Newsing from the Cabin – 3

Back from annual leave and raring to go – breaks away do marvels for putting things into perspective and the view of Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries is looking good. I’m afraid I couldn’t help myself and during my wanderings across the southern Russian steppes I came across a library or two. This library is Kazan State University Library, a marvellously ornate building in Art Nouveau style and stuffed full of plants.

A couple of thousand kilometres later, whilst sauntering up the lovely pedestrianised Pushinskyia Street in Rostov-in-Don – in 45degrees Centigrade, we came across this extraordinary building. This is the Karl Marx public library and not built in the Soviet era as I thought but in about 2003 – just look at the scale!

Enough of holidays and on to the development of the Festival of Libraries I attach here the listings to date LISTINGS 29th July – more details tomorrow and in the next issue of TACIT

Newsings

Newsings
14:26, July 29th 2008

Newsings from the Cabin – 2

it was probably bad timing to start a blog and then head off on annual leave as I am about to do – but then – when is it a good time to start a blog? Probably when you have something to say and you feel impelled to speak … and there is plenty to say.

Since last posting, the Festival Planning team has met. I have to make the point that whilst the people on this team have responsibilities to support their own services’ representation in the Festival of Libraries,  their presence and input into the planning is on a voluntary basis – Christine, Brenda, Anne, Carol, Anna and Iain – we salute you! We are feeling a lot more positive about the programme of events after a somewhat rocky start. It has been an uphill struggle to get some key institutions to move from promises in principle to specific commitment. There are now over 24 services on board – the National Library of Scotland has scheduled the Muriel Spark Society Annual Lecture with Alan Taylor, to co-incide with the Festival on Wednesday 12th November.

The latest proposal has come from Edinburgh University Library Special Collections – there are some very interesting ideas hatching there that will allow the public to have a tour and talk about some of the treasures held.

Christine and I sashayed from the Cabin into the New Town to visit Elmwood – a design and marketing company specialising in brand strategy http://www.elmwood.co.uk/flash/?#/home/. They had been put onto the Festival of Libraries trail through the Melbourne Writers Festival who had confused us with Edinburgh’s International Book Festival – of course!! Nevertheless, it was inspirational for us to meet the Elmwood people and we hope that they were interested in our brave new venture. We did find out that to employ the services of such a company is not entirely out of our sector’s reach and to devise a brand strategy for Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries could be our key to huge success. We have established a visual branding for this year that we are very pleased with and this year will be laying the foundation for the event. It might be interesting next year, to take a particular strand targeted at a specific group of people we want to reach and to develop this as a project with a brand strategy.  Anyway, have a look at Elmwood’s work http://www.weareserious.co.uk/news.asp?NEWS_ID=2 and see brand strategy at work.

There’s plenty of creative stuff out there if you go and look for it, but it also comes into the Cabin as well. MK from Central Library came to discuss a very exciting possibility for showcasing their Enquire service (described in an issue of TACIT) by giving the public a chance to have live chat with a well-known figure through the library service. They are working in partnership with OCLC on this http://www.oclc.org/uk/en/default.htm. I also had a visit from DS who is a trainee library officer brimming with interesting ideas. She wanted to see whether there was potential for letting people contribute anonymously and creatively to an end product in a library setting – she started from an idea based on the game “Consequences”. After our discussion, we have a kernel of an idea to get people moving around the exhibits at the Libraries Fair to be held on Saturday 8th November – watch this space as they say.

There’s loads more happening but now I am going to empty my in-box so that it can take all the ideas and suggestions from you dear reader, for further contributions to Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries.

Newsings

Newsings
08:02, July 9th 2008

Newsings from the Cabin – 1

The Cabin is busting with news but how to tell you about it? In spite of being a neo-Luddite, and with an inbuilt aversion to blogs, I have to admit that the blog format, and the magic of Wordpress, make this current venture an obvious solution. I am therefore proposing to post regularly on this spot, all the latest developments in the organising of Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries 2008. This will mean that I will have to wear a health warning around my neck as anything you say to me may be taken and incorporated. (I do not hold out much hope for my psychological well-being when this job is done as most people feel guilty when they see me – I am always asking for contributions to TACIT and for volunteers – now they are also going to be editing their conversations). However- Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries 2008 is fast becoming a reality – yet much of its fabric at present is positive principles and ideas. You will therefore appreciate that it is very difficult to write reports, updates etc. as there is often good progress but nothing concrete to report. Through this blog, I intend to keep you updated with the current ideas and developments, together with the increasing numbers of commitments. The Purpose? To encourage anyone reading this to get involved – as a professional, as a potential punter. I also hope – possibly vainly – that you will feel able to post comments – answers to my questions – feedback on ideas – suggestions for further exploration – and dare I say it ….. offers of help!!! At the risk of overloading you with information, have a look at the draft listings to date, please post any comments, queries, suggestions. Edinburgh’s Festival of Libraries 2008 – Draft Listing

Newsings

Newsings
20:30, July 1st 2008