Edinburgh Central Library is located not far from the Frankenstein or the Elephant Cafe, of which I went to both yesterday. It is a rather large 'public' library, complete with a local flavour(artist works) and a sense of humour(see photo The Mad Dalek Tea Party). Our first speaker was Sarah Fortieth, Fiona Myles, and Robin Brown. In a shared discussion, they told us that their library uses multi/dual management systems. This offers both different flavor as well as consistency. The best I can relate this is to the branches of a public library, say Cranston where I am interning this fall, of which has several Rhode Island locations. In 2012, they were awarded a UK award of The Bookseller Industry Awards Winner for Best library Service. After telling us of all the programs and services, this is not surprising. Some of their pillars for progress include change, community, and creativity. They base their goals on "operational"(next generation strategy, performance workshops, extended Saturdays, standards for review, revenur/capital, etc.) "social"(improving range for reach of readers, "Get up and Go" 4th ed., increased number of staff trained to deliver Bookbug, increase in Chatterbooks reading groups, niche reading- read, learn, sing, get involved!) and the "physical"(craig millar, new library of Drumbrae: 2 multi-zoned library facilities with co-located neighborhood hubs, innovative and alternative funding solutions, etc.)
 |
| A Very Mad Dalek Tea Patry. |
There was a brief section on Edinburgh's Digital Public Library, of which I missed Allison's opening because there was a que for the restrooms and, seeing as it was a disabled toilet, we let several people in before us. From what I did catch, they have a fantastic site called Our Town Stories, which is storytelling meets history in an interactive manner. From what we saw, it is a site I want to explore in my off time on my iPad- the source of all my assignments. They also had Your Edinburgh, E-Magazine work(71 titles), and Your Library. In this new generation of learners, their aim is to 1)engage, 2) keep up with the technology 3) online displays/upkeep, and 4) discover how they want to learn. The library is a community hub that seeks to be flexible, open and connected, meet people. The main concern is to keep the public in the know. They then told us about a Dyslexic project revolving around Maggie Moon which is a venue that extends, uses ambassadors at events, and gets them involved. You can see their projects on YouTube and their social media projects are so advanced, but this is possible when these areas have someone working on them.
In the afternoon, we went to the New College of the University of Edinburgh. Sheila Dunn and Eleanor were our speakers. Before New College, an academic library that meets the needs of the Divinity school, it was a church. You can see the windows inside, stained glass with scenes of various religious tales. In 1936, the library began; the pews were recycled as shelves, in 2005 outlets and wifi were added, and there are three stacks of storage. They have a budget of about 52000 pounds a year, most going towards online purchases such as electronic journals, and a seasonable donation from the Church of Scotland as well. The way Sheila puts it, they are well provided for. For 50 pounds a year, you can be a member and have access to their items as well as one level of books. Their oldest item seems to be a 15th Century Medieval Manuscript, but their most prized is a first edition King James Bible. They keep ledgers, an online catalog, make most purchases from staff recommendations, hold an annual book sale(this helps weeding and is allowed by the larger library), and they hold exhibitions as well as allow visitors in. They aren't necessarily on a consortium, though they are part of The Union of Theological and Philosophical Scheme. Also, oddly enough, they use the Library of Congress classification system.
In the evening, I played pool and darts with some library classmates and a few locals. Of darts, we taught them a new way to play and they found it, maybe not better but certainly, more fun than their normal game. It was a good last night out in Dalkeith, as I will be spending the last few nights in Edinburgh and beginning my mini break. Dalkeith, of which I have wandered the ground to see the old structures and the animals, is a fantastic place to stay.
No comments:
Post a Comment