The fifth RIVAL* event was held on Thursday 25 May 2023, at Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue. Presentation slides and videos of some of the presentations and talks are on the event web-page, but here is a précis of the day.
After registration and coffee, Dr Bruce Ryan and Professor Diane Rasmussen Pennington welcomed delegates to the event. Delegates were then treated to a keynote presentation on library and information science (LIS) research and knowledge exchange between and among LIS practitioners and researchers by Professor Brian Detlor. Professor Detlor then led a fun activity to help build on learning from his keynote.
Following this, there were ‘network members’ news short presentations from Andrew Feeney (Librarian for North Lanarkshire Council and PhD student at Edinburgh Napier University), Ines Byrne (Digital Transition Manager at the National Library of Scotland), Rachel Salzano (former PhD student, now a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University), Sean McNamara (Head of CILIP Scotland), Martina McChrystal (Director of Library Services at the University of Glasgow), Emeritus Professor Hazel Hall, Professor Diane Rasmussen Pennington, Jeanette Castle (University librarian and PhD student at the University of the West of Scotland) and Dr Bruce Ryan.
After lunch, Emeritus Professor Hazel Hall presented the findings of the RIVAL evaluation exercise conducted in February and March 2021, and published as Hall, Ryan, Salzano & Stephen (2022 in press). Hazel then led a workshop to delve into ways to benefit the LIS practitioner community in Scotland, the learning priorities of LIS researchers and practitioners in Scotland, and the practical steps to meet these needs.
Following further refreshments, there were two more workshops on (1) furthering a grant proposal that was started in the original RIVAL events, led by Professor Diane Rasmussen Pennington; (2) means of keeping the network going – led by Dr Bruce Ryan.
In the evening, those delegates who could stay on had two more treats: a visit to the Library of Mistakes (‘a free public library focused on the world’s business and financial history’); followed by dinner at Vesta, a restaurant that is ‘on a mission to end homelessness in Scotland’.
The RIVAl Reunion organisers are hugely grateful to all the delegates for their energy and ideas, and to the sponsors (McMaster University, Canada; CILIPS; SLIC; and Edinburgh Napier University’s public engagement fund. A lot of ideas were generated about tackling the LIS research-practice gap, and we look forward to putting them into practice!
*research, impact, value and LIS
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