DREaM Again project launch

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Hazel Hall

In 2011/12 I was Principal Investigator (PI) on the AHRC-funded DREaM project. The aim of this work was to develop a formal UK-wide network of Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers. The project ran from January 2011 to August 2012, and was supported by the Library and Information Science Research Coalition. We reported the initial successes of the DREaM project in a paper that I co-authored with Alison Brettle and Charles Oppenheim and presented at QQML 2012. Three years later, we are interested in any further lasting impacts of the project.

To this end I am working with my colleague Dr Bruce Ryan on a follow-up study that investigates any longer-term impact of DREaM, and the forms that such impact (if it exists) has taken. I mentioned these plans earlier in the month in a presentation at the Third International Seminar on LIS Education and Research, and then during my recent opening keynote paper at the 2015 EAHIL conference (the format of which was inspired by the DREaM project, and the event masterminded by Marshall Dozier, who was a member of the DREaM cadre).

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Athena SWAN awards ceremony June 2015

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Edinburgh Napier University was granted an Athena SWAN bronze award earlier this year. This was following the assessment of a detailed application document that I submitted on behalf of the University in November 2014.

Athena SWAN is the Equality Challenge Unit’s charter for women in science. The charter recognises the commitment of universities to the advancement of women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). As part of its work the Equality Challenge Unit grants bronze, silver and gold awards to organisations that can demonstrate increasing levels of good practice in recruiting, retaining and promoting women in STEMM in higher education.

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The future of library and information science education and research: a view from Barcelona #liser2015

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Hazel Hall

I spent Thursday 4th and Friday 5th June 2015 in Spain as a guest of the Faculty of Library and Information Science at the University of Barcelona. Here I was one of many academics from across the world invited to join the Faculty in the celebrations of its one hundredth anniversary. These were organised around an event billed as the Third International Seminar on Library and Information Science (LIS) Education and Research (LIS-ER).

Blaise Cronin keynote speaker

The main theme of the meeting was education and research in library and information science. The opening keynote presentation was delivered by Dr Blaise Cronin, Emeritus Professor at Indiana University, and Visiting Professor at the Centre for Social Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University. There then followed a series of sessions on: LIS education in Europe; LIS education in America; LIS research in general; LIS academic journals; and research data. There was also an opportunity for those who contributed to a poster display to introduce their work in plenary. In this session the speakers invited delegates to visit an exhibition that displayed work on themes that ranged from open science to beach libraries for summer tourists.
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Two talk Tuesday: Evaluating your digital impact, and a special birthday celebration

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Hazel Hall

I had a very busy day on Tuesday this week with two external speaking commitments, one a training session for research students from across Scotland, and the other a public engagement event on the theme of the future of library services.

My first commitment was at the annual summer school of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science. Here I led a session on the evaluation of the digital impact of research with my colleague Dr Elizabeth Tait (aka Lizzy) of Robert Gordon University. In the first hour I set the scene by covering the range of tools available to help increase research impact, and providing some recommendations on those that research students should use to develop an online presence for themselves, and for their work. At a minimum I recommend that all research students should have:
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All set for LIS-ER 2015

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Hazel Hall

The Third International Seminar on LIS Education and Research (LIS-ER), organised by the Faculty of Library and Information Science at the University of Barcelona, takes place this week on Thursday 4th and Friday 5 June 2015.

The meeting’s theme of education and research in library and information science will be covered in conference presentations, panels, and a poster session. On Friday morning I’m speaking on the theme of challenges in LIS research, drawing on my experience of leading the implementation of the UK Library and Information Science Research Coalition between 2009 and 2012. For a preview of my presentation Meeting the challenges of LIS research: a national coalition approach, please see the slides below.
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IT project success factors: an afternoon workshop for project and programme managers

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Hazel Hall

The School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University runs a series of free half day workshops and seminars related to its practice-based Masters degree in Project & Programme Management. On the afternoon of Wednesday 16th September I will be speaking at one such event, drawing on work on information systems project success factors that I recently completed with Dr Robert Irvine.

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Appointment to the programme committee of the 2nd International Data and Information Management Conference

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Hazel Hall

Just as we are about to enter the summer 2015 conference season, we are already looking forward to 2016!

I have recently accepted an invitation to serve on the international programme committee of the 2nd International Data and Information Management Conference. Hosted by the Centre for Information Management at Loughborough University, the conference takes place on the Loughborough campus next year on 12th and 13th January 2016. An outline programme is now available.

For those interested in presenting a paper at this event, submissions for 500 word abstracts open on July 1st, with a deadline of 30th September 2015. Those whose abstracts are accepted will be expected to submit their full papers by 18th December 2015.

What is the future of libraries? An Edinburgh Reads event, Tuesday 9th June 2015

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Hazel Hall

The opening ceremony for Edinburgh Central Library took place 125 years ago on 9th June 1890. On that day the Library’s benefactor Andrew Carnegie sent a telegram in which he stated his hopes for the service that he had funded: “We trust that this Library is to grow in usefulness year after year, and prove one of the most potent agencies for the good of the people for all time to come”.

As part of Edinburgh City Libraries’ 125th anniversary celebrations Edinburgh Reads is hosting a panel session on Tuesday 9th June at 19:00 at which the future of libraries will be the main topic of discussion. I have accepted an invitation to join the panel. The other panel members are:

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Six papers at Information, Interactions and Impact i3 2015, and a preview of iDocQ 2015

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Hazel Hall

The programme for Information, interactions and impact: i3 2015 has just been published. This international conference, held on a biennial basis in Aberdeen, brings together an international community of academic and practitioner researchers to explore the quality and effectiveness of the interactions between people and information, and how such interactions can bring about change. This year it takes place at the Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University from Tuesday June 23rd to Friday June 26th. I’m delighted that six paper proposals that I co-authored for submission to the conference have been accepted, and they can now be seen in the programme.

Five of the six papers draw on projects currently undertaken by colleagues and research students within the Centre for Social Informatics: Christine Irving; Lynn Killick; John Mowbray; Frances Ryan; and Louise Rasmussen. These are:

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The idea of the University in the 21st century: participation at a pop-up forum

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Hazel Hall

I have a large number of speaking commitments coming up in the approaching ‘conference season’. I currently have my name against 14 presentations in June (and in the course of typing up this post I received another invitation!) Thankfully a number of these commitments are co-authored conference papers where another person is delivering the work, so I am not going to spend an entire month permanently on public display discussing my research.

Amongst the list of events in which I am participating is a pop-up forum organised by colleagues at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh on the evening of Tuesday 16th June 2015. Here we will be considering the purpose of universities and a university education. The event has just opened for registration on EventBrite. Admission is open to all and free of charge.

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