Engaging with leadership development in Irish academic libraries: some reflections of the Future Leaders Programme (FLP)

Four librarians from Irish university libraries completed the U.K. Future Leaders Programme (FLP) in 2010. In this article they recount their experience and assess the effect of the programme on their professional practice and the value for their institutions. The programme is explored in the context of the Irish higher education environment, which is facing significant challenges due to the demise of the Celtic Tiger economy. A brief review of the literature relating to structured programmes to prepare librarians for senior positions, is presented. The structure and content of the FLP and the learning methodologies, theories, tools and techniques used throughout are discussed. The article suggests that the programme has real value for both individuals and institutions and that it can play a significant role in succession planning and the leadership development of librarians

Innovation and evolution: challenges and opportunities for 21st century academic and research libraries

A report from the inaugural CONUL (Consortium of National & University Libraries) conference held in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone, June 3rd & 4th 2015.

Dr. Richard Caulfield: antiquarian, scholar and academic librarian

The history of higher learning in Cork can be traced from its late eighteenth-century origins to its present standing within the extended confines of the Neo-Gothic architecture of University College, Cork. This institution, founded in 1845 was the successor and ultimate achievement of its forerunner, the Royal Cork Institution. The opening in 1849 of the college, then known as Queen's College, Cork, brought about a change in the role of the Royal Cork Institution as a centre of education. Its ambition of being the 'Munster College' was subsumed by the Queen's College even though it continued to function as a centre of learning up to the 1805. At this time its co-habitant, the School of Design, received a new wing under the benevolent patronage of William Crawford, and the Royal Cork Institution ceased to exist as the centre for cultural, technical and scientific learning it had set out to be. The building it occupied is today known as the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery.

“It’s just like passing notes in class…”: a content analysis of the use of Twitter at #asl2015

Twitter has changed the dynamic of the academic conference. Before Twitter, delegate participation was primarily dependent on attendance and feedback was limited to post-event survey. With Twitter, delegates have become active participants. They pass comment, share reactions and critique presentations, all the while generating a running commentary. This study examines this phenomenon using the Academic & Special Libraries (A&SL) conference 2015 (hashtag #asl2015) as a case study. A post-conference survey was undertaken asking delegates how and why they used Twitter at #asl2015. A content and conceptual analysis of tweets was conducted using Topsy and Storify. This analysis examined how delegates interacted with presentations, which sessions generated most activity on the timeline and the type of content shared. Actual tweet activity and volume per presentation was compared to survey responses. Finally, recommendations on Twitter engagement for conference organisers and presenters are provided.