Registration open for RIVAL Reunion, 25th May, Edinburgh

Hazel Hall, who is now our Emeritus Professor, founded the RIVAL network, with the assistance of Bruce Ryan. Funded in 2019-2021 by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, RIVAL events connect library and information science researchers and practitioners in Scotland. Of course, Covid shutdowns meant some of these earlier events, planned to be face-to-face, necessarily became virtual events.

We’re delighted to confirm that we have secured new funding to hold an in-person RIVAL Reunion event on 25th May at the Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue in central Edinburgh.

There are places left at the forthcoming event for library and information professionals and LIS researchers. The event is free to attend, and we aim to reimburse at least a portion of delegates’ travel costs. I am an original RIVAL member, but some of our other original members have retired or moved on to other roles. This means, however, that we can open up new places. Everyone in the sector with an interest in connecting LIS practice and research is welcome.

Here are some highlights of the day’s events:

• Keynote presentation: LIS research and knowledge exchange between and among LIS practitioners and researchers, by Professor Brian Detlor of McMaster University in Canada and Visiting Professor of Edinburgh Napier University’s Social Informatics Research Group
• An interactive activity to build on learning from the keynote
• RIVAL members network news: short presentations by delegates
• RIVAL 2019-21: did we get it right? A presentation on an evaluation of the first four RIVAL events (2019 to 2021) by Hazel Hall. You can read about Hazel’s evaluation regarding the impact of these events on her blog post from 12th April.
• What next? A small-group workshop to build on the themes in the preceding presentation
• Revitalising RIVAL: A small-group workshop aimed at producing tangible outcomes and network endurance
• Optional post-event tour of the Library of Mistakes (‘a free public library focused on the world’s business and financial history’), followed by drinks/dinner (at delegates’ expense)

View the full programme and book your free place while there are still places available. If you’re still unsure about attending, read about our previous RIVAL events.

I hope to see you there!