I’m really looking forward to RIVAL event 3, admittedly with a bit of nervousness about running an online event. (I’m always nervous about everything I do, so going virtual isn’t the real cause.) Anyway this post is to look at the treats awaiting RIVAL network members on Thursday 19 November, not to focus on me.

Many of the ‘skeletons’ of these treats will be hosted on the event web-page. But the tasty ‘flesh’ (c’mon, it’s just past Hallowe’en) will be in the interactions between network members during the event. We will live-tweet what we can, so please follow @lisrival.

Treat 1: ‘Public library services and citizenship: a longitudinal analysis of roles, impact, and value’: Dr Leo Appleton (University of Sheffield)

Leo is a former colleague at Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Social Informatics. Leo’s presentation is about the findings from his PhD (supervisor Hazel Hall). RIVAL network members will watch this in their own time before the event. His presentation is a powerpoint file with recordings – click or tap the small loudspeaker icons at the bottom right of each slide to hear his words.

Treat 2: Research into Practice case study 3 – Digital library futures: the impact of e-legal deposit in the academic sector: Dr Paul Gooding (University of Glasgow) with Dr Frankie Wilson (Bodleian Libraries)

I’ve briefly worked with Paul on a funding bid – we look forward to the results! I’ve not yet worked with Frankie, so I look forward to hearing more on her work. Their presentation is a movie, which can be watched from their own video-server or from the Napier video-server. RIVAL network members will watch this in their own time before the event. Here is a transcript of their presentation.

Treat 3: Research into Practice case study 4 – Syrian new Scots’ information literacy way-finding practices: Dr Konstantina Martzoukou and Professor Simon Burnett (Robert Gordon University)

I’ve not yet worked with Dina or Simon, but have quoted some of their work on information behaviour in some of my work. Their presentation is a powerpoint file with recordings – click or tap the small loudspeaker icons at the top right of each slide to hear their words. RIVAL network members will watch the presentation in their own time before the event.

Treat 4: a panel-session with all of these speakers

This is the first substantive live event of the day, between 14:15 and 14:45. (It will be preceded by a short introduction to the event by Hazel Hall.)

Treat 5: a short break

14:45 to 14:55: get those kettles on!

Treat 6: Network member news: sharing our skills

5 network members have volunteered to speak about what they have learnt during lockdown.

• Hayley Lockerbie: Turning school library provision digital and return to school in times of COVID19
  Hayley has provided a short movie-presentation and the following links.
  – Aboyne Library Tour for pupils
  – Virtual Reading Tour
  – Nursery/P1 promoting reading slide
  – BLM digital book display
  – Academy website with click and collect books
  – Instagram page
  – Live Life Aberdeenshire Libraries
• Diane Pennington: COVID19 and misinformation: how correct information can help everyone with lockdown measures
• Lynne Robertson: Drivers of focus and motivation to succeed
• Rachel Salzano: Challenges of conducting empirical work about forced migrants and public libraries under pandemic restrictions
• Andy Taylor: Learnt during lockdown: using an image repository to research the role of women in early 20th century fencing

I am hugely grateful to all five, because otherwise I’d have had to present something on my own lessons from lockdown. (I hate public speaking, mostly because I’m useless at it. Now there’s a vicious circle!) Instead, I’ve turned my thoughts into a post on my research-blog.

Treat 7: a short break

15:30 to 15:40: time for tea! (We probably should have made longer breaks for those who need to grind beans and steam milk.)

Treat 8: a visit to the Scottish LIS research market

Had this been a live event, representatives of five Scottish Universities would have had physical market-stalls to show off their goodies. But because it’s virtual, here are their materials, for RIVAL network members – and you – to read in your own time. Click the thumbnails to see the full-size PDFs in new windows.

Edinburgh Napier University	Robert Gordon University
University of Edinburgh	University of Glasgow
University of Strathclyde

Treat 9: Breakout discussions: planning for event 4

Hazel and I always planned to make event 4 whatever the network members wanted it to be. Network members said they wanted event 4 to be spent on practical work towards lasting outputs. Further discussion came up with four items: a post-RIVAL event, an article for practitioners in Information Professional, a funding bid, an article for academia. So network members will work in teams to lay the groundwork for these between 15:40 and 16:40.

Treat 10: Thanks and close

And breathe!