“Save the date” CONUL Teaching and Learning Seminar

Sphere – Trinity College Dublin http://bit.ly/1jkCdFi (Photo: D. de Haan)

***Posted on behalf of Mary Antonesa, Senior Librarian for Learning and Research Information Services, The Library, NUI Maynooth***

This is a “Save the date” reminder of an exciting seminar run by the CONUL Teaching and Learning sub-committee! Traditionally they run a seminar in May/June with a focus on information literacy in theory and in practice with a mixture of practical PechaKucha sessions and formal key note sessions. This year they will run the event on June 10th in the same venue as last year; the Trinity Long Room Hub at Trinity College Dublin. Further information will follow and could people please contact Mary Antonesa with any queries.

Walk on Wednesdays

Shadows & Sunlight – creative thoughts abound … Setting: St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth (Photo:B.Gardiner)

Our WOW Group in the library at NUI Maynooth was officially four years old last Thursday 24th April, 2014. The day passed unnoticed so it was especially interesting and timely at the weekend when my colleague Marie alerted me to the following article about walking. May Wong writes in Stanford News/Stanford Report, April 24th, 2014 about discoveries made by Stanford researchers linking walking and creativity.

“Stanford researchers found that walking boosts creative inspiration. They examined creativity levels of people while they walked versus while they sat. A person’s creative output increased by an average of 60 percent when walking.” (Wong, 2014)

The article reminded me of a comment my colleague Della made in a previous Walk on Wednesday post when she said:

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” (Della, 2014)

The article certainly reiterates this sentiment. It is makes for interesting reading and it surely would inspire you to keep walking. The full study is published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition and is available as a PDF if you wish to read it.
So back to our experience here in the library, we have the added benefit of having a ready-made peaceful walking trail on our doorstep, as you can see from the photo included in this post. We definitely return to work after our walks in better form and feeling glad that we ventured out, regardless of the unpredictable Irish weather. On reflection we only had to walk in snow once during the four years so that’s not a bad record! So finally just to wish my follow walkers a belated Happy Birthday, looking forward to our walk today and here’s to many happy and creative walks over the next few years.

Wait a minute, maybe I can do that too?

Often you want to try something but you are just not sure, well please read the piece below from my colleague Padraic who was recently awarded Associateship of the Library Association of Ireland. His sentiments reflect a lot of what we as people often feel. We are often afraid to try because we are afraid of failure but in the words of John Wayne …
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.” John Wayne
I hope at a later date to include in this blog some more stories from other people who have also been through this experience. In the meantime please read on ….

Jane Cantwell (centre) presented Padraic Stack and Regina Richardson with, respectively, Associateship and Fellowship of the LAI Photo: (http://bit.ly/1hNV9Yb)

***Posted on behalf of Padraic Stack, Digital Humanities Support Officer, NUI Maynooth***

I applied for the Associateship in 2014.
The application form itself is relatively straightforward, is similar to a job recruitment form and can be filled fairly easily from a recent c.v. It provides space to list your professional education / qualifications and your practical experience – essentially your professional career history. There is also a requirement to provide the names of two referees.
The rest of the application consists of a brief professional Development Report and “such other supporting documentary evidence as may be considered relevant”. I wondered what would be appropriate or required here and think I postponed applying a couple of times because I didn’t know. In the end I enclosed a list of continuing professional development activities I had undertaken since my graduation.

I would encourage others to apply – it gives you the chance to reflect on your career to date and to examine areas you might like to develop. It’s a slightly cringe worthy exercise talking about yourself and your achievements but that’s the worst aspect of the application process.

“In It Together: Responding to National Initiatives”

BMA House – Have you registered to attend the M25 Consortium Annual Conference? (Photo: en.wikipedia.org3264 × 2448 Google Images)

Bookings are open for the M25 Consortium Annual Conference. One Day Event:Tuesday 29th April, 2014. This year the conference will take place in the beautiful surroundings of BMA House in Tavistock Square and it promises to be a fascinating day. This poster gives further details of the programme and how to book.

Walk on Wednesdays

Anyone thinking of Daffodils that wonderful poem by William Wordsworth? (Photo: By rollingroscoe MorgueFile)

The challenge after returning to work following a bank holiday weekend is to remember that you started the working week on Tuesday so Wednesday has come around a lot quicker than expected. Check out some of the walks the walking group in the library in NUI Maynooth have participated in over the past few years. The Liz McDonnell 5K Cross Country Run.
Don’t panic you don’t have to run necessarily. You can walk this 5K while enjoying the beautiful grounds of Castletown House all the while feeling really good about the fact that you are walking for such a worthwhile charity as ARC Cancer Care Support Ireland. Details for the 2014 5K are not yet available but we hope to support it again this year.
Interestingly the NUI Maynooth Archive and Research Centre is located on the second floor of Castletown House in Celbridge, Co. Kildare.
This facility marks an exciting new collaboration between the Office of Public Works and the National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Sorry I digress, so back to the subject of walking and our experience here in the library, the Maynooth 10K offered a great opportunity to challenge ourselves. Once again relax you can walk this one too! Some of the course includes the wonderful grounds of Carton House. Who knows you may even spot a well know golfer or rugby player as you stride through this pretty stretch of Maynooth. It is not too late to register if you want to take part in the Maynooth 10K.

Almost time to say goodbye to the daffodils until they can delight us again next spring! (Setting: College Grounds, Maynooth) (Photo: B. Gardiner)

All proceeds will go towards the development of all-weather facilities on Moyglare Road in conjunction with Maynooth GAA.

Best of luck to all those taking part in this year’s event. Happy walking or perhaps more appropriately for this particular walk happy celebrity spotting. Enjoy.

A short review of the Annual LAI/CILIP Ireland Joint Conference and Exhibition 2014

***Posted on behalf of Marie G. Cullen, MLIS, PGDHE, ALAI Assistant Librarian, JPII Library, NUI Maynooth***

My colleague Marie kindly agreed to share her review of the recent Annual LAI/CILIP Ireland Joint Conference and Exhibition held in the beautiful city of Waterford in the sunny south east of Ireland. Waterford City Council Library Service hosted the conference this year. Marie along with Helen Fallon our Deputy Librarian here in the library in NUI Maynooth presented at this conference. Please enjoy Marie’s interesting account of this event below.

*’How many of you have a screwdriver in your desk?’ (Photo: MorgueFile)

A short review of the Annual LAI/CILIP Ireland Joint Conference and Exhibition 2014:
Seizing opportunities, leading change, facing challenges, taking the initiative, transforming the way we do things.
Thursday 10th and Friday 11th April 2014 Tower Hotel, Waterford
The conference was attended by delegates from a range of organisations including public, academic and health libraries. The programme covered a wide and interesting range of topics, including resilience, blogging, using social media, building a DIY book scanner and dealing with change.
One of the workshops I attended was facilitated by Rebecca Davies and was entitled ‘Library and Information Competencies Further Explored’. Rebecca asked participants to give one example of things they do, that they never thought they would be doing. Examples included undertaking ‘Safe Pass’ training (required to allow access to a construction site), singing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ while holding a cuddly toy and liaising with a move management company.
In addition to the plenary presentations and workshops the conference was an excellent opportunity to network with delegates from a variety of library organisations and a range of library suppliers.
Overall the conference was an enjoyable professional and social occasion and the city of Waterford was a lovely place to visit.
Check out tweets from the conference and read Martin O’Connor‘s review of the conference.

Check out details of the conference programme

*Rebecca Davies Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student and Staff Services at Aberystwyth University asked participants at her workshop ‘How many of you have a screwdriver in your desk?’ Based on a show of hands the majority of the 20 or so participants did.