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Socially Responsible i-Conferencing by Cindy Fu, Alison Hicks and Elizabeth Lomas
By Ian Evans, on 6 April 2020
iConference 2020, which took place in March 23-27 2020, had been planned as a standard international conference to be hosted in Sweden. However, due to the coronavirus, rather than delegates flying into Sweden or alternatively cancelling, it was successfully moved online. The coronavirus pandemic brings challenges but also innovative ways of communicating and reconsidering academic discourse and practices. The iConference organizers responded quickly to this situation and the Conference was transitioned to an all-virtual form in less than two weeks.
Our PhD student, Cindy Fu, engaged in the programme, as a speaker with her supervisor Dr Elizabeth Lomas (Associate Professor in Information Governance), in a session for interaction and engagement, which was held by Zoom. A conference organiser was online at all times to ensure the technology was working. Cindy and Elizabeth’s session focused on, “putting information behaviour on the cognitive map: exploring information seeking behaviours of academic researchers”. It was aimed at engaging participants with a mapping technique called cognitive mapping, and exploring their information seeking behaviour in the research context, Cindy has used cognitive mapping within her PhD research to consider UCL student information seeking behaviours. She has supplemented the mapping with log analysis and interviews. This particular iConference session was set up as a workshop with activities, which did require some additional thinking and planning with the move online. 25 people logged on. Cindy took the lead in the session, presenting on the development of cognitive mapping in terms of its origin, development, approaches and examples of how it has been applied in research. In this workshop, participants were then set a mapping exercise, which gave them a chance to interact and actively think about this approach. They were required to provide a map, which could include, text or drawings of their information seeking behaviour as an academic researcher. Every two minutes, Cindy called out to change the colour of the pen being used. This enabled the progression of a participant’s thoughts to be visualized. Participants then uploaded and discussed their maps and the value and limitations of this approach. Below is an example of Cindy’s own map (figure 1).
Figure 1: An example of Cindy’s map of her information seeking behavior for research.
Having shared maps, participants could put up a virtual hand up to speak or type comments into the chat function which Elizabeth then monitored and read out. A number of the participants discussed how they might apply this approach within their own research. The workshop format proved to be just as viable online as a normal face-to-face session. The distinction was that participants could choose to be less visible in their participation if they wished. There have been follow up questions since the session and for those that are interested Cindy (yaming.fu.17@ucl.ac.uk) is happy to be emailed and to share her slides.
Dr Alison Hicks, Lecturer in the Department of Information Science, also contributed to the 2020 virtual iconference programme. Together with a colleague from the University of Copenhagen, she successfully led a workshop, Transition in user-centred information studies – the what, why and how?, which focused on exploring the concept of transition and its potential impact on human-centred information research. Lively discussion followed on from short presentations that explored the ways in which transition has been examined within Library and Information Science research, as over 30 people logged in to collaborate and interact with participants from around the globe. Alison also presented a paper that was co-authored with UCL colleague, Professor Annemaree Lloyd. Their short paper, Peeling back the layers: Deconstructing information literacy discourse in higher education, employed a discourse analysis method to explore the outward and inward-facing narratives of information literacy that are present within key professional texts. This paper forms part of a larger research programme that aims to critically interrogate the epistemological premises and discourses of information literacy within higher education. Overall, Alison found that the online presentation format was very successful; she enjoyed seeing who was present at her session as well as the
opportunity to ask questions orally and through the chat text box. While the time zone restrictions meant that she was not able to attend all the sessions that she wanted to, overall, she found that thanks to the impressive efforts of the hosts, the programme was stimulating, accessible and well-thought through.
This was a unique experience and one that may be considered for conference formats post-coronavirus.
Congratulations to recently graduated LIS Students! By Alison Hicks
By Ian Evans, on 25 March 2020
Congratulations to recently graduated LIS Students!
Two recently graduated Library and Information Studies students received good news this week!
Verity Attwell (MA 2018) has had an article based on her MA dissertation accepted for publication in School Libraries Worldwide, “In all areas, I cater to the majority”: An investigation of LGBT+ provision in school libraries from the librarian’s perspective.” Verity is a school librarian at Fettes College, Edinburgh and her dissertation focused on LGBTQ+ representation in school library collections and activities.
Ellen Haggar (MA 2018) has had an article based on her MA dissertation accepted for publication in the Journal of Documentation, “Fighting Fake News: Exploring George Orwell’s Relationship to Information Literacy.” Ellen is a Research and Outreach Librarian at Institution of Mechanical Engineers and her dissertation focused on analysing Orwell’s wartime diaries through the lens of information literacy.
Congratulations to Verity and Ellen.
Alison
A note on the ‘institution of a School for the training of Librarians’ at University College London by Professor Elizabeth Shepherd
By Ian Evans, on 24 September 2019
In November 1917, the President of the Library Association, Sir John MacAlister, wrote to the Provost of UCL ‘to enquire whether it would be possible to institute at University College a School of Librarianship…to be established in co-operation with the Library Association’. The London School of Economics had offered a course in librarianship in co-operation with the Library Association (LA) between 1902 and 1915, but that had lapsed during the War. The arrangement had been that the LA paid the fees of the lecturers whom they also recommended, while the LSE provided teaching space and other expenses, however, initial healthy numbers dwindled to 3 or 6 students by 1915. After some further discussions, a proposal was sent to the Professorial Board, which set up a Committee to confer with the Library Association. The Committee reported positively on the proposal on 22 March 2018, having reassured itself that the LSE did not propose to resume its earlier course. The Director of the LSE concluded that ‘the number of new recruits to librarianship…was so small as to preclude any hope of making an institution of the kind successful’.
Recommendations went to the College Committee, ‘that it is desirable to institute a School for Librarianship at University College, provided that the necessary Endowment Fund is forthcoming’. The Library Association had been in communication with the Carnegie Trustees seeking an annual grant to support the School which was ‘receiving their sympathetic consideration’. A Joint Sub-Committee between UCL and the LA was invited to prepare a scheme for submission to the UCL Committee. The ambition was to have ‘something founded upon the lines that will enable it to develop into a University School of librarianship comparable with the great Schools of Librarianship in the United States’.
The proposal was to establish a staff comprising a Director, a Secretary, and Teaching Staff in four core areas of study, ie Bibliography, Classification, Cataloguing, Library History, Organisation and Routine. Special courses would also be provided in Literary History, Palaeography and the Study of Archives, and Indexing. The LA proposed to transfer its extensive library of ‘Technical Library Literature’ to UCL. The Carnegie Trust agreed to fund the School for five years initially at the rate of £1500 per annum. The scheme was approved by the University of London Senate and the plan was to start teaching in October 1919.
In June 1919, UCL College Committee approved a statement of the duties and terms of appointment of the Director of the School of Librarianship and agreed to appoint Dr E A Baker, Secretary to the Education Committee of the LA and on the Joint Committee. A row then erupted between the University Senate and the LA, after the LA Council passed a resolution disapproving of Baker’s appointment and insisting that the Directorship be advertised. It seems that some members of the LA had hoped to start a school at a northern university and were seeking to derail the UCL proposal. However, after reconsideration and lawyers’ letters, the University and UCL prevailed and Dr Baker’s appointment was confirmed in August 1919. Sir Frederick Kenyon was invited to deliver the address at the opening of the School of Librarianship in October 1919.
In its first decade, 387 full time and 289 part time students completed courses, some sponsored by local education authorities such as London County Council which sponsored 50 places for London librarians. The School expanded to occupy most of the Henry Morley Building at UCL. The Carnegie Trust renewed its grant for a second five year period. In 1930, UCL started to fund raise for a capital investment of £50,000 to secure the School’s future.
Elizabeth Shepherd
Sources:
UCL Special Collections, Records Office UCLCA/CC: UCL Minutes of College Committee, 17/10/1917 to 2/07/1918, Meeting 5/03/1918; Meeting 30/04/1918; Meeting 3/06/1919.
University of London Library: University Correspondence Central File, 1918-1919 CF 1/19/208, including letters from Carnegie Trust.
University of London Library: UL 3/7, miscellaneous papers on the School of Librarianship, 1901-1930.
Congratulations to Simons Cloudesley and Justine Humphreys,
By Ian Evans, on 14 November 2018
Congratulations to Simons Cloudesley and Justine Humphreys, students on the MA in LIS programme, whose work with the Refugee Echo Library this summer has been recognised in the CILIP Information Professional Magazine. Simon and Justine’s travel was funded by the Dean’s Strategic Fund at UCL. To learn more about their work in Greece, please follow the link to the article:
Article: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/information-studies/sites/information-studies/files/infopro_oct18_pp40-43.pdf
Cover: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/information-studies/sites/information-studies/files/infopro_cover_oct18.pdf
What would the country look like under proportional representation?
By Oliver W Duke-Williams, on 11 May 2015
The 2015 UK General Election was most notable for producing a result – a Conservative majority – that few had predicted. Perhaps the second most discussed aspect has been the difference between the amount of votes gained by smaller parties, and the number of seats that they won. Between them Ukip and the Green Party won about 5million votes, but just 2 seats.
It’s possible to use published voting results to redraw the country as if proportional respresention was in play, with each party being awarded a number of seats based on the proportion of the overall vote that they gained.
Safeguarded flow data sets from the 2011 Census
By Oliver W Duke-Williams, on 3 December 2014
New flow data sets from the 2011 Census of Population are being made available by the Office for National Statistics for the first time today via the FlowData website and other sources. FlowData is part of the Census Support, a value-added part of the UK Data Service; the flowdata team are Oliver Duke-Williams and Vassilis Routsis, of the Department of Information Studies at UCL.
Flow data – also known as interaction data or origin-destination data – are a specialised form of data about flows of people between two locations. These include migration flows between an origin and a destination, and journey-to-work flows between a residence and a workplace.
Team Europe Research Project 03 (2013-14): UCL
By Ian Evans, on 1 September 2014
The Role of the Records Manager in an Open Government Environment in the UK
Think of the potential social justices, innovations and developments in a world where there is greater government transparency, participation, accessibility and accountability. In April 2014 I was given the outstanding opportunity to contribute to research, which will help to lead to such developments. I am an InterPARES Trust researcher at the Department of Information Studies, UCL currently conducting a project, which is part of fundamental ongoing research into Open Data, Open Government and access to information. The central aim of the project is to consider the role of recordkeepers in the context of new obligations on UK government bodies towards open government, open data and enabling greater information access to citizens. We are particularly interested the proactive release of data and information by public sector organizations under the provisions of open government initiatives.The Open Government Data and access to public sector information environment in the UK and Europe in particular, is being transformed and therefore throws up questions about the roles and responsibilities of the professionals who are engaged in delivering services to citizens. Recordkeeping policy on access and the legislative and regulatory frameworks need to be clarified and the role of the recordkeeper within this framework needs to be examined.
The lead researchers for the project are Doctor Andrew Flinn and Professor Elizabeth Shepherd, who can be contacted with any further questions about the research project on the following email addresses: a.flinn@ucl.ac.uk, e.shepherd@ucl.ac.uk
For the complete version of this blog post, please refer to the following link: http://www.irms.org.uk/irms-blog/entry/open-government-data-research
UCL and King’s College London lead Academic Book of the Future Project
By Ian Evans, on 26 August 2014
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the British Library are launching a two-year research project which will explore the future of academic books in the context of open access publishing and continuing digital change.
Dr Samantha Rayner, Director of the Centre for Publishing at the University College London (UCL) will lead the project ‘Communities of Practice: The Academic Book of the Future’. Alongside colleagues Simon Tanner and Professor Marilyn Deegan from King’s College London and Nick Canty from UCL. See full details.
Linked Open Bibliographic Data: Creating an Open, Linked and Interactive Educational Resource for Bibliographic Data
By Anne Welsh, on 25 July 2014
A team from DIS has been awarded an Elearning Development Grant (ELDG) from UCL ELE (E-Learning Environments) to develop a linked open data bibliographic dataset based on BIBFRAME, the new standard for bibliographic records. Being based on RDF – the standard metadata language for the Web – BIBFRAME enables semantically interlinking bibliographic datasets on the Web, and improves the interaction with web users by enabling them to access, retrieve and update bibliographic records online. The aim of this project is to develop a BIBFRAME dataset as an Open Educational Resource, which will help students learn the new standard in an interactive way, and in the same time become familiar with state-of-the art web technologies.
A key component of ELDG projects is student involvement, and we are currently recruiting a student systems developer to work alongside Dr Antonis Bikakis and Anne Welsh to carry out programming work and develop content. Later in the project, they will receive guidance from Simon Mahony on the creation of Open Education Resources. Dr Charlie Inskip will work with a group of students to devise and implement iterative evaluation strategies for the project.
There has been a great deal of interest in BIBFRAME within the UK cataloguing community. We will be looking for experienced practitioners to test the resource in 2015. If you are a cataloguer who is interested in testing, you can let yourself be known to Anne Welsh at the Cataloguing and Indexing Group conference in Canterbury in September, or watch LIS-UKBIBS for invitations to focus groups and to the dissemination activities at the end of the project.
The Linked Open Bibliographic Data team are: Dr Antonis Bikakis (Project Lead), Anne Welsh (Project Coordinator), Simon Mahony and Dr Charlie Inskip.
We would like to thank Dr Rob Miller (DIS Head of Department) and Dr Mira Vogel (Faculty Elearning Facilitator) for their encouragement.
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Second David Tebbutt Scholarship Announced
By Ian Evans, on 21 July 2014
We are proud to announce that Faber and Faber and UCL have awarded the second David Tebbutt scholarship to Helen Hughes, currently in her final year studying English, history and creative writing at the National University of Ireland in Galway. The Scholarship was established in memory of the late David Tebbutt, Finance Director of Faber and Faber from 2002 until his untimely death in September 2011.
The UCL David Tebbutt Scholarship is awarded annually, to fully fund a place on the UCL MA in Publishing programme. The scholarship is funded by the David Tebbutt Trust, which is jointly administered by Faber and Faber and the Tebbutt family. The principal aim of the Trust is to further the education of those wishing to pursue a career in the publishing, writing and information industries, and related fields of activity. As well as funding a full year’s fees, the scholarship also carries a guaranteed work placement with Faber and Faber.
More information on the prize can be found http://www.ucl.ac.uk/publishing/how-to-apply
Please contact Dr Samantha Rayner for more details: s.rayner@ucl.ac.uk