tfpl blog

Strategy for records managers

I was pleased to hear this morning that nine people had signed up for my TFPL course Strategic Planning for Records Management at the end of November.

Strategic planning has enjoyed mixed fortunes over the years and  we have all become more generally aware of the limitations of fortelling the future especially in business.  However, for many of us (records managers included), the question of what best to do next remains a major pre-occupation.  Records management and records managers have traditionally thrived in the face of external pressures - just think of all the work generated by the Freedom of Information Act.  However, in "quieter times", acting with purpose and intent and being able to judge what is an appropriate and effective amount of planning to achieve that purpose will keep records managers firmly on their organisations' radar screens.

Special Collections

The British Library hosted a conference last week (Manuscripts Matter) examining the continuing flow of source material into well-funded US academic collections.  Brenda Maddox wrote a piece about it for The Observer (29 October) that balanced the general preference for manuscripts to be located appropriately with the pragmatic view that the material is best housed wherever it can be best cared for. 

At TFPL, we've completed a couple of assignments this year that have required a review of special collections.  Both interesting pieces of work and both highlighting some key points:

• funds for basic collection management:  cataloguing, conservation and preservation work have become harder to secure
• digitisation is the mot du jour but digitisation projects are not to be taken lightly.  They need careful preparation and a long-term strategy if they are to succeed
• special collections in academic institutions can come alive if linked to and supported by the curriculum and research interests of the academic community - the converse is also true
• it is a shame when the subject of a special collection becomes a victim of fashion but take a long-term or "long tail" view - there will be interest from some quarter and fashions change!

Relational Consulting

Have just received a copy of a new research report from Ashridge Consulting.  The research follows the working lives of 11 graduates and faculty of the Ashridge Masters in Organisation Consulting (AMOC) - I was a graduate of AMOC5 in 2003 - and relates the stories of their work as they happen, warts and all. The research avoids the dramatic, the certain and the perfect to reveal a way of consulting which has more modest and honest ambitions. It looks at what it takes to consult with a rigorous understanding of a philosophy and theory of consulting and the benefits and challenges this brings compared to the more traditional consulting toolboxes. 

Reading the report, I was struck by how many of the situations and the interventions involved issues of knowledge and information in the workplace.  It's a refreshing piece of work and a good read which I'll be recommending to colleagues in the coming weeks.

Information Literacy in Manchester

A call for papers for LILAC 2007 - Librarians' Information Literacy Annual Conference has been announced. 

The key note speakers are interesting and previous conferences have been good.  However, the information literacy scene is dominated by the education sector.  Lots of good papers, studies and experience is being shared.  How about what is happening in the workplace?   One of the 2007 keynote speakers will be Muir Gray so it will be chance to hear about IL needs and activities in the NHS.   How about some others submitting papers about other work place activities.   You may not call it information literacy but there is plenty going on to help improve corporate skills in working with information. It would be good to hear from you.

Sexy searching

For anyone who has not already seen it, have a look at Ms Dewey, this is a young, attractive and rather sexy search engine – it is fully animated with results pulled in from Live.com. Read Phil Bradleys review for the nuts and bolts of the search function and usability. Ms. Dewey is played by actress Janina Gavankar.

Consultancy - what's hot?

A snapshot of our current consultancy projects shows the following:

• Growth in clients requesting help with their content management and information architecture.  Current projects are typically driven by clients struggling to move from existing disparate systems to a consolidated content and/or document management platform.  We are  helping them define metadata schemas, file plans and subject taxonomies and assisting content clear up.
• Continuing demand for advice and support in reviewing and developing strategies for library and information services - for example, we continue to provide advice to UEFA in the running of their newly formed Documentation Centre on a day to day basis
• KM client work includes several knowledge harvesting projects and KM strategy development and support
• Team events and strategy facilitation - growth in the number of projects where we are helping teams to work together to develop strategy and implementation plans
• In-house training - records management continues to be in high demand.

Going downhill rapidly

Today Belinda had worked at home (she tells us) until ten o'clock, so that she could pick up tickets for a group of us to whizz down the tallest of Carsten Holler's slides (sculptures) at the Tate Modern.  The slide from the fifth floor, the one described as a physical eight second experience equivalent to sex or drugs.

It took a surprisingly long time to sort out the six person team for this treat.  Numerous excuses came out:

I have a cold

I have a client interview

I want my first time to be with my boyfriend

But eventually the team was gathered, the Millenium bridge was crossed. We positioned Saj at the bottom of the slide with Belinda's digital camera, poised to snap us as we did our victorious salutes having fearlessly conquered the bending swirling looping track.

We gathered at the top.  Angela, our Training administrator, wanted to go first, to get the fear over with.  Her screams as she descended curdled the milk in the fridges back at TFPL HQ opposite Blackfriars station.  When the rest of us had stopped laughing we went down one by one, ladies first.

Here we are, some more dignified than others:

First one down:  Angela Cookson, our training administrator:

Next down is Michelle Buchan, our Glaswegian Information Services Manager

Then it was Sharon Flook, our general manager, without whom nothing in the office would function

Next up Belinda Blaswick, an Australian (but we have adopted her)

Now for the boys:  John Davies, senior records management consultant

James Lappin, our tour guide for the day

And saving the best to last, our coach, Ryan Crowthorne, Head of IT

Law Librarian in Norfolk

The legal department of a financial services company requires a full time law librarian for 3 months to cover for a staff secondment. This busy information department receives a wide range of legal enquiries each week from various legal teams and from many different business areas within the organisation. Key responsibilities will be supporting the Legal Information Manager on specialised research requests involving in-depth investigation, ensuring that all resources are delivered on schedule across the legal function and monitoring subscription and purchase agreements with suppliers, publishers and business contacts,  developing and delivering training sessions on legal research and online sources, providing support for electronic publishing initiatives on the intranet and legal knowhow sites and managing and developing the Legal Information Assistant. You will have previous law library experience and have used online databases.

Email your CV to temps@tfpl.com quoting ref: 20723JE or call +44 (0)20 7332 6000 for more information.

Drinking = more money?

Many years ago, having been taken out by new colleagues and ordering an orange juice, the MD stood on a chair, welcomed me to the company and followed up with the line 'You won't get anywhere in publishing unless you start drinking'.

Those looking for an excuse to go out drinking with colleagues might be interested in this research report, by the intriguing Reason Foundation, 'No booze? You may lose - why drinkers earn more money than nondrinkers'.

It really doesn't seem fair does it?  The whole socialising after work scene excludes certain people, including those with families and those who don't drink. There must be other ways to build up social capital.

Librarians fight back

Great fun on the Archers message board as librarians react to the 'cross librarian' storyline...