EMPATIC News No 3: July - September 2011

EC Approval of Progress Report

The overall assessment of progress was high, with an average score of 80%. Two areas were identified for improvement:

• project website: which was found to be traditional in format and the project goal of being a one-stop-shop portal was not yet in place;
• dissemination activities should be reinforced for the remaining project lifetime. 

MDR took on the responsibility to give high priority to enhancement of the website.
It was also agreed that all project partners should capture everything written/involved in EMPATIC. The Dissemination Plan would be strengthened to include:

• case study involvement;
• linking to or listing of additional conferences and workshops where EMPATIC has been showcased;
• publication of papers from workshops where possible;
• use of Slideshare.

Validation workshops

Each sector workshop had been highly successful, not only in bringing together practitioners with policy makers but also in validating the ‘transversal’ (ie multisectoral) nature of EMPATIC.

Full details of each workshop programme, speakers, presentations and conclusions can be found from http://empat-ic.eu/eng/EMPATIC-Events/International-Workshop-Adult-Lifelong-Learning-Sector

Outcomes from the workshops now being acted upon include:

• Identification and extraction of the main learning from each workshop that needs to be shared;
• documentation of the contribution of the workshops to IL in each country; 
• finalization of each of the case studies;
• documentation and incorporation of ‘life experiences’ in EMPATIC.

A full report of the validation process will be provided from http://empat-ic.eu/eng/Reports when it becomes available.

Resource Development

One of the most important aspects of EMPATIC is preparation of resources that can be used to engage policy makers.

It was agreed that the advocacy docs need to be succinct and that one sheet only formats for each sector would probably be the most appropriate, to include a statement defining IL, its importance to the sector, identification of good practice examples and suggestions of ways forward to implementation.

In summary, the format should include: Why, Who, What, How together with a Recommendation for Action.

Other advocacy materials should identify and extract the main learning from each workshop that needs to be shared, document the contribution of the workshops to IL in each country and
document and incorporate ‘life experiences’.

Exploitation Strategy

The EMPATIC partner, the Institute of Information and Library Science Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland is to develop an end of project exploitation strategic plan, to include:

• what steps can be taken for continued sustainability and impact of EMPATIC;
• specific recommendations to policy makers;
• a consultation exercise one-month prior to end of activity conference;
• the final conference.

Going forwards, EMPATIC needs to identify an institution/organization with at least one person available who can be committed to maintain and update activities e.g. the website, the stakeholder database group, and support a specific community of interest.

All partners and other interested institutions are asked to think about all possibilities as continuation of EMPATIC is not just a technical matter but requires sustained professional commitment, input and activity.

Information Literacy News

National Information Literacy Awareness (USA) Month October 2011

After Barack Obama’s proclamation in October 2009, that established October as National Information Literacy Awareness Month, the National Forum on Information Literacy has made a strong contribution to promote Information Literacy in USA and in the world.

A number of libraries are already planning events to celebrate the month. A link is available at http://infolit.org/about-the-national-forum/national-information-literacy-awareness-month-is-october/ but at 30 October 2011 the programme is not yet available.

The Library 2.011 worldwide virtual conference

Online
November 2 - 4, 2011

The Library 2.011 conference is a unique chance to participate in a global conversation on the current and future state of libraries, ncluding sessions related to IL 

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Grampian Annual Conference, 10 November 2011, Aberdeen, Scotland.

“Information Skills for Learning, Work and Life”

Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
10 November 2011

The James Hutton Institute was proud to host the 15th Annual Grampian Information Conference in Aberdeen on Thursday 10th November 2011
The Conference theme is “Information: Skills for Learning, Work and Life” and will address key Information literacy initiatives in schools and universities as well as within the workplace, the public sector and adult learning. Presentations will touch on where libraries fit and what role they need to play at each of these life stages.

Symposium “Information Literacy in Academic Libraries: Conceptions and Practice”

West Lafayette, USA
November 2011

Purdue Libraries (West Lafayette, USA) Information Literacy Research Symposium Information Literacy in Academic Libraries: Conceptions and Practice featured Dr. Paulette Kerr, librarian and lecturer in LIS at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Dr. Kerr  discussed her dissertation, "Conceptions and Practice of Information Literacy in Academic Libraries: Espoused Theories and Theories-in-use." She also facilitated a workshop based on a model she developed."

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Closure of call for papers ALDinHE Annual Conference

Leeds, UK
2-4 April 2012

The ninth ALDinHE (Association for Learning Development Professionals in Higher Education) will be held in Leeds 2 - 4 April 2012. The main theme is “Learning Development in a Digital Age: emerging literacies and learning spaces”. The event will be an opportunity to deepen the theme of IL. Speakers include Professor Grainne Conole and Paul Andrews.

Closure of call for papers for 2012 LILAC Conference 

Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UK
11-13 April 2012 

LILAC is the Librarians’ Information Literacy Annual Conference and it is aimed at librarians and information professionals who teach information literacy skills, are interested in digital literacies and want to improve the information seeking and evaluation skills of library users. The Conference themes always have across-sector appeal and consequently they attract delegate from school further education, government, health, and special libraries as well as higher education.

The main themes of the Conference will include: IL and the digital future, IL research, supporting the research Community, Transitions: from School though to Higher Education, IL and Employability, Active Learning and creative pedagogical approaches.

Keynote speakers will include Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, C.B.E., Tara Brabazon and
Megan Oakleaf.

** Call for papers Closing Date 1 December 2012  **

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Workshops and Seminars

LYRASIS online seminar on Information Literacy: “Practical Approaches to Information Literacy

USA Eastern
27-29 September 2011

Lyrasis is the USA’s largest regional non-profit organization serving libraries.
This three-day distance education class offered strategies for working more actively with faculty and students to change library learning environment-both physical and virtual- in ways that will more actively engage students in the research process.

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“Organize the knowledge”

Civic Library, Seriate (BG, Italy)
October 2011

The seminar proposed an introduction to how to “organize the knowledge” to provide citizens with the skills they need to manage the information overload.
Organized by the Sistema bibliotecario Seriate Laghi in partnership with ISKO- International Society for Knowledge Organization.

DREaM Workshop

Edinburgh Napier University Craighouse Campus
25 October 2011

The DREaM (Developing Research Excellence and Methods) project aims to establish at sustainable network of LIS (library of information science) researchers. This workshop included a session on: a broad research approach, a specific quantitative research technique, a specific qualitative research technique, a research “practicality” (eg ethics, dissemination, influencing policy). There are also two other workshops: the first one in London on 30th January 2012 and the second one in Edinburgh on 25th April 2012.

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