Category: Creativity

Spooky Storytelling – from Ananse to Ghost Stories

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The oral tradition of storytelling has been with us from the beginning of time as humans tell stories to each other or relay folktales of those passed on from generation to generation. This is something I definitely experienced growing up in Trinidad & Tobago when elders will tell stories of La Diablesse, Soucoynant or Lagahoo.  I remember the time when people actually believed it too! As children you would actually be told that there are jumbies (ghosts) to scare you from going somewhere, especially if someone thought it was dangerous.

However, I do think it is still an amazing oral storytelling tradition that should carry one for a long time.  However this particular art of storytelling happened way before colonialism, and it was one form of the oral traditions brought over by Europeans, Africans and other cultures to the Caribbean.

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/545608-Lugarhoo_Phantom_and_Soucouyant-Folklore_Local_Spirits_and_Demons-Trinidad_and_Tobago

“Ananse, also known as Anansi, Aunt Nancy, Anancy, Hapanzi, Nanzi, name given to an Akan character who has become famous throughout Africa, the countries in the Caribbean region, and beyond because of his insight, intelligence, and wisdom.”

– Encyclopedia Britannica

Talking about a long time, the tales of some of the characters mentioned are refined over many years in the Caribbean from enslaved Africans whose Ananse stories was brought over the Atlantic Sea to the Caribbean.

Spider tales are based around the Ghana regions of West Africa and the Anansi is based on Akan language which means spider. The narrative of the stories are great for engaging with children especially before the age of modern technology where families would sit together in the evening and tell stories.  Ananse is truly great to still being used to entertain and teach us all the stories of good, evil, wit and humour.  The story of Ananse still takes centre stage as a protagonist or antagonist.  It truly is entertaining how the characters are still playful with other creatures such as the Chameleon and the Spider which was an example of a children’s event on this topic at the Story Museum.  This was also used for the adult carnival designers recently in Trinidad by carnival designers with artistic splendour to tell the folktale. 

http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Folklore/folkcharacters.htm

The stories of more scary characters were developed over time with colonial impact merging African, European and Indigenous stories and characters. Lagahoo is the werewolf character similar to those on European, the femme fatale in La Diablesse with her beauty, sex appeal but one goat holf has fascinated young minds for a few centuries. 

The soucouyant, as a ball of fire flying around homes around midnight to suck the blood of women and men were real stories told when growing up.  If you had a mark on your skin like a love-bite or bruises skin – most still say that it may have been a soucouyant! In those days of growing up in the Caribbean, the night were warm and most people went to sleep by midnight (unless you were a teenager looking at TV). There is something spookier though as it is less built up and I would feel just the same in an isolated rural place on a windy cold night. 

There are other interesting scary characters in stories across the Caribbean area and they have their own regional twists to the story such as the one on the Silk Cotton Tree and Papa Bois, which has similar narratives from Guyana, Jamaica to America.  I have attended a great talk at the British Library by performance storytelling company the Crick Crack Club which story telling of these characters and it was truly heart-warming in a scary way that characters and stories were also told. 

As you can imagine – the is real value on storytelling to build cultural value, character and identity is recognised in most educational and cultural programmes.  Whilst researching the topic, it was great to see these stories used in libraries, schools, theatres and other settings for children and families. 

In all other cultures, scare stories are also told and with the introduction of moving images – the horror film genre is one of the most common forms of scary storytelling.  I still have the ability to jump when a scene frights me or give me the goosebumps.  I haven’t even seem the Blair Witch Project as it made me feel seasick because of the cinematography used, perhaps with handheld camera. I recently saw the Exorcist on television and there are others over the years that are still very spooky. 

The horror genre seems to have replaced the oral story telling in the modern age but there are reality TV programmes that tell ghost stories and other creepy phenomenon. The real-life evidence of haunted homes are enough to give anyone a fright.  In winter, it is especially dark and cold with many reasons why it is easy to be afraid, especially is you are on your own in a big old house! There are also real-life stories of some of the more tradition real-life murders in the city such as the Jack the Ripper story – which still has the ability to grip us to this day. 

There are may be other British folklore tales and this is celebrated as rich cultural heritage on British Tourist site with guides for tours and activities from abandoned castles to the Sleepy Hallow and Headless Horseman. 

I read recently that folklorist Sara Cleto from the The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, the season around winter solstice, has been one of transition and change. “For a very, very, very long time, [the season] has provoked oral stories about spooky things in many different countries and cultures all over the world”. There was also a mention of Charles Dickens story ‘A Christmas Carol’ which spoke about ghosts and spirits of the past, present and future.  This has as much fascination then and it still has now.

There is still a creepy opportunity to get involved in these stories for Halloween and other parties around this time of year.  The last few days in the city and in my neighbourhood, I was able to see evidence of spiders… too.  It is a great way to ensure that we keep these little stories alive to pass on tales from one generation to another.

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

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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!

Say goodbye to summer…

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This year I didn’t have a beach holiday that I so love. I had been away in Spring and therefore it would have been expensive to go away in July or August.  I know there are some cheap deals out there but I had work, volunteering and family commitments.  June was apparently one of the hottest months on record and this makes it much more appealing to do things closer to home.  However, July was one of the wettest and it was hard to predict what to do.  It was very peculiar, and it seems we have some warm weather as we now go into September.  It has been sad seeing the severe heatwave in Europe earlier this summer, and the disaster from wildfire from Maui to Rhodes in Greece.  It seems climate change is becoming more evidential in our everyday lives. 

However despite the weather, I had to get on with plans in the last few weeks.  I didn’t go to British beaches and special gardens but I still had some time to do some fun things. 

The first was going to Norfolk for the weekend.  I haven’t been for a couple of years and it was typically very wet weather. It was good to stay very… very… near the Norwich Football City fondly known as Carrow Road, and the team is known as the Canaries. You might guess from the colours of the kit. It was quite special to see the game from a hotel room and it was a bit of sunshine on a sunny day! I remember looking at the tall building near the Lords Cricket Ground and thinking that is a great place to live if you like cricket.  I suppose it just a fun way to have important sporting venues close to you.

The next day, we went for a drive along the Norfolk and Suffolk coast through Great Yarmouth to Southwold.  I haven’t been going to Southwold until recently, but it is known as ‘Hampstead by the Sea’ as a pleasant seaside town. It is nice to visit as there is hardly any stress trying to find parking, and it is very residential as a holiday seaside town. I do recommend that you book a place to eat as it was hard finding a restaurant to eat at lunchtime on one of the few sunny days in the month.  However, the pier was less busy, and we were able to get some fish and chips for lunch.  It was nice to see some of the quaint seaside cottages and gardens.   

Back in London, we were able to get a few sunny days and one of them was when I took a first visit to the Docklands Museum. I wanted to visit after seeing an advert for the Indo-Caribbean exhibition advertised.  Visiting Canary Wharf on such a sunny day was amazing for the photos of the newest buildings, and in the newer financial district in London.  But don’t be deceived… it has a long history of commerce and trade from ancient times.  The Museum is well curated throughout the ages, and to get to the Indo-Caribeean exhibition – ironically, I had to whiz through the various floors and parts that had relevance to how we got to Indo-Caribbeans in the Caribbean.

Although I knew the history of the Caribbean, seeing the visual and curated content were still engaging and educational.  I found out things that even I missed in my Caribbean schooling – such as the slave traders in London, the wealth created by the sugar industry and how the greed for this wealth fuelled the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  There was so much to unpick that I cannot cover it all in this blog post. 

The Indo-Caribbean exhibition was educational and balanced on some of the issues that my ancestors may have experienced on their journey from India to the Caribbean.  It was sad, annoying and true that they were sometimes treated as cargo and the record keeping was not consistent.  If I have to trace my lineage to India – I will need a lot of patience and time to research it.  It is shocking and realistic to know of the journeys Indians made to the Caribbean, and it makes for an appreciation of their struggles, perseverance and resilience. 

This month, I also spent time working but it was interesting to visit some of the regional libraries that we are working with on our ‘Kick Start your Business’ project.  It was a nice pleasure to get a bus to the Library in Leytonstone with definitely felt like an Alfred Hitchcock appreciation day! Well, he is a local hero who had a great impact and career on cinema and film.  The local underground station has lots of mosaics as a dedication to Hitchcock.  It was also nice to see that the workshop room also doubles as a theatre and a cinema.  This library is not that close to me, but if it was closer – I certainly would be visiting it more. 

It was also good to make a trip back to south of the river and to see another local library for our project. It was very wet and it would have been good if I had more time to explore other areas closer to the venue, but when it was so wet… all I wanted to do was to get back home. Apart from this ventures, I spent some time in the garden and local areas. I can’t totally switch off in a city and therefore I like getting out in the countryside or visiting areas that I haven’t been before. This obviously requires good budgeting and planning.

Next year, I hope I go on holiday on a warm beautiful beach town.

Summer Library Celebrations and Sea Changes

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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. 

Wellbeing of Women

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“The mimosa was also chosen for its characteristics: It is a flower that can grow on difficult terrain despite its apparent fragility. Perfect for representing women!”

Source – https://italiano-bello.com/en/amo-litalia/womens-day-in-italy/

There are certainly health and wellness topics that women have to endure as we go through life.  Our physical and mental wellbeing are never far from tell us that our body needs to be cared and looked after and sometimes, we are not just in control.  As with menstruation, childbirth and perimenopause (I only discovered the word about 5 years ago) and menopause.  The changes in our bodies throughout these stages in life does have an impact on certain aspects of our lives. 

There are several reasons for me choosing to write about it –

  • Women’s Health – International Women’s Month in March and a great time to focus on Women’s Health
  • Women in the Workplace – Menopause is being talked about more openly in the workplace
  • Open Discussion – Digital Media and generational shift are making us more open to discuss generally
  • New Innovations – New products in the market

Women’s Health – Young girls and women usually have to openly discuss the bodies with each other at a young age as we experience the changes in life.  I attended an all-girls school and we were taught some facts about our bodies and reproductive system.  Then any information on our health was only found in books or if your elders and mother wanted to share their insights with you. Menstrual pain and being prepared for the unexpected was as complicated as it got as a teenager and young adult.  Then the next stage of discuss is on childbirth and childrearing – which are even more big topics.  I remember relying on my friend for advice as my mother was in another country and it was too expensive to call her often then.  Fast forward a few decades and the next stage is perimenopause and the imminent menopause.  I don’t particular feel shy about taking about this now as I have mentioned in my earlier blog posts – it seems to a natural stage of our bodies and I am learning more as I go along. March is a time when we can learn more about how all of stages of women body cycle.

Women in the Workplace – Over the years, the workplace has been getting better and better at adapting to a larger number of women in the workforce and break some glass ceilings on the way.  However we still have some inequalities for childbearing, childcare and family responsibilities.  Employers are getting better are providing flexible working relationships for families such as paternity leave and adapting policies for same sex relationships.  The pandemic has enable us to be more hybrid than before and gain some more time with our families – I know that this is not across the board. When my children were younger – there were Parents Networks where I use to participate.  As they got older, I became more involved in the Women’s Network where I worked.  Currently I am in the Gender Network where I work and there have been interesting stories on women in leadership and male-dominated environments such as construction.

Fawcett Society found that 52% of women who worked during the menopause had lost confidence at work, 15% had reduced working hours and 10% had left their jobs due to their symptoms. – Fawcett Society

In the last couple of year, there has been more information provided for women who are experiencing the menopause and how we can understand the symptoms and the impact it may have on staff and colleagues.  I have certainly learnt a lot about how the changes affect women and specialist consultancies have offered a series of information on various aspects such as over-the-counter remedies, Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRT), exercise and wellbeing tips and advice on better sex. 

A friend and I were discussing ‘brain fog’ recently and I don’t seem to have that but I glad that there is a label to put on it if I need to discuss it with anyone else.  With an aging workforce and women doing more in senior positions – I think it is great that we have more understanding and empathy in the workplace.

Employers are increasingly taking employee health and wellbeing more seriously. Yet, there is still a lack of awareness and appreciation of menstrual health, the perimenopause and menopause, and the impact these have on women’s health, work and quality of life. It is important that women’s health issues can be openly discussed at work and all employees should be well informed about how menstrual disorders and the menopause can affect their colleagues.

Open Discussion – On that topic of discussion, it is great to be able to discuss wellbeing with your dearest and closest. There are time you may need to keep some aspects of health private or amongst friends – but apparently there is a generational shift and millennials are used to being more open with their mental health and wellbeing and therefore they are happy to share information more openly.  I actually recognise that traditional media and social media are talking about it a lot more but apparently it is the Baby Boomers and Generation X that more reserve about sharing these issues openly.  As we have more millennials in the workplace and take on leadership roles, there will be a point where we become more comfortable to Women’s Health.  We really have to make sure that these discussions and raising awareness do have to take pace as a point out by the Fawcett Society that …’lack of understanding and support for perimenopausal and menopausal women by employers also contributes to gender inequality at work. Indeed, research by the Fawcett Society found eight in 10 menopausal women say their workplace has no basic support in place for them, and one in 10 left their employment due to their symptoms’. It does seem that we are making efforts to break the taboo subject, break the barriers and stigma around it in organisations.

There are also numerous blog post that I discovered on the last few days and some of our business intelligence report in the library also have a lot of insights covering the lifestyles of women.

New Innovations – Getting on the London underground is a great indicator of what people are getting into and what is the new trend.  It seems that advertising women wellbeing vitamins, supplements and treatments are the topic of the last couple of months.  It is certainly a great sight to see that these products and their benefits are getting some primetime advertising.  There are pharmacies and healthcare shops that are having new lines of products that are specifically targeted in a positive way to women.  The only aspects that is not great is that these are usually expensive and therefore they may require a prescription in certain cases.  I also spoke to a neighbour who actually had a natural remedy for keeping well.  I would like to see us continue to raise awareness and break the taboo on women’s health issues, around the M-word, mystery surround the transition, that impacts millions of woman around the world. 

Self-motivation for winter days and nights

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There was no gentle easing into this new year as I had to actually get a head start for my new responsibilities and activities – which will be intense and full on this year.  I know I already spend time catching up late at night on my volunteering, but this will be more so in 2023.  The days were cold and dull, and the nights even more so in the last few months.  To beat the January Blues, I am having to make sure that I go out for walks in the daylight when I am not at work, and into the night and early hours, put in the extra time for organising and working as SLA President 2023.  I usually have to sit with a blanket if it gets too cold – so I really have to be self-motivated to get my daily tasks completed.  This is even more challenging with a full-on day job and a family – I had advice from a past president to make sure that I communicate my dinner times with the family.  However, I try to focus on milestones by breaking down the year in achievable timeframes.  With is in mind, I can stay focus and get through my daily, weekly, and monthly goals.  This is what I am telling myself!

“Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too.” — Mark Twain

Socially, I have been able to do some interesting things, and they include going to an engagement party in Dalton.  It was interesting to see the area change over the years and how a new generation of young people are now living and socialising in the area.  I liked using the new Overground lines that can save so much time – as before I probably would have had to take an underground train and a bus from where I work.  That night, I was pleased to be around friends and listen to some of their music that I probably would not hear often on the radio. And believe it or not – it was my first time on a Night Bus.  You hear so many stories of attacks and not being safe at night, for I was only willing to get on a night bus because I was with friends and felt safe to be with them.  It was also a lot cheaper than getting an Uber or Taxi.  I am usually happy to drive for nightlife in town if I know I can park legally without getting a ticket.  However, there is now congestion charges for certain times of the weekend, and so, I would only drive in if necessary. 

Another weekend, I had no choice but to drive in as I had to drop my son at university.  I had to pay the congestion charge but it seems the traffic was a bit better than it has been before the weekend charge extension.  It was great to be near the river and round London Bridge, where I worked for four years.  The area felt similar but obviously it was different.  There were still some tourists around getting photos of the illuminated London Bridge.  I was sad to see Hay’s Galleria very vacant of retail shops, but had memories of events I organised or attending in London’s Living room at the old City Hall, a fab information professional party I went to in the 1990s at the Cotton Centre, and more recently, at the News UK Building. 

I had popped into the new shop called the Whisky Exchange, which was a homage to liquors, spirits and all the memorabilia that goes with it.  There were all different types of gins, rum, whiskies etc that I haven’t seen before.  The shop does events and tasting events, and it is a must to see if you enjoy ‘your drink’.  It is the only other place I ever saw so many exclusive alcoholic drinks apart from the Duty-free section of an airport. 

I was happy to be out in dull January although I was busy – sometimes going out helps you to relax, and that in itself is a good motivation.  I finished the outing with a nice meal at a popular Bistro restaurant, but noticed that the prices have increased from a few years ago…obviously.

“Goal setting is the secret to a compelling future.” — Tony Robbins

Another way to keep self-motivation up in these cold days and nights was to spend time with friends.  I was able to try out my gnocchi recipe again, which is so delicious that I savour each spoonful.  I also make a Galette Des Rois to introduce our friends to the tradition which I have been doing with my French friend for about 20 years.  We also spent some time celebrating Burns Night at friends who also introduce us to their Scottish traditions and food. I have also invited my friends for Diwali when we celebrate it usually on cold October or November nights. Spending time like these with friends are great for dark and cold nights. 

I think it is no secret that I have put on weight in the last couple of years.  I always try to keep fit but I still have not lost the weight I put on in the pandemic.  I am motivated to each day to go out for a walk, especially if I am not in the office.  The best part of walking around is observing all the interesting aspects of community that I see.  Some of these range from a food bank popping up in a local shopping centre, to book swap areas, little free libraries and local art exhibitions.  You are never too far away from some good causes in my local community. 

“Nature has given us all the pieces required to achieve exceptional wellness and health, but has left it to us to put these pieces together.”—Diane McLaren

I am really feeling the cold as I write this blog post but what is keeping me going is thoughts of Spring and buying new plants and seeing longer sunny days.  I don’t dislike winter and I accept the changing of the season but I do have to make sure that I push myself to get on with my tasks when the nights are cold and dark. 

Once aspect of writing my blog is looking for stories, I want to share with you or topics I want to explore.  I already know what I am going to write about next month. I just need to look out for inspiration and research some of the areas I am unaware about to make sure I understand the content I am sharing.  I hope you see you soon, and this is enough to keep me optimistic and motivated!

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn

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