Library Association of Ireland Annual Report and Membership Register 2011
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Library Association of Ireland Cumann Leabharlann na hÉireann Annual Report 2011 WITH MEMBERSHIP LIST The Library Association of Ireland Cumann Leabharlann na hÉireann c/o 138-144 Pearse Street Dublin 2 Annual Report 2011 ©The Library Association of Ireland 2012 ISSN: 0791-6248 www.libraryassociation.ie Design by David Cooke Printed by Dual Print Contents List of Abbreviations 4 Children and Youth Affairs: Submission List of Useful Websites 4 to the Department’s first Statement Foreword 5 of Strategy, 2011–2014 25 Honorary Officers & Executive Board 7 Library Ireland Week 2011 25 Honorary Officers 2010-2012 7 Library Ireland Week 2012 26 Executive Board 2011-2012 7 Arts, Sport and Tourism: Submission for Developing the Profession 8 Department’s Statement of Strategy Professional Standards 8 2011-2013 27 Employment Support for Members 9 Protecting cultural heritage: Irish Blue International Accreditation for Irish Shield Committee 27 Professional Qualifications 9 Libraries supporting Creativity in Older Age: Current Status of Health Librarianship and The Bealtaine Festival 27 Libraries in Ireland 9 Public Libraries Development 28 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 10 Supporting Co-operation between Libraries 29 CPD Events 10 EBLIDA 29 CDP Online 11 Committee on Library Co-operation in Ireland Fellowship and Associateship Awards 12 (COLICO) 29 Joint Conference 2011 with CILIP Ireland 13 North–South Liaison Committee 29 Annual General Meeting 2011 15 IFLA Health and Biosciences Section Resolutions Passed at the meeting for Standing Committee 29 action by the Executive Board 15 Nominees and Members of Committees Communications 18 of External Bodies with which the Publications 18 Association is engaged 30 Communications Policy and Procedures 18 Attendance at Conferences 30 Website Development 18 Groups and Sections 31 Current Awareness: Leabharlann-e 18 The Academic & Special Libraries Section Research and Development: (A&SL) 31 An Leabharlann : The Irish Library 18 Cataloguing and Metadata Group (CMG) 32 Management and Administration 19 County and City Librarians’ Section (CCLS) 32 Finance and General Purposes – Genealogy and Local Studies Group (GenLoc) 33 Administration 19 Government Libraries Section (GLS) 35 3 Revision of the Memorandum and Articles Health Sciences Libraries Group (HSLG) 36 of Association 19 Meitheal Oibre na Gaeilge 37 Business Development Plan 2011–2014 20 Munster Regional Section 37 Participants on Association Task Forces, Prison Libraries Group (PrLG) 37 Working Groups, Panels and Committees 20 Public Libraries’ Section 38 Committees of the Executive Board 21 Rare Books Group (RBG) 38 Functions attended by the President 21 Western Regional Section (WRSLAI) 40 Advocacy for the Development and Promotion Youth Libraries Group (YLG) 41 of High Standards in Library and Information Membership 42 Services 22 Acknowledgements 42 Dissolution of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna 22 Membership List 2011 43 Submissions on Copyright and Related Personal Members 43 Matters 23 Institutional Members 46 Response to National Strategy for Higher Register of Library Association of Ireland Education to 2030 (Hunt Report) 23 Award Holders 46 Information Literacy 23 Fellows of the Library Association of Ireland Literacy and Numeracy: library contribution (including Hon FLAI) 46 to Government Strategy, 2011–2020 24 Associates of the Library Association of Services for Children: Children’s Book Ireland 46 Festival 24 Appendix – Organisation of the Association 48 List of Abbreviations List of Useful Websites The following abbreviations are used Library Association of Ireland within the text of the report: www.libraryassociation.ie CILIP Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals An Chomhairle Leabharlanna COLICO Committee for Library www.librarycouncil.ie Co-operation in Ireland CILIP Ireland DCU Dublin City University www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/regional-branches/ HRB Health Research Board ireland/pages/default.aspx HSE Health Service Executive LAI Library Association of Ireland Committee for Library Cooperation in Ireland LISC Library and Information Services Council (COLICO) www.librarycouncil.ie/colico/ NUIG National University of Ireland Galway European Bureau of Library, Information and NUIM National University of Ireland Documentation Associations (EBLIDA) Maynooth www.eblida.org NLI National Library of Ireland PRONI Public Records Office Northern International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Ireland www.ifla.org RIA Royal Irish Academy RCSI Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland RDS Royal Dublin Society TCD Trinity College Dublin UCC University College Cork UCD University College Dublin UCD SILS University College Dublin, 4 School of Information and Library Studies UL University of Limerick Foreword 2011 was an interesting year. to support increasingly well educated and demanding In our transforming society, the nature of work citizens. Competence requires deliberate action. For and the ways in which it is being undertaken are personal development, the Association offers contact diverse and ever-changing. Application of new tech- with peers and potential mentors, access to expertise nologies offers new models for participation. Another and experience and collegiality. The Library driver of change is the current economic environment Association of Ireland can be as dynamic as its where public service through direct employment is members make it. Those of us who recognise the contracting, to be replaced if at all by shared services, essential role it plays in sustaining professional devel- out-sourcing, and collaborations with private industry opment and in positioning information management that may offer short-term, contract and project skills within society must advocate persuasively, employment. While these changes create challenges including among our work colleagues, for their for us all, they are perhaps most significant now for involvement. Those of us in the position to do so must two groups of library professionals. Recent graduates ensure that our employing institutions also are seek to develop their CVs and career portfolios with members. By doing so, those institutions also as extensive a range of experiences as possible. acknowledge at corporate level the relevance of the Librarians established in public service may see their library role to organisational development and the potential career paths there diminished as organisation’s responsibility to support library devel- government policies reduce management structures opment to sustain its own continuing relevance. and opportunities for promotion. The Association has been active in its advocacy role However, the need for information services throughout the year. Work has been undertaken at remains. Delivery methods for service achievement sectional, institutional and individual levels. Content are secondary. New models for professional practice has addressed protection, policy, development and are possible. For emerging professionals the services initiation. Success depends upon the quality Taskforce on Employment Support has reported with of arguments, their realism and accuracy as well as a range of resources for employers and a series of vision. Arguments for action at national level require recommendations, all accepted, that are receiving evidence and credibility at services levels. Some immediate attention. The provision of a flexible library sectors are visible because of scale and skilled profession is a personal as well as a collective longevity: their credibility is supported by evidence. responsibility. Its development is addressed within A range of performance indicators may be imposed the Association through a renewed focus on profes- by parent structures. Others are developed internally 5 sional standards and continuing professional devel- but applied countrywide within the sector to opment. Its achievement must be managed also measure achievement. The public library network within our individual professional practice through and university libraries are two obvious examples. our personal investment in ourselves and through our For some emerging sectors this evidence base is support for colleagues where we practice and developing. In this regard, important ground-clearing throughout the profession at large. work has been undertaken by the Health Sciences Membership of the Association has declined by Libraries Group whose research report will be c.25% during 2011. This has to be a concern to all of launched in early 2012. us. The Association is a fundamental resource for However, for a range of disparate, often small protection and development of the profession. libraries, lack of scale and diversity of clients can Ambition for the contribution we can make to society undermine visibility unless deliberate action is taken. and development of new opportunities requires Solo librarians in particular are challenged to manage competent and engaged practitioners. A committed effectively and must make time to ‘measure what community of librarians is essential to the survival of matters’ from the perspective of those who can our profession, particularly now when new roles decide the fate of their services. Isolation can be within the information world are emerging and when undermined by collaborating or clustering with servic- ICT & information skills form part of the skills base of es of common interest. Many models exist for adap- so many other professions and trades. As information tation and a wealth of experience is available.