There has been a dearth of newsings as the organisation of Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries entered that phase of pinning down details – and as we all know – the devil’s in the detail. For the Libraries Fair on Saturday 8th November, I’m checking: Are there enough tables and chairs booked for the Libraries Fair? Is the publicity reaching all the corners it possibly can? Are the volunteer staff recruited and briefed? etc. etc. Well, we are all set now and when you come to Adam House, this is the layout of the exhibiting services for the Ground Floor and the First Floor. All that remains is to blow up the balloons for the Mobile Library planned to park outside!

For the Festival week, participating services are finalising their arrangements. Indeed, some events have recently been added to the programme as last minute confirmations have come in – the Creative Writing workshop at Napier University, the Old Town Libraries walk scheduled for Wednesday 12th, and an additional walk of the City’s Walls has been programmed due to popular demand. Our attention has also been drawn to an exhibition being held by the Royal Botanic Gardens Library during the Festival week. For more details look at Edinburgh Festival of Libraries website www.edlibfest.org.

The finale public debate on the Future of the Book looks like being good fun as well as bringing some stimulating ideas to the fore. We would like to make a recording of the discussion so as to extend the debate via podcast. I am having several discussions re kinds of mics, staging valance, and procurement of a projection screen – and that is not even touching on the canapes!

Details are important but it is important to see the wood for the trees. For Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries there are over 50 library and information services contributing with a common aim – to showcase their public services and resources. This is an amazing knowledge resource for any city – worth celebrating in fact!