques De Barcelona

La ciutat de Barcelona va ser designada capital mundial del mòbil entre el 2012 i el 2018. Això no només implicarà la celebració anual del Mobile World Congress a la ciutat, sinó que Barcelona vol aprofitar aquesta oportunitat per convertir-se en el referent mundial d’aquesta tecnologia.

En aquest sentit Barcelona està desenvolupant nombrosos projectes per convertir-se en una ciutat connectada, i per això s’estan utilitzant les tecnologies mòbils per donar resposta a les necessitats dels ciutadans per millorar el seu benestar i la seva qualitat de vida.

Dins aquesta lògica, i tenint en compte el creixement de l’ús de dispositius mòbils (en el període de maig a agost, el 9,9% dels accessos als webs de Biblioteques de Barcelona van ser realitzats des de mòbils i el 3,5% des de tablets), les Biblioteques de Barcelona, la xarxa de biblioteques públiques de la ciutat, el 30 d’abril de 2013 va fer el llançament de BibliosBCN, la seva primera app mòbil.

A través d’aquesta aplicació per a mòbils, disponible en iOS i Android, els usuaris poden accedir a la informació de les activitats que es duen a terme a les Biblioteques de Barcelona, poden saber quina biblioteca tenen més a prop, com s’hi arriba, consultar el mapa de totes les biblioteques de la ciutat, els horaris i la informació bàsica.

Tota aquesta informació es pot compartir per SMS, correu electrònic i xarxes socials.

Pel que fa a les activitats, l’aplicació en presenta un llistat de destacades, però els usuaris també poden configurar la seva selecció personal d’actes preferits. Amb l’opció de calendari, a més, poden consultar totes les activitats que es fan un dia concret a qualsevol biblioteca de la ciutat. Imprescindible per conèixer tota l’oferta d’activitats de Biblioteques de Barcelona.

Des que es va posar en funcionament i fins a finals d’agost, l’aplicació ha tingut 2.921 descàrregues, una mitjana de 24 descàrregues diàries. D’aquestes el 47,7% han estat realitzades des de dispositius iOs i el 52,3% des d’Android.

Alguns experts han valorat l’app amb una nota mitjana de 7,6 valorant-ne sobretot el contingut, la funcionalitat, el disseny i la usabilitat. Això la situa en el 13è lloc en una selecció de les millors apps per a Barcelona, una llista formada per prop de 50 apps.

Biblioteques de Barcelona

www.bcn.cat/biblios

www.facebook.com/BibliotequesBCN

twitter.com /BibliotequesBCN

www.youtube.com/user/bibliotequesbcn

www.bibarnabloc.cat

BibliosBCN – The New Mobile App From the Libraries Of Barcelona

The city of Barcelona was designated Mobile World Capital for the period 2012 to 2018. This not only involves the holding of the annual Mobile World Congress in the city, but also the fact that Barcelona aims to take advantage of this opportunity to become a world reference in this technology.

In this sense Barcelona is carrying out numerous projects so as to become a connected city, and for this reason it is using the mobile technologies to respond to the needs of the citizens to improve their welfare and quality of life.

Within this approach, and taking into account the growth of the use of mobile devices (during the period from May to August 2013, 9.9% of the accesses to the websites of Libraries of Barcelona were done from mobiles, and 3.5% from tablets), the Libraries of Barcelona, the network of public libraries of the city launched, on 30^th April 2013, BibliosBCN, its first mobile app.

Through this application for mobiles, available in iOS and Android, the users can access information about the activities being carried out in the Libraries of Barcelona, can know which library is the most nearby, how to get there, consult the map of all the libraries of the city, the opening times and basic information.

All this information can be shared by SMS, email and social networks.

With regard to the activities, the application presents a list of highlights, but the users can also configure their own personal selection of their favourite events. With the option of the calendar, moreover, they can consult all the activities taking place on a specific day in any library of the city. It is essential for knowing the complete offer of activities of the Libraries of Barcelona.

From the moment it began working and until the end of August, the application had 2,921 downloads, an average of 24 downloads a day. Of these, 47.7% were from iOS devices, and 52.3% from Androids.

Some experts have rated the app with an average mark of 7.6, above all rating the contents, the functionality, the design and the usability. This situates it in the 13th position in a selection of the best apps for Barcelona, a list made up of around 50 apps.