Mobile devices: more questions than answers? - 2nd Dec

Really good day - interesting to see what other institutions are doing.

Started with a quick intro to the day and a video of the worlds first animated tattoo using QR codes:

Moved onto the 2 strands- I attended the info lit sessions which covered QR codes and uni mobile apps.

1st speaker was Dawn McCloughlin from Edge Hill - they'd tried out a variety of things with QR codes including adding to posters, guides etc. They'd also tried a QR code treasure hunt as part of 2010 Freshers' week. The novelty was good and had got students interested but there weren't very many participcants. Dawn felt Freshers' Week was too busy with too much else going on and also the competition was too complex.

Other uses of QR codes:

• Manchester looking at QR codes on catalogue(can only use OPACs for 15 mins so can send self reference)
• PCT using QR codes to send email requesting email to library (not sure I understood the benefit of this - why not just use a link?)
• Cumbria created branded QR codes -
  QR Generator:
  http://www.racoindustries.com/barcodegenerator/2d/qr-code.aspx
  
  
  Creative image inclusion:
  http://hackaday.com/2011/08/11/how-to-put-your-logo-in-a-qr-code/
   
•  Manchester Business School - included on posters advertising blog - saw increased use of blog via QR code

2nd speaker - Cath Marlowe from LJMU on CampusM
Students want Blackboard access and timetables. CampusM was set up without Library involvement so not completely satisfied with library functions. Can only search catalogue - and that only gives search results not location and can't renew/ access account.
CampusM app displays differently on different devices even with same OS e.g. iphone vs ipad.
They would like to add further library functionality and add lists of eresources which have mobile app - currently links on main web site


Have app and mobile website. Starting to look at mobile strategy

UCLAN have developed own app

Meg Juss - Edge Hill - BlackBoard Mobile Learn
Mobile Learn is an extension to make Bb accessible via mobiles. Uses content already in Bb but can make changes to courses etc to make them work even better in mobile.
Add on was bought earlier this year and released for academic year. Promoted at Freshers' Fair - majority of students they talked to had smartphone or were planning to get one. Despite there not being time for a lot of promotion there's been good take up of the app.

Edge Hill also starting to look at mobile strategy - what is available via desktop now, what infrastructure on campus is - could this support mobile use if it increases further?

Ended with another video...

... and look at various useful apps - GoodReader useful for file management, Evernote - good for collecting notes, videos etc.,


Judy went to the strand on customer services covering e-readers for reading list materials at Chester Uni, Roving support at LJMU and Lancaster and an overview of the mlibraries project.

Links to some material on the Nowal site

Kultivate Conference - Friday 15th July 2011

This one day conference, held at the RIBA in London, marked the culmination of the Kultivate Project, which had looked at ways in which arts research could be better accomodated and included in institutional repositories, and had developed the EPrints Kultur plugin to help adapt repositories accordingly.

The keynote presentation, given by Kerstin Mey from the University for the Creative Arts, discussed What is Artistic Research?. Kerstin spoke about practice based/led research, with a firm methodological mode, and also arts research/art as research, highlighting both the proximity and difference to scientific research.  Art as research can suggest it does not require theoretical documentation, explanation and contextualisation, however research in the arts is permeated by a notion of 'dialogue' - fuid, changing, conversation.  The subject of REF impact was also discussed, and it was concluded that art enquiry needs to be reflected on, and therefore more precise articulations of impact are required by the REF.

The Kultivate project was then summed up by Leigh Garrett of VADS, and it was announced that the environmental analysis, which identifies barriers which inhibit deposit, will be published in Ariadne in due course.

Liber Conference - Barcelona, 29th June - 1st July 2011

This was Liber (The Institute of European Research Libraries)'s 40th Annual Conference, and it was held in the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya.  The theme of the conference was 'Getting Europe Ready for 2020: The Library's Role in Research, Education and Society' and accordingly there were a variety of talks on digitisation, institutional repositories and Open Access, web 2.0 and mobile technologies as well as many other innovative ways in which libraries around Europe (and beyond) are changing and improving their services.
 
My main reason for going was to present our poster on 'Open Access at Salford - Where next?'.  All posters were displayed in the lunch hall throughout the conference, and poster presenters each gave a one minute 'poster madness' presentation in the main auditorium.

Whilst not at my poster, I was able to attend a number of talks during the 3 day conference.  As there were so many talks and presentations, I have chosen to summarise a selection below.  However full details and slides from all presentations can be found at http://bibliotecnica.upc.edu/LIBER2011/