Category: Collaboration

Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary – from block party to global phenomenon

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

Since the turn of the year, I have been seeing great celebrations for hip-hop culture not just coming from the USA where it originated, but from the global phenomenon that had earned its credentials on the world stage.  In recent weeks, I have been learning half-century since the birth of this genre, it is traceable to a house party on 11th August 1973.  The party was in an apartment building on Sedgwick Avenue, New York, where a young Clive Campbell – better known as DJ Kool Herc – used two turntables to loop percussive portions of the same record to create a continuous flow of music as mentioned in this celebratory page ‘It’s Bigger than Hip Hop’ by the BBC. 

  • SONY DSC

Coincidently, I spend a couple of hours last night listening to the BBC’s dedicated show called the ‘For the Love of Hip Hop’, as well as some great live show from regional Leicester.  This just demonstrates how hip-hop has grown organically to a global phenomenon.  I must add a disclaimer that I am not an expert on hip-hop, but I’m still learning some music to new artists (thanks to my son). And when I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago – we knew the big hits, but not necessarily some of the rarer music.  What I do like is being around to see how the genre grew, and evolved to what it is today. 

You can also tell from this timeline that there has been many momentous achievements over the years from the more mainstream song like ‘Rapper’s Delight’ (which even my soul-loving white husband knows), to the first time a hip-hop tune was played on MTV.  Since then there have been many stars and clear timeline of albums, awards, and entrepreneurial explosions in the last 50 years. 

Hip Hop is obscure, and it is not something that only journalists or musicologists care to research. Most people, whether they like music or not, have come into contact with Hip Hop. 

– Nick Siullo in the book ‘Communicating hip-hop: how hip-hop culture shapes popular culture’.

So how can you tell what is hip hop? Like with anything new that has grown so exponentially – it is now a really passion to document this, with hip hop now being looked at from an academic perspective for its’ impact on social change and culture. There is are some great terms mention in the following The Kennedy Center on the key identifiers and features, as well as glossary for the terms used, especially of you want to keep with the flow… or the ‘in crowd’. 

The Kennedy Center states in this article that hip-hop scholars attributes these six elements:

  • DJing – the artistic handling of beats and music
  • MCing, aka rapping – putting spoken word poetry to a beat
  • Breaking – hip hop dance form
  • Writing – the painting of highly stylized graffiti
  • Theatre and Literature – combining hip hop elements and themes in drama, poetry and stories
  • Knowledge of self – the moral, social and spiritual principles that inform and inspire hip-hop ways of being.

Source: The Kennedy Center

It is interesting to see that music and self-expression sits at the heart of the genre.  Hip Hop has had an immense impact on the world, but it was created by youth culture in the first years with roots in inner city urban life with social and economic struggles, with territorial expression on what would have been a multicultural New York. The invention of a culture enabled people to find a self-expression on these struggles with hope, and punching ambition.  In the later years, the genre is blamed for misogyny and for glamourising territorial gang culture, but if this was their reality – it is captured in their lyrics.  It is also a relief to see female artists have since developed as superstars too in the genre, and women have earned their place in hip hop history too.

“I developed these theories that all these elements of our urban culture were beginning to seem like one big thing. This was in 1978.”

— Fab 5 Freddy

Hip hop has influenced other cultures and subcultures too.  Where there was music – there is dance, fashion, and art.  At the same time, New York’s subway trains were public property in the light term for graffiti artists and tags.  Street art has always been around but hip-hop also found expression in graphic art and marking of tags by gangs. The is a reference that graffiti started in this link Black Web America: ‘This creative expression is made up of written words used to spread a specific message, whether it be social, political or something a bit more personal from the inner elements of an aerosol spray can. Hip-Hop’s connection to graffiti dates back to the late 1960s, originating in the predominately Black and Latino neighborhoods of New York City where hip-hop music and street subcultures formulated‘.

Graffiti still exists but street art has exploded in the last decade in our spaces, and now another independent global artform. I am not able to visit the Bronx, but I know that even London has paid tribute and homage to the subcultures and hip-hop artists.  Recently there was also a large paper poster celebrating Notorious B.I.G’s anniversary album ‘Hypnotise’ in my neighbourhood.

In the last 50 years, there has been a plethora of new inventions and innovations on how we consume music. From the mechanical ability and skill to play music in house parties to the technical ability to mix, scratch, bebop, create lyrics – as well as engage and perform.  I love how this grassroot movement started, was very low budget, as well as ‘the technology’ not being as sophisticated as it is now in 2023.  For the future, one thing guaranteed is that the genre and the mechanics will evolve with time and innovations. 

 

There has been a lot of change in technology with the development of listening and playing musical equipment. From the larger record decks to personal devices tape decks, sound and portable music innovations has changed to ultra-modern listening and entertainment equipment. Dr Dre and Jay-Z, amongst others, are now successful entrepreneurs with a lucrative billion-dollar industry.  Dr Dre is known for his production styles as well as creating the headset Beats as well as other innovative products with his company being sold to Apple Inc in 2014.  

As expected, there is a lot of resources available online for researching 50 years of Hip Hop! From references shared on this Wikipedia page, to those provided by research organisation and libraries and digital content.  Such as this link from Albert S Cool Library and University of Memphis Libraries. I am discovering so much more about the genre and how it has grown from a back yard groove to worldwide celebration of the creativity and expression of lives in other languages and countries. It is a good time to recognise the artist and everyday person who has shared their creativity with us and hope that the genre is around in another 50 years for its 100th Birthday! Happy Birthday Hip Hop!

Summer Library Celebrations and Sea Changes

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

As this year is proving to be very busy due to my volunteering roles – there is a real challenge for me to get some free time to do nothing.  I seem to have lists, upon lists, things to do and therefore I have not been socialising as much this year.  I have been very active in the libraries and information world and therefore I will be writing about my activities from the last few weeks on here. 

I had some special activities this month as usually and one of them is going to Birmingham to for the CILIP Conference.  I didn’t realise that I actually walked through the NEC in Birmingham to get to the conference venue and hotel.  I had my phone stole the day before so it was a bit disconcerting getting a train without a smartphone as I had to ensure I had a tablet and lap top with me so I can send emails and printed tickets for my train journey. Apparently, I am not the only one who is experiencing stolen phones on the London underground or whilst out and about – but it makes you really out of depth with the way our travel and even IT authentication as well communication channels rely on smartphones in this day and age.  Once I got to the Birmingham, I was with a bunch of library and information professionals, so I knew I was in a safe environment and knew people attending there who can assist me if I need help. 

The CILIP Conference was my first visit to their conference and although I am going to conferences more frequently as SLA President 2023, this was not the case and therefore had to be very proactive with my own professional development over the years.  It is CILIP’s 125th Anniversary and I loved how they celebrated their past but also want to shine a light for the next 25 years on future leaders.  I also found the keynote on AI interesting for the way that we can use the technology for the benefit of developing services but the best take-away was making sure that we consider responsible AI. It is good to see ways that the technology can do some of the work for humans in a more efficient way and how we can implement it for research and data processing in knowledge and information management. 

It was also good to see suppliers, other professionals and fellow volunteers at the Conference.  I went to some great talks on professional development and international issues from a session by IFLA.  The CILIP conference gave me an opportunity to see other professionals in the UK and hear what they are doing in their own libraries and subject areas.  I used to feel very dishearten by the lack of other professionals but this was partly because I was not going to these networking events. For the last 17 years or more – I get inspired by other professionals and don’t ever lose passion as they all do amazing work which has real value to their communities and users. I know I am active internationally but I hope I can perhaps present at a future CILIP conference and give back to the UK professional community. 

The next day, I also had to make a trip to a great event in London so got an early morning train.  Our department was hosting the launch of a new research report entitled Democratising Entrepreneurship 2.0 for the impact of central government funding for libraries to provide business support across England and parts of Scotland. This event was held at the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster – which is one of the most iconic buildings in the London.  I was on the terrace and hosted our partners in various libraries in our national network. 

It was good to hear the speeches from our hosts and the board of the British Library as well as to see the views from the river.  At this event we were recognising the work that we have completed in the last three years but also looking at the future at how we can carry on this work.  I have been saying for ages that we need physical spaces like libraries, as well as support and expert staff to assist in knowledge and information sharing.  It was also great to see some of the products on display that have come out of the projects and hear how beneficial it has been to participate in our projects and programmes across the country.

I have visited the Houses of Parliament before for an outreach event about 12 years ago where I was able to see the chambers, staff areas in Portcullis House and the House of Commons library which overlooks the river. I think this must have been before my smartphone days as I don’t have any photos but once I started using a smartphone, I have more photos of library and information visits. The Palace of Westminster Great Hall is nice to see for its history as well as the debating chamber.  The staff who gave the tour then gave us good anecdotes of the prime ministers who had gone in the past and show us some of the unique aspects of the building. 

Our international team at the British Library had a great reception for the cohort for their International Leaders Programme for the 2023. It was great to network with professionals on the programme as well as to see staff.  It was great to feel connected to the 18 countries that were taking part in the programme and to hear from CILIP’s CEO Nick Poole on the why that we as library and information professionals to need to collaborate, share knowledge, best practice and opportunities with each other. I felt really motivated to hear the speeches and to see a great video celebrating the British Library’s 50th Anniversary.

There are few times in my career so far that I was able to celebrate with the whole organisation I work for – this is for example when Price Waterhouse merged with Coopers & Lybrand on 1st July 1998 – we were given special burgundy filing wallets and other branded mementos. I also remember celebrating the milestones of the 2012 London Olympics at City Hall with staff talks and presentations.  And this month, we were able to celebrate 50 years of the British Library.  Although I have only worked for the library for over 10 years – I have known it since I arrive in London as I drove past the construction site on Euston in the early 1990s.  It was in 1994 that I started using the Document Supply Centre and therefore have been a user of their services since then form the other side.  I know my colleagues take pride in working at the library and it an inspiring space.  I have a new role in the library, which keep me busy and there is always something new to do or learn in such a great organisation.  Here’s to the next 50 years!

And last but not least, I popped into my local library this weekend on my walk in my neighbourhood.  It was great to see how the library has recently been refitted and reorganised for the various users of the library.  There has been self-checkout for library materials for a while.  There are still spaces to read, borrow books, study, a children’s library and storytelling space as well as a café and reception area.  There is also a collaboration with the University of Portsmouth with the library for adult learning in what is now known as their London Campus. Even this short walk and a few minutes in my local library made me observe a sea-change on the changes happening in libraries.  Long may it lasts!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – a hot topic for humans

Published on by Seema Rampersad1 Comment

It was about seven years ago that I first attended an event by SLA Europe on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and I have been thinking of this recently. Luckily there is a review by my friend Richard recapping our thoughts in 2016 and it is interesting to read how the event predicted that the topic will be around in the next few years, the role for library professionals, and human intelligence. I knew it was important for me to attend, and the new technology should be on my ‘radar’ to know about as library and information professional.  After all the profession is at the top of the value change for information, intelligence, research and insight, just as Richard had mentioned before in his review – it is just that not many people realise this. Fast forward to 2023, I am pleased that we also had a presentation this year on ChatGPT by Mary Dee Ojala, who is excellent at the skills required for searching. 

Like some of the articles, content, conversations and social media that I have read in recent weeks – we are not to fear artificial intelligence but to embrace it like other technological revolutions that have comes in the past. Earlier this year I researched the 5th Industrial revolution for a presentation to SLA Asia.   I know there will be disruptions, as in the past, but it also a time for innovations and for new ways of doing things.  The only striking aspect is the rate of technological changes in the last few years.  Therefore, as this is such a ‘hot topic’ at present, I thought I could explore some of the recent ways it has infiltrated our way of life, and what it means for me as a library and information professional. 

Business is also changing due to generative AI, and now we can ask these system questions just like we started doing on Google(and other search engines) a few years ago.  The global market for AI is predicted to grow to US $1800000million according to Statista, a prediction on how some of these will impact on human related jobs and change our way of doing things.  There is survey conducted in 2021 with some of the jobs that AI should take away – like data processing, answering routine queries such as chatbots, problem solving and intelligence searching for large quantities of structured and unstructured data and content. It is great for us to harness the power of technology for human activity.  On arrival in Toronto Pearson International Airport in May, I recently went through most the immigration control using mainly artificial intelligence and machines such as facial recognition, and the microchip in my passport to match up the data and information that my stored on my electronic passport. Although there were delays caused to flights when the technology failed a few weeks ago at some London airports. However, it was definitely very high-tech and advanced compared to the Immigration Officer who served me in India and Italy, but it does mean that there is a loss of jobs and a reliance on technology. It was ironic that the time I gained going through an automated immigration and borders process in Toronto – the suitcases took ages to come out of the aircraft as there is a shortage of staff to get them to passengers.  Perhaps robots can be used in future to unload them from aircrafts to the baggage reclaim areas. 

Most retailers and marketers are able using it to create content – instead of sourcing and research original pieces of work – you can ask generative AI for some help. There are definitely more self-check outs in my local supermarket and I haven’t been in the large shopping centres recently but I imagine that we will see more use of technology in retail.

The World Economic Forum has this interesting strategic intelligence interactive took by McGill university, which recognises some of the advantages and disadvantages of AI for business and mentions the impact on the loss of jobs in the human workforce. It also has the impact on our social lives, and the way that entrepreneurship can use AI too.

One of my colleagues recently used ChatGBT for a patent query but apparently the results yield were many but the information was partly incorrect.  There are intelligent limits to all the unstructured content that might be there! There are obviously concerns and opportunity for us as library and information professionals to educate and scrutinise the content retrieved for our research and customers.  Disinformation and misinformation are the negative aspects of relying too much on AI, especially that which is not programmed to add value and cite reliable sources.  This is our professional role and an opportunity to enable digital literacy, educate and use ethical procedures.  I had one person mention to me this week that she used AI for her book – I haven’t read it as it is still being written, but I hope the information contained in the book would be able to stand up to scrutiny and evidence, especially if it relates to health and wellbeing.

In the real world, some are taking up the use of generative AI for helping with more routine and mundane tasks.  I saw that for social media and marketing – content and creativity can still be created by AI but marketers (like information professionals) will still have to look at ever evolving changes in format, new platforms, algorithm changes. Generative AI tools can be trained to produce content that is closer to a brand’s voice, but they still need a human touch to ensure guidelines are followed. Whilst generative AI can free up time for brand marketing, brands risk damaging trust by posting content that doesn’t sound like it came from the brand. Does this sound familiar? – “Generative AI can help with inspiration, but it isn’t a good fit for these other cases” – (eMarketer – ChatGPT and Generative AI for Social Media Marketing).  I love how the report actually warns that people already have low trust on social media so they are encouraging people to not pass off AI generated content as their own.  Good advice!

There are many positive initiatives that are being developed for AI, Machine Learning, Chatbots, and other forms of artificial intelligence and data science.  I have the benefit of passing by the Alan Turing Institute (the National Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence) very frequently as it is based in the British Library where I work.  There are always several initiatives with a focus on human-centric research and innovations, especially as the newly released white paper for data science with a focus on helping society after the pandemic and war.  The most recent initiative I saw by the ATI was the use of AI to help with preventing cyberattacks. The best thing about seeing this space and the enigma code machine is that we will always need the best human minds and brains, like Alan Turing, to help us solve some of the world’s biggest problems.  This should be a guiding principle for data science and AI.

Although I use technology for my work and I am attached to my iPhone, I don’t feel threaten by AI.  Not yet anyway.  I know we are talking about it and I have been paying more attention to it.  On the SLA Board we mentioned that we should be programming items on the topic, in my day job I have just been asked to prepare a discussion about it for our information services and I just read a few articles in CILIP’s magazine ‘Information Professional’ which reflects my views and calmness about it.  I do think there will be threats to some jobs but there will also be some opportunities to use it for basic as well as intensive information and intelligence needs.  I will probably revisit this blog post in a few years to see if my calmness was justified.  Perhaps I can use artificial intelligence then to programme my brain to look back too – just like in a sci-fi movie. For now, I will continue to encounter new AI developments one step at a time, and hopefully will understand this burning hot topic a little more each time.

An odyssey with purpose and beyond the normal

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A genuine odyssey is not about piling up experiences. It is a deeply felt, risky, unpredictable tour of the soul.

– Author: Thomas Moore

In my return trip from Milan in April, my husband called me a jet setter as I was flying to India the next day.  This is really unusual for me as I have always had an international remit in my work as an information professional but didn’t need to travel due to the technology and postal services of the day.  However, due to my commitment as President of SLA and work-related meetings – I had been travelling most of April and May. I had three weeks of work between Italy and India with a break to Toronto and Detroit but what is even more relevant – is that I had to work in India, Detroit and Toronto where it didn’t actually feel unnatural.  I just had to make sure I was focussed on the tasks and deadlines I had to deal with on those weeks away.  I am also fully aware of my airmiles, and you will be glad to know that I have no travel plans for the next few months.

Last month I mentioned my trip India – which was so special and I am still taking time to absorb all the implications that comes with travelling to an ancestral land that had great resonance on my family and life.  I know if I never go to India again – it would have been one of my wishes come through, and just being there for under two weeks help me to put some missing pieces in the puzzle.

Earlier in April for the Easter break, I had visited Milan.  Since the 1980s, Milan has also been on my list to visit as I looked at Italian football and a USA fashion show which used to show the fashion runways in Milan, Paris and New York.  I have also spent several hours looking at football with my husband in the 1990s when there was only one television in our home and no internet or digital media to distract me – although I also enjoyed looking at football then too.  My trip to Milan was to see the city but also to go mainly to a football game at the San Siro Stadium before it is knocked down and rebuilt.  The trip on the subway to the stadium was great as I had never used the subway in Italy before, and it was interesting to be travelling in a modern way in an old city.  The build-up to the game was amazing and I was able to take in the atmosphere on a fabulous spring day with the usually stalls, smell of food and souvenir on sale.  It was a good game and the AC Milan fans are renowned for their atmospheric presence and songs.  The Curva Sud was full of flags and tifosi chanting during the game. There was a great family atmosphere with children attending the game at the Easter weekend.  I remember the camera shots of the glamourous Italian fans in the 1990s when women dressed very different to British fans.  With globalisation, most of the football fashion sense where similar to those found in any city now. 

Some of the other attractions around Milan were the new skyscrapers that were built in the financial district, as well as residential areas of the city.  In recent years – I kept seeing the Bosca Verticale on social media, which was coincidentally within walking distance to our hotel.  It was an ultimate green living wall and the design was intended to make a statement as well a ‘best in show’ (pardon the pun) for environmentally sustainable design for an urban residential building.  It was really impressive on the skyline and I will remember how beautiful it was with other homes and a community around it – there was older buildings and parks nearby. 

In contrast, we took a walk to the main central areas of Milan around the famous Duomo and nearby Galleria.  It was a busy Easter Sunday and the piazza was very busy with tourist taking photos and have something to eat.  There seemed to be hardy any local Milanese around at the Easter weekend, but I guess it comes alive in the normal week.  The trams in Milan were also good to see but I didn’t get a chance to try one. Bergamo is not far from Milan and we also wanted to visit it after hearing great stories from family and friends.  We got the train from Milan Central Station, and we were there in less than one hour.  On arrival at Bergamo, the avenue led straight to the hill top Alta Vista which was the medieval part of the old town.  It was good to walk around and see the buildings, shops, street entertainment and enjoy some lunch in the nice restaurants. The town looked very affluent, and I liked spending the day there.  One other part of Milan I didn’t know about until recently was the Canals area of the city.  It is not like Venice but there are several restaurants and a good vibe if you want to spend the time looking at the sunset which reflects beautifully on the canal.

Just across the Atlantic was my next trip for the MLA|SLA Conference in Detroit 23. It was a unique experience going to the conference was SLA President 2023 and one I didn’t expect to happen.  I was immensely proud to be representing SLA and working with Board of Directors this year in bringing a collaborative conference, especially as it was too expensive for us to host on our own this year.  The conference committee provided very complementary content on leadership, management and related topics to educate, empower and enlighten information professionals.  It was great for me too to hear from experienced panellists on the insights, opportunities and issues that are relevant in the sector.  I certainly came away feeling enthused and inspired to carry on this work in my day job, and in the profession. I am also a lot more aware of Medical Sciences Libraries and how important MLA is to its’ community.  They are more academic than perhaps a specialised library and it was great to see how seriously their roles and libraries are for the future of medicine and healthcare professionals.  It was great to be warmly welcomed by their staff and volunteer leaders, and I am pleased that we were able to collaborate successfully this year. 

The sponsors and exhibitors at the conference were great to see, and they remind me how technology-focus our roles are, as well as giving us a real user-based and user-experience format to meet and discuss information provision, research and access at conference.  Realistically we are able to benefit with their support, and they also have an opportunity to speak to us directly or as a group when we meet.  I hope we can continue to build stronger and sustained relationships for the future.

I practiced on the greatest model of storytelling we’ve got, which is “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.” I told those stories many, many times.

– Author: Philip Pullman

Detroit itself was an interesting city and is well-known for being a ‘Motor city’ due to the motor industries in the regions.  There was definitely a motor theme as I stayed in the Detroit Marriot which is part of the General Motors complex at the Renaissance Center.  There was also a car display on my first day, and the grand prix is also happening soon.  Motown music is also the other aspect that the city is famous for, and as I was busy the five days I was in Detroit – I was unable to visit the Hitsville museum.  Perhaps next time. 

On arriving in Detroit, I had to get my bearings as the position of the conference on the riverfront in Detroit meant that we can see Canada clearly from the USA and the beautiful turquoise water of Lake Erie between the two countries.  I loved looking at the sunrise in the morning, and figured out the position of the hotel from the sunrise. I thought of freedom fighters like Harriet Tubman who may have made similar freedom passages. It was also great to see the tribute of the city as a passage to freedom in Canada for enslaved people. There was also a statute of an indigenous American with his canoe, and I can easily envision him and his people using the Lake to go to surrounding land, and perhaps to even fish.  At the MLA|SLA Conference – it was recognised that the land around the conference belonged to three tribes including the Anishinaabe tribe.

The final hours in Detroit, I spent with conference delegates (friends) at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and it was great to see a world class collection as well as to be surprised with the artefacts from faraway lands and civilisations. 

The time in Detroit made me more aware of the many new technical and subject areas about my profession, as well as the local area and history.  I look forward to catching up with old and new contacts in the next few weeks, and perhaps seeing some again in the future. 

I actually spent two weekends and a bit in Toronto on my way to and from London as I initially could not find a direct flight to Detroit. It was my second visit in 14 years – it seems I have always been aware of Canada as my auntie would visit us in Trinidad, and we had photos in our family album from her life and family in Canada.  As she mentioned to me in the 1980s – Canada is new, clean and great place to live.  It still looks amazingly clean and modern compared to other parts of the world. 

I mainly spent my time with family and taking trips to downtown or in suburbia in their subway or buses.  It was great to see some of the sights and areas of interest again, such as the financial district, main squares, gardens and lake shore.  There are some impressive mainly new architecture, shops, creativity hubs as well as art centres.  I used to send information and books to King Street West – and it was nice to see it again.  Around the area I stayed, there were a large Asian community with great restaurants.  As with most major cities – the cost of living has increased a lot in the last decade and it seems so too in Toronto. 

My mother (who lived for a while in Canada) and auntie have both passed on and I thought of them often.  It was great to see other relatives and friends.  I was able to see some friends who keep in touch by social media as it is still one of the best ways to let people know what you are doing, where and how you can connect with them.  I didn’t plan to see a baseball game at the Rogers stadium but we saw the fans leaving the game after a win a few weekends ago, and the vibe was really feel-good with the Blue Jays kit looking amazing in the spring sunshine.  I was also able to visit two gardens with my auntie and it was also nice to see other Toronto folks enjoying the beauty and good weather around the lake and downtown.  As I have close family in Toronto – it is likely that I will visit again one day. 

That’s what the American odyssey is really about: Leaving home. Leaving home and coming home, and trying to understand the difference.

– Author: Tom Bodett

Green Workplace Champions – Quick Wins and Small Actions

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In the last few months in the news, we have seen Earthquakes devastate parts of Turkey and Syria, floods in the Caribbean and tornadoes in Mississippi in the last week.  These natural disasters are hard to predict but one thing we all know…we have to be prepared for them.  The negative impact on climate change and environmental crisis is having a greater impact on the Earth and us – and is more long-term.  This means we really have to think of strategies and practices that we can inform and empower our workforce, professionals and our communities as we face these challenges together – now and the future.

One of the most interesting and inspiring events this month has been the Green Libraries Conference hosted by The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). It was an opportunity for library and information professionals to come together to share ideas, learn from each other and to get into action of protecting the Earth from climate and environmental crisis – see my photos for some information on the sessions.  

The Green Libraries Manifesto was launched last year in a partnership with CILIP, The Arts Council, The British Library, Julie’s Bicycle and Libraries Connected.  The aims of the partnership was to ‘develop a UK-wide, cross-sector programme focused on the contribution of librarians, information and knowledge professionals to the sustainability agenda’. Sustainability is a topic which is being looked at not only in my profession, but in all ways of life with individuals who are keen to get involved and take positive action.  

On the other side of the Atlantic, the American Libraries Association (ALA), has also launched guidance and resources to support environmentally friendly policies and actions with their motto: “To thrive and evolve into the future, ALA must adopt the ‘triple bottom line’ mindset of sustainability: We must embody practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasible, and socially equitable”.  And it was proposed by ALA’s Task Force on Sustainability to have sustainability included as one of their core competencies for libraries and information professionals.  

As a British Library staff and President of SLA 2023, I am very conscious of how important these issues and actions are for our environment, digital and physical spaces – and ultimately for our customers, patrons and our own lives.  I have also been able to understand more and more the issues and changes required as it also feeds into my work in supporting businesses in their ideas and the growing of their companies.  I was really impressed recently when we held a Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange Day (CAKE) with other libraries across the UK on this very same topic – we were already being driven by the energy (pardon the pun) and the interest from COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow to our local business support in our library partners near and far.  Our BIPC North East partners have a great link for green business and I have since been able to share insights with other customers.

For SLA, we have discussed this issue at SLA Conference in the past – the first time I hear of the term environmental justice and more on Sustainable Development Goals in a library an information context was from the 2020 virtual conference.  I also met Loida Garcia Fedo (past ALA President) for the first time online when she presented a paper on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to a library community in Singapore.  Three years on, and I think we have come along a lot further in our journey as library and information professionals to tackle the issues with climate change and environmental crisis.  

The SLA Workplace Preparedness Subcommittee held an online event this week hosting my British Library colleague Maja Maricevic from the Green Libraries Partnership and Samantha Palladini from the Communities Responding to Emergency Weather (CREW).  It was great to hear the programmes and partnerships in place from both speakers as well as to collaborate on exchanging ideas – such as having local hubs, education and also building grassroots links with local communities from the USA. The Green Libraries Partnership is doing the same here and they were both aligned on the sustainable goals.  There was also a focus on environmental justice and social justice for the communities who are most affected – highlighting disparities with climate change and social inequality. 

After going to the CILIP Conference for half-day (I had to present to Masters in Library and Information Science students at City University), I did feel much better about the whole situation.  I am sharing the learning and action points with you here with you:

Some of these quick wins and small actions shared over the last week were:

  • The circular economy may seem like a big topic to take on but in its’ basic term, it means recycling items we already possess and giving them a makeover or re-purposing them.  This can range from book stacks, trolleys, furniture to the whole building altogether! 
  • Make buildings better. There was some great tips from an architecture who highlighted that instead of demolishing old library and information physical spaces – we can actually give them an upgrade and make them new reinvigorated spaces.  A conference speaker mentioned the Worst 23 Project – which looks at the worst building that need the most improvements!
  • Green is not just the colour for environmental issues generally.  It is a great idea for having plants, gardening and garden spaces in parts of the physical spaces (I know some plants are not recommended for rare books and other delicate areas).  Ideas range from creating small community garden, seeds exchange, or cleaning up areas in the local community. Access to nature is one of great ways we can improve our wellbeing and the environment around us.
  • Using Information and Data can help to paint a picture of where we are at present and where we want to be in the future.  It is best to have a starting point by checking what the current usage levels are for example, in energy levels or ventilations levels. Having this evidence will help make decisions and plans to aim for better sustainable goals.  It was great to hear the term – “Libraries engagement have agency!” which leads to collaboration and connection for partnerships, social justice and inclusion. 
  • Leading by example are the things we can all do regardless of any hierarchical structures in the workplace.  We all can be champions for green initiatives by starting small and having those necessary solutions. These can range from recycling champions to sustainability information for colleagues and our customers.  In my workplace, they have set up a Sustainability network – there are visual examples of best practice with lights going off early, computers switching off not in use and even a newsletter to keep everyone informed and engaged. Printing emails and storing emails are some earlier green champion examples, so too are reuse and refill cups and centres, which are recent initiatives and behaviour changes.
  • Quick wins and local change – although the issues with climate change may impact on all of us.  There is a need for us to stand up and support these more sustainable issues in our own homes, workplaces and local communities.  This can range from using good transport decisions, recycling waste, shopping local or providing information to our customers. We can do little by little which will have a larger impact. For example, we are getting better at plastic pollution.
  • This is new topic and area for all of us, and we are still navigating some of the unknown. We are must create specific library skills and training programmes to empower and inform sustainable actions.  The simple and best way to do this is to come up with a plan, make priorities and …take it from there!

And here, I know I won’t be end to this story.  Hopefully we can continue to share some of the ways we learn from each other now and in the future years to come. 

Round up of the year 2022

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Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here we are saying goodbye to another year.  The last few months have been very busy as usual after the lull of the late summer holidays.  I usually have a good memory for what was done in what year, but my photos on my smartphone give me a better picture – pardon the pun – on what was going on and what I was doing…where. So here is a whistlestop tour of my year.

I recently have been thinking a lot of the meaning of life since the passing of my mother in 2021, and my mother-in-law in January 2022.  They were two great strong role models for women who went the extra mile for their children, hardworking, and both had immense kindness for their close loved ones, family, neighbours and wider community.  Despite their kindness – they were both determined and followed through on their commitments and promises.  I know I was blessed to have them in my life and I certainly had abundance of respect and love for them.  It is very sad that they are both no longer here and I will cherish my memories of them forever. 

Therefore, I have been wondering a little bit more than usual on …the meaning of life?  I know some of the answers and I am aware that it is a process of loss and acceptance that I am experiencing now.  I know that I will be more upbeat again but I certainly won’t waste my time on Earth, or take it for granted.  I kinda hope there is somewhere else in the universe that is better than this troubled world. 

We were still in the heart of winter, and it was shocking and disturbing when the Ukraine-Russia conflict started in February.  It was absolutely worrying if we were on the brink of World War III – and it was heart-breaking to see the destruction and loss of lives.  I still remember the profoundly sad image of a child crying as he walked in the freezing cold to refuge in a neighbouring country.  There is always conflict in parts of this Earth (I know – depressing), but this felt different as it was all so close to Europe, images were vividly shown on the news and digital channels.  The response to support refugees and displaced people were heart-warming, and my community responded positively, as expected.  It is sad that we have now gone back to a presumably Cold War era with Russia.  I remember the Cold War in the 1980s, and the ideological differences in pop culture such as film and music [e.g. Living in America for Rocky IV, Russians (love their Children too) by Sting].  But this is not fiction – it is so very devastatingly real and wasteful.  I just wish life could be better for all those suffering and not like this.  Plus power-mad people and countries should just… relax and live peacefully. Yes – peace out.

Spring brought new blossoms and hope with nature reminding us that somethings are beyond our control, and the planet is here for the giving. It is a time of year where I do feel positive with plants and getting my garden ready for summer.  I always end up buying plants and this year I made sure I was able to visit the Beth Chatto Garden in Essex, which I have been meaning to visit for years. It didn’t take long to get there and I am thinking of going again in the future.

My first big trip since the start of the pandemic was to go to Trinidad, where I haven’t been to for five years.  On reflection, it has been challenging as my mother was unwell during the lockdowns, and I was unable to visit and to go to her funeral.  Going to Trinidad was our last official duty for her death rites.  It was good to see my close family again and to visit Trinidad.  I was able to visit the Pitch Lake – which I have never been to before.  I will always have strong connections with Trinidad and still keep abreast of some of the news that I see on social media – so it is a lot virtually closer than 15 years ago! It is an end of era with my mother’s passing…but Trinidad (and Tobago) will remain special to me for always.

Back in England, I visited the seaside, some parts of town and went to the Love Supreme festival. I am certainly not back to my full-on ‘out and about’ as I was before the pandemic.  I am less incline to book tickets way in advance for social events, but the only gig I booked was to see Lady Blackbird at the Barbican in November. 

I know the reasons for my disengagement – things are expensive, I am not always in town as I am working part of the week, and I have some added work and volunteering, which will be more intense on 2023.  However, I am quite happy to listen to music on my smartphone with my headphones, or catch a film on Netflix at the weekend.  I don’t expect there will be a magic wand for me to be as socially active for at least another 20 months, when I am likely to have less volunteering responsibility.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

William E. Vaughan

I only had a few busy weeks at work and some summer activities on my return to London when I had to get ready for my first official in-person SLA Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The SLA Conference was a highlight of my year as I had always imagined what it would be like.  It was less busy than previous years due to Covid refrains, travel bans etc – but for me it was great to be fully there meeting people that I had only seen online or met virtually.  I had a ‘pinch myself’ moment – as I realised that I was socialising with these amazing people but as President-Elect…which comes with immense responsibility and commitment.  I was so proud to be there! The keynote speeches were inspiring, and it was great to recognise all the work achieved by various individuals and communities.  I have a lot of appreciation for the incumbent leaders and Board of Directors – plus it was also great fun! I came away feeling much clearer on what is SLA’s core offering of education and networking to members, partners and stakeholders. I left motivated for my own professional development and our goals for SLA. 

As you may recall, I also had my first trip to Florida whilst I was in the USA.  I could have gone years earlier but never came round to arranging it.  It was great to see the beautiful beaches, architecture and bus tour of Miami.  I also was so grateful to spend time with family and meet a few that I have only seen in photographs.  I know my mother would have been pleased that I was able to make contact with relatives, and it also made me feel closer to her as she was well-loved by them.  I certainly had a great time in Miami and can visit again in the future.  I am also hoping we can revive SLA’s Florida and Caribbean chapter – as it is within my remit and there is a gap on professional networking in that area.

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

This year I seem to be busy on all fronts – at work, with volunteering and at home. I am getting even better at time management but I am up late into the early hours. I am not normally a morning person – so this pattern works for me and it certainly has not hindered my performance in my day job in any way. There needs to be some changes in the coming months as there has been a lot of movement and changes on the work front with less persons around to do the work. My way to get around this is to keep my high standards with as little compromise as possible – otherwise things do fall apart. I learnt this from experience! I am hoping to update you more next year when I will be having a once-in-a-lifetime role as SLA President 2023.

The last few months, and year, have really shown a sharp rise in the cost of living – just getting through Christmas recently I noticed a lot of items are at least a third more than they cost a few years ago. I still have a youngish family that is dependent on me, and it seems we are not making any gains as things go up, and up. The last two years we had some home decorating and this costs a small fortune – I would dread to think what financial position I would be in if I was a single parent! I know it is tough for a lot of people and I hope in some way we can continue to help and support others. I honestly wish I had more to give!

As I say goodbye to 2023, I am reflecting on the positives to make sure that I can leave behind any negative energy. I will remember the heatwave in summer and the snowy December we just had (thinking on those in the Blizzards in America recently). I know I will be busy the next year but I will build in time for my own well being. So too, as we turn the page to a new year…do look after yourself and my best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2023!

Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.

Michael Josephson

Good Leadership – Seven Traits to Share

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Understanding Leadership

Effective leaders take a personal interest in the long-term development of their employees, and they use tact and other social skills to encourage employees to achieve their best. It isn’t about being “nice” or “understanding”—it’s about tapping into individual motivations in the interest of furthering an organizationwide goal. 

by W.C.H. Prentice

https://hbr.org/2004/01/understanding-leadership

The last few years have been difficult, which is a great test for leadership development and style.  As we navigate this new world of chaos and confusion after a pandemic – it seems like we are having to expect leadership from those in our work, professional network and community.  I certainly didn’t consider that I had leadership skills, but when I look back retrospectively at my early life – I can see that I definitely took the initiative on many occasions of my own free will to achieve my personal goals.  I also was self-motivated enough to do what needed to be done without being asked to do so. 

Leadership is also instilled on us from an early age, especially if we have good leaders and role models around us.  This too can manifest itself in school, playgrounds and even leisure activities.  Childhood is probably the most difficult time for anyone to be leaders as growing up is difficult and challenging.  It is a time when we are not fully formed adults, and have lots of new things we are learning.  It takes a while for us to learn self-awareness and leadership skills – although some are natural born leaders. 

I can write several points on leadership but I wanted to note some of the main skillset and mindset that I recognised recently, and therefore I am sharing them with you here.

Be Organised – There are similarities with managing yourself and others really effectively but when it comes to leadership there is a distinctive difference to making sure that other people are taken into consideration but you are leading on initiatives.  There is a clear difference between micromanaging vs people using skills, tools, facility and space to manage themselves effectively.  Sometimes I am so busy keeping myself busy, I have to stop to think on whether others need my support of help.  Generally people will ask for help if they need it but in various situations it may also be useful to check in and provide clear avenues for support and guidance.  In most situations, it is good to seek the advice of leaders who have done it before, and to offer advice to those who need it.  With good organisational skills – there seems to be less chaos and more efficiencies. Therefore, try to be organised and take each step at a time.

Clear Communication – Communication is key. We have all heard this and it truly is defining feature of a great leader.  Although someone may have good communication skills, being able to effectively communicate in a timely manner, and be transparent, articulative and influential are strong leadership traits.  Even being in a situation where you are having to say ‘I don’t know’ is a position of strength, as you are unlikely to know everything.  Building relationships and relying on networks are also great communication channels that ensures that you are able to communicate across stakeholders and with external partners.  I am grateful that my first role in the corporate sector with answering queries in various format, and at various levels, gave me the confidence to speak to anyone about their information needs – this gave me a great foundation for being able to understand these barriers and how to get my message across.  Communication now means a lot more to me – in terms of getting buy-in, negotiation and convincing but also speaking with conviction and advocacy in all the topics that are necessary for my various roles…but also close to my heart.

Mentoring Others – Mentoring is also a great active listening exercise and is great for sharing insights with others – recognising the value of what they are doing and encouraging them to continue to learn, develop and reflect.  Leadership development is talked more about in the last decade, and it seems that it was just something that you stumbled upon in your early career.  I was lucky to have good people managers and colleagues who demonstrated leadership in their roles.  Team building was useful for learning from others, and for helping individuals learn from various styles and persons in a supportive environment.  It is interesting that there are now more formal ways that we can offer leadership opportunities to those who are willing to help others develop.  Mentoring is a great way to value experience, and learning from each other by listening and sharing.  I haven’t had formal leadership training in recent years but with several voluntary roles and a full-time job – there has been several opportunities to learn from and with others, and for me to help or mentor others along the way.  I would like to recognise this more in the next few years as an effective function for developing leaders and the more we do it – the better leaders there are around for the future.

Leading by Example – Leadership skills has no age limit or hierarchical structure and this is one of the most levellers for those demonstrating and acting in such a manner.  In the age of political chaos and upheaval – some of our role models on mass media are not the best examples of good behaviour or admiration.  I personally look for leadership examples from people around me who demonstrate good leadership skills, and who are setting the scene and tone for some of my own values.  In tricky situations, someone taking the initiative to provide solutions or to alleviate a crisis wins me over all the time.  It may be a person who is highly aware of themselves and surroundings, and who generally takes on the responsibility to do what is necessary and right.  There are several examples we will encounter in our work and lives, but these are instances where someone has taken positive action to make sure their leadership is exemplary, and they have also led us through difficulties, challenges and even opportunities. Heroes and heroine are normally the protagonist in these roles, and there is a little bit of this in every one of us.

Risk Taking – Changes and opportunities are great ways that leadership qualities are developed.  Many leaders who are willing to be flexible and agile are able to see beyond some of the risk barriers to the areas where improvements and performance can be enhanced.  Do the same things will give you the same results but leaders who are able to try new things, collaborate and build deeper relationships in challenging times is likely to get the best results with sheer drive and determination.  The future of work and business are always full with opportunities and you won’t be able to take advantage of opportunities without taking some risks.

Respect – Inclusive leadership is also on my mind at present.  There are lots of strong characters out there but sometimes I also look to those who are quieter in their roles and who are not comfortable with speaking their minds all the time.  There is also a lot of inequality in the workplace and in life, and respect and compassionate views should keep you grounded but also mindful of others.  It is also normal for us to not see eye-to-eye, have different opinions, and perspectives from each other but generally we must find a way to find civil discourse and consensus on how best to deal with a situation.  As with any element of conflict or disagreement – it is best to be diplomatic. There are other times when only the truth will suffice, and therefore being able to walk away with your self-respect intact – is a great position to be in! 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Last but not least.  The world is getting better at recognising our differences and similarities, however there are so many battles to fight and so many conversations to be understood.  Over the last few years, I actually feel proud of those people who have went out of their way to make others feel welcome and accepted.  Good leadership is recognising that we must do more to make more equitable societies and organisations.  We should also make sure that there is greater representation at all levels.  Being an inclusive leader literally means taking people under your wings and helping those up the ladder.  Managing biases, developing inclusive training and cultures are a great celebration of leadership that works for all.

Summer work and rest in the United States

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A few weeks ago I went to my first SLA Conference Sourced Forward in Charlotte North Carolina.  I was due to go in 2020 but due to the pandemic, the conference was postponed until this summer.  I certainly was happy to finally be in Charlotte and I certainly didn’t envision that I would be attending in 2022 as their President-Elect 2022-2024.  As the saying goes, with ‘great power, comes greater responsibility’ – this was no less the case as we had a very full schedule with meetings and membership engagement.  It was great for leaders to meet and speak directly to attendees, as well as to attend the awards ceremony to very deserving winners for their achievements.

I am unable to comment in depth on the conference programme sessions (which I can still catch up on the virtual components) as I had other matters in hand with the board.  Obviously, I was blown away by few that I did attended, such as the opening keynote speakers, general and closing sessions. The opening keynote on ‘ReSourced Leveraging Library Infrastructure in Community Centred Projects’ by historian Dr Jennifer Garcon extolled the need for community group for finding the stories that are hidden in archives that may have been traditionally inaccessible from everyone due to barriers or power struggles.  She gave examples of building partnerships and leveraging resources to gain access for the benefit of the user ReSourced communities. Her talk also highlighted the need for digital preservation for local documents, personal stories and items. It truly was inspiring for the diversity and engagement levels of the projects mentioned.

The second general session called ‘Tell me Sweet little lies: racism as a persistent form of malinformaiton’ by Dr Nicole Cooke was great for exploring the multiple ways that information is used as a power tool for misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. This is a topic I have been interested in for a long time but look at the examples and some of the multi-layered ways that information is manipulated is very insightful as well as educational on how to prevent this happening – especially if it causes harm such as in medical or racial scenarios.  The final session By Dr Travis Wagner was great at highlighting the opportunities for understanding ‘The role of information professionals in crafting a gender inclusive future’.  As library and information professional, we have a responsibility to all our customers and I certain didn’t understand all the negative aspects of collection management and access that affects genders – I was shocked but also sadden by some of the practices that library patrons encountered as well as some of the discrimination in the content held in library and archives.  These larger sessions as well as the small education ones I was able to attend really reenergised me to return to the world with reinvigorated purpose and pride.

I also have a great time at some of the social events in the evening in Charlotte to going around some of the close blocks near the Charlotte Convention Centre.  I hadn’t realised that I would have so little time to explore and really didn’t go to the some of the local tourist attractions such as the Nascar Hall of Fame or the Mint Museum.  Perhaps if I make it back to North Carolina one day – I can get a chance to seem more of Charlotte.  In all, it was a great experience and I was so pleased to see so many SLA colleagues, members, our industry partners, supporters and friends.

After Charlotte I wanted to make sure I made the most of being in the USA, and therefore took an internal flight to Florida to spend time in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.  I was truly impressed with the beaches, the weather and the amazing architecture! You also see lots of different types of vehicles that you just do not see here in the UK.  There are local business and trains but I mainly stayed in local areas or went out with family. 

One of the recommended tourist sights of natural beauty and ecological interest was the Florida Everglades.  I was pleased that my hotel was able to arrange a pick up from the hotel and I was able to directly to one of the areas with facilities for tourist.  It was my first drive along Fort Lauderdale area and then on the Everglades.  I do love the holiday feel and look of this part of Florida and that the beaches were endless (apparently 600 miles of beaches).  Once we got the Everglades, it was a very hot day and the humidity was unbelievable.  The Everglades is one of the world’s largest wetlands and therefore was real delight going on the airboat long the lanes of the everglades.  It was interesting hearing about the indigenous tribes Seminoles, and how they lived around the Everglades.  The grasses, lilies, pond apples, mangrove and other plant life thrives in this wet and subtropical climate. And everybody hopes to see an alligator in the Everglades and lucky for us in the trip – we saw three alligators in the water! There was also an alligator taming show and you can actually hold a baby alligator. It was a great experience of a natural beauty and I recalled the 1970’s US TV series Gentle Ben, which had great scenes of a game warden family, his son and a tame bear who frequently went on an airboat. 

I was able to spend time with some of Caribbean diaspora at one of their local Caribbean restaurants where they were selling food, drinks, music and lots of Caribbean cheer on a very hot Sunday.  I totally get that these communities where there celebrating there Sunday with their Caribbean people, especially just after a cricket game with India.  There was music, a rhythm section and also a visit from world renown cricketer, Brian Lara. I also have some experience of the local night life by going to a Latin bar on in the Las Olas area and also in downtown Fort Lauderdale to an Italian bar.  It was great to see these areas and the night life that is famous in Miami.

The next interesting aspect of my holiday was taking a city bus tour around downtown Miami.  Miami got its’ name from the river that run through it by the indigenous tribes to the region.  Later on, Miami is the only American city that has been founded by a woman – she was Julia Tuttle known as the ‘Mother of Miami’.  The region is definitely very cosmopolitan and had a large Latinx community.  Very frequently I hear Spanish and a lot of the local shops had Latinx food or signs.  On the bus tour to the city we saw several of the Art Deco buildings that is in abundance in Miami.  The reason for the high concentration of this type of architecture is that there was a hurricane in the 1920’s which destroyed all the buildings and it seems the Art Deco style was popular at this time.  It really is amazing to see.

Cubans also exiled to Miami with the 1960s and the area Little Havana still has a large Cuban community with tobacco and coffee shops, with cool looking restaurants and musical venues.  The area is known for its cultural and Cuban community significance as well as it being a place for new South and Central American immigrants. One of the most famous and beloved Cuban-American superstars are the Miami Sound Machine.  It was great hearing one of their songs on the Hotel PA system when I was there.  The tour bus also showed us the recording studio to the Miami Sound Machine, and their funky colourful building.  I do recommend the bus tour to see all the sights without the hassle of driving and the waterways were great to see how the islands of Miami are linked up by bridges etc.  There was a misunderstanding with timings, and I was unable to go on my boat tour around the Miami islands – hopefully I can go another time. 

And while much of the diaspora has moved onto greater pastures around Miami, Little Havana continues to be a vital launch point for immigrants from South and Central America who bring their flavours, rhythm and hardworking spirit to this vibrant community.

Time Out

https://www.timeout.com/miami/little-havana

I particular liked my hotel in Miami for the ambience, the beautiful pool area, architecture and garden.  I really felt like I can visit there again someday and loved that the beach was only about 200 metres away.  The water was clean and fun to splash around in but I was not brave enough to go on any adventurous water sports or out further. It was the Atlantic Ocean and it was awesome seeing so much beautiful kilometres of beaches. 

More than anything, I was happy to finally visiting Miami after hearing about it for so long on another TV series such as Miami Vice.  It is also not far from Trinidad so lots of Trinidadians go there on holiday and have said that is a good place to visit.  I thank my family for their hospitality and for showing me around their amazing Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I certain would like to visit again and explore the region a bit more – event a far down as Key West.

Mission Possible – Libraries & Information Pros Collaborating

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It seems like a long time coming but libraries collaborating is happening…again. At least for me. This month has been busy just with my work which has been great for giving me a purpose and mission. I seem to have been fighting for the last 15 plus years.  I suppose I still haven’t gotten use to just relaxing as it has never been easy for me.

We get visits from lots of people who wants to visit the British Library, which is always a pleasure to do. This month I had two visitors from the library profession from Canada and Aotorea (native name for New Zealand). It is good to go around the library with fresh eyes. The building is impressive but also the different subject areas and physical layout. It seems like people and professionals are travelling again like Te Paea and Cellia who were travelling to Dublin for IFLA’s conference. It was nice to see other professionals like Loida from USA and Kevin from the Philippines there too showing there connections and activities on Twitter.

There are times when we meet people who are similar to us even though we have not met them before.  This is also when I used the word recently to describe library and I formation work, I said mission. The same word was used by Safy Al Ashqar, Head of the University of Mosul library, Iraq. Safy was a speaker for CILIP’s conference and I was introduced to Safy by a friend from SLA Europe and lucky for me, I was able to attend a staff talk at the library. Safy described the horrors of war and destruction on the building and collection as it was burnt and bombed. It was deeply sad to hear the stories of death and devastation. The resilience and tenacity of Safy and his staff is amazing and heartwarming. His presentation spoke of the bargaining for funds and equipment with creativity and design with new ideas he picked up from his studies in Malaysia. Out of 150 staff, Safy now has about 93 with 70 of them women. He understands the need for libraries for heritage, education, creativity, community and knowledge sharing. He was totally inspired for the connections and networking opportunities that physical spaces bring. He was offered ebooks for rebuilding a digital library but he elaborated on the need for physical spaces to meet, and to store physical collections. We all know that the first casualty of war is the truth and knowledge – from the burnt building and collection, there is new hope and regeneration all driven by a man and his community and staff on a Misson to make it possible! What an inspiration!

Last Friday I also went with my colleagues to the National Archives in Kew. It was great to visit the building although I have used their digital archive and often refer people to their enquiry service for registered designs and other intellectual property. It was great to be welcomed and shown around by their staff. We were shown original patents and trade marks, maps, storage areas for records, very large maps, library and reference areas, and the 1970s Brutalist purpose built building of course. As we walked around, you can actually smell come of the collection in the temperature and light controlled rooms. There were some great displays for the 1920s and parts of the reading room was aesthetically pleasing. I would visit again it is in my part of town but I am grateful to get the tour from the lovely staff. Mark Dunton has even written a book on British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century.

I wanted to remind you that the National Archives does have an amazing collection and we can use these items to create new stories and innovative ideas from what we research. It is also a great reminder that we are here to conserve and preserve for now but also for future generations.

Last week I also spent time in filming a new video for the Business and IP Centre where I work and the UK network of libraries offering support for Business and other creative use of libraries and their services. East Ham Library was nice and bright with great use of space for studying, resources, cafe and meeting spaces. It even has Salsa Classes on a evening! There has been a few libraries that have survived the cuts from the last 15 years, and it warms my heart they are thriving as spaces for those who need them for study, work, research, learning, meetings and creativity. There was also a definite community and civic engagement feel about East Ham Library.

I was also invited to meet delegates from the British Library’s International Library Leaders Programme, which was an intensive five-day residential course bringing together emerging and established librarians from participants from countries including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, South Africa, Ukraine and the US. I lead a tour of about 8 librarians to some of the reading rooms with various subject areas, and as expected, they were impressed with the spaces and items in collection that were displayed (there are millions we can’t see). It was great to meet socially other British Library staff working on the Oceania collection, Living Knowledge, Higher Education and the newly appointed Caribbean Curator. I met again Nick Poole, CEO of CILIP, who is one of the best advocates for libraries, librarians, information profession, policy makers, civil engagement and for the profession in general. I also met with a Ukrainian librarian who has recently fled the troubles in Ukraine and it was great to here briefly what she is working on. I did pass on my concern and best wishes to her fellow Ukrainians in this difficult time.

A couple of weekends ago, I was able to participate on the request of the community engagement team in the Somers Town Festival, which is the close neighbourhood in Camden near the library. We were showing visitors on how they can use the library to start their businesses but also about the fabulous collections and spaces. It was nice to see some of the entertainment from spoken work, humanist choir, to Asian Classical dancing from an ex-staff, which I loved seeing LIVE in Trinidad or in film.

Breaking the News exhibition is also on until the end of August and I was excited to see this. I had the benefit of a group tour with a Curator who gives you the insights and stories of the items on display. I still like to let people know that information comes in various formats, and we have to still use and…preserve these for the future.

I wanted to also wish my colleagues in SLA Europe a Happy 50th Anniversary and we recently celebrated careers which my own newly retired colleague Neil Infield. I knew Neil before I started working at the British Library because of SLA but since working at the British Library he was a great popular, capable and kind colleague who became a friend. I will miss him, and the four other colleagues who have retired in my department in the last two years.

This is a big month for SLA for their Sourced Forward Conference and the associations future, as I write this in my hotel room in Charlotte, North Carolina. I will share more next month or on my social media channels. There is great responsibility in representing the profession, our members, our stakeholders and partners. I am also giving this my best shot and much gusto! Stay for the ride as we find our destination.

Difficult changes, after difficult changes but life goes on

Published on by Seema RampersadLeave a comment

This time last year I was hoping for a better year but on reflection, it was more difficult than 2021 for me. There have been changes in every aspect of my personal and professional life and therefore it has been unrelenting.  These changes may have been positive or negative, but due to pandemic, I still feel in a state of flux. I am hoping that life will resume to some normality but I also know this possibly would not happen for a while even though we are going into a new year.  I am just hoping there is some predictability and calm for 2022 – and in say so I hope I haven’t jinxed it!

As I reflect on the last year, I started off by getting Covid-19 in the peak time of the second wave of the Delta variant. I was already working from home and we were in lockdown, but it meant I had to self-isolate from my family.  I spent the time looking at Netflix as I couldn’t focus on work or read a book.  Luckily, I had my meals prepared for me and I didn’t have long covid as some of my acquaintances have a result of catching the virus.  I also found out throughout the year other persons who I know who caught the virus, as well as died from it. So the real impact of the pandemic started to reach me personally. 

The most positive aspect of year was the vaccine roll out which meant that there was some normality in the summer months.  However, only this week I saw a bunch of teenagers drunk on the underground transport not wearing masks and not socially distancing. I still try to maintain my mask wearing whilst on the tube and going into shops.  It is worrying that there is no end in sight in the near future and I am hearing more people say that it is something that “we have to live with”.  I do want to express my gratitude to those who are still working in the healthcare systems as we go into our second year in the pandemic – you all must be exhausted!  Thank you.

It is only in the last six weeks or so we have learnt about the Omicron variant and according to news reports, it is milder but we still don’t know the full impact.  In addition, it is causing positive Covid-19 cases for staff in hospitals and businesses, which will also have an indirect impact on staff, services and businesses.  I had a bad cold about a month ago but it was not the Omicron variant (as far as I know) but I won’t be surprise if I do get it from my social circle, the supermarket, going to local shops or using the underground in the. Next few weeks. Let’s hope not. Keeping mindful, wellness and staying positive are still necessary more than ever.

I believe professionally it has been just as challenging as we adjusted to the hybrid model of working part time in the office and at home.  I had another busy year of delivering information services and this working pattern does seem to work for now.  Of course I have more time with family and less travelling, but after such a long time I had gain some weight.  I am have started losing those excess pounds but I am also right in the holiday season now -so will have to resume my fitness and health eating drive in the new year.  I am just grateful that I have a continuous employment and work is good with two major projects completed this year on top of my normal activities. I have adjusted to these new ways of working and for delivering library and information services. 

It was also a very busy time with volunteering for SLA and SLA Europe.  From SLA Europe arranging a family quiz at home during lockdown, to assisting with our first Virtual Conference in June to a regular programme of webinars and two walks around London.  I was also very busy with SLA headquarters on their task force, Prep Council and when I was nominated for President Elect 2022-2024.  The process was competitive in the summer months, and therefore I had to prepare and research various new activities for the role I was stepping into.  I probably would not have anticipated this move before the pandemic and the use of video conference has really been one of the best transformations in the pandemic.  I know I am not perfect and I’m lucky to have a good set up at home (and in the office) but I have come to the point that I am just being my own genuine self and I believe it is the best I can do in these extraordinary circumstances. Taking on these voluntary roles – I am having to manage time and myself, my day job and my life around new meetings, context and content. I am extremely proud to represent my organisation, my European colleagues and our profession as I take this commitment for another three years starting from January 2022.  Wish me luck!

I also was able to make a mini break in summer but there have been family commitments and building work which meant that I couldn’t just switch off for long period of time.  I was able to get some longer rest time as the autumn months brought about calm and I practically have to use up my work’s annual leave.  I hope to see more of the UK next year too as I’m really not ready to travel abroad unless it is to see family or to go to SLA’s Conference in July 2022.  I am grateful for having access to green spaces and a garden which keep me busy in the summer months.  I always take pleasure in parks and beautiful gardens in my neighbourhood – hopefully I will be able to visit more gardens next year.  I have also been getting lots of lovely plants as presents, and this too is a source of joy for inside my home. 

I have left the hardest sentiments to last.  I miss my colleagues. I miss some social activities. Most of all…I miss my mother. My mother had a severe stroke in March and passed away in June.  I have been thinking of her and I especially miss her at Christmas for our chats and exchanging what we were doing.  Although I haven’t lived at home for 32 years – I still knew she was always a telephone call away and she had such a great positive influence on my life. I do feel a bit lost and sad without her here.  I have obviously been thinking of the meaning of life, love and loss in this sad time – it is only natural to go through this process. I do believe her life, my parents, sibling and relations have lived at an amazing historic time, and I cherish the stories and memories I have to them. I am proud of them. I am also fully aware of my own mortality and hope to make the most of what time I have on Earth.  I only wish for the wellbeing and safety for my love ones, especially in such a strange and turbulent time. 

As we go into another uncertain year, I am hopeful that we will carry on eventually and make the most of a ‘bad situation’ in this pandemic.  It will not be easy but hopefully our resilience and energies will be recharged after this seasonal break, and therefore we will be able to face the future again soon.  I intentionally chose the title of my blog post to ‘life goes on’ as my personal reminder, but I also heard the phrase mentioned recently in a film, and a business client also mentioned it in a seasonal note to me this week.  With this mood and note, I wanted to wish you all the best for the new year! Life goes on.