Library Camp UK 2013. First of all, what is it?
For a start...it's not even a camp. Not in the camping sense. However Library 'Meeting' UK 2013 doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
Library Camp is an un-conference. It is a meeting, a gathering of Librarians, Assistant Librarians, Librarian wannabes and Library lovers to talk about - you guessed it - Library stuff. This year it's being held at the new Library of Birmingham, which I'm really keen to visit anyway for two reasons. The first being that it just opened - it's big and looks awesome and I want to see if it's got substance and style. The second being that my friend goes to university in Birmingham and afterwards we're going for some food and a catch up! But I digress...
What makes it an un-conference is the way in which it is structured. Basically, there isn't a structure. The tickets are free, all you have to do is snap one up (which I managed to do with just 14 left!) and the guests bring the topics for discussion. There are 200 people attending. The idea, to make it work, is that you suggest a discussion/game/something to do. Then you all go and do it. You're free to come in and out of the library, take time to wander around, blog, take pictures etc. You could just go and participate in everyone else's activities. However if everyone did this there would be very little going on. I really want to be one of those people who gets involved and holds a discussion on something really awesome and fun.
However.
I don't know what to do.
I've got all of nine days to plan and perfect something. Trouble is, having never been to one of these before, I've really got no idea what I'm supposed to do. Do I suggest a topic and just let everyone else discuss away? Do I have to give a short speech and present my opinions on something, then let everyone else pick over my points? Or do I come prepared with powerpoint presentations, flip charts and diagrams to give an hour long lecture? Probably not the last one. But you see my dilemma.
Oh the horror! There's a lovely sessions proposals page, where everyone is pitching potential ideas. All of them sound like they know what they're doing. There's another issue right there - if I did a session, would anyone gain anything from it? I don't know nearly half as much about the library world as some of the people attending. I'm not a qualified Librarian and I've only been in my current position of three months. Is it even worth contributing anything?
Idea's I'm potentially considering are as follows:
- Re-iterating the idea of the library as a communal asset. How do you prevent books being taken from a school library with no security system in place.
(Basically try and get some ideas. I work in a boarding school library, that the students can access 24/7. There's someone on the desk from 8:30am - 20:00pm Mon-Fri and 9am-12pm on a Saturday. However books go missing all the time. Students don't sign them out, wander off with them, then when we check the shelves they aren't there and we have no idea if they'll come back. Some do, some don't.)
- Libraries: Places for introverts and extroverts.
A discussion on the physical design of libraries. The open spaced, minimalistic approach, could be off-putting to introverted types, who studies show prefer 'nooks and crannies' (I know I do). There's some interesting work that's been done on office designs in this respect - it would be interesting to compare the findings relevant to what environments introverts and extroverts thrive best in, to library environments. How can we make spaces work for everyone? And can people over-generalise when considering what these two personality types 'need'.
And that's kind of all I've got. Apart from plan C, which is to turn up and wander vaguely around hoping to learn something from everyone else who is probably better at this that me.
Oh and lots of people bring food for the event. But that's another thing to panic over later.
Oh Knickers. Wish me luck.
Over and out.
Hello! I'm also going to Library Camp, and I also have no idea what I'm doing...! I've tentatively proposed a session but I haven't got the foggiest idea about how you're supposed to pitch these things. I imagine that they'll get anyone who wants to to stand up and explain briefly their session idea, and then see what the level of interest is. I hope it's not more complicated than that! The impression I get is that it's ok to suggest a topic and get a discussion going, rather than coming prepared with a presentation etc - after all, this isn't supposed to be like a normal conference. The other thing about Library Camp is that it's supposed to be more inclusive than other conferences - meaning that you shouldn't feel underqualified. We're all there to learn from each other! Lots of library students and possibly some other graduate trainees/library assistants will be attending, so a lot of us will be in a similar position to you. I like the sound of a discussion about library spaces - it's something we recently discussed in a lecture, and it was very interesting to hear people's reactions to different library spaces. I say go for it! What's the worst that can happen? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, after having attended I feel very silly for worrying now :) Although I didn't pitch anything I definitely feel more comfortable suggesting something for next year!
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