Workshops

The following sessions take place on the afternoon of Thursday 11 October at the Mitchell Library.  A coach will depart from the Marriott Hotel at 14.00 to take delegates to the Mitchell, and then return at 17.00.

Workshop 1 – Exploring new ways of promoting family and local history to a wider audience

Workshop Leaders:  Dr Irene O'Brien, Senior Archivist, the Mitchell Library & Alan Metcalf, Interim Head of Libraries and Information Services, Liverpool City Council

The recent explosion of TV and other media interest in family and local history brings new opportunities for audience development. Drawing on the experience in Glasgow and Liverpool, the workshop will explore different ways of making connections with the community and together we will identify and discuss how to develop capacity using the tools of the trade: access, learning and outreach.

Workshop 2 - Working with young people to reengineer teenage library services, HeadSpace Lottery Programme, with the Reading Agency and young people

Workshop Leaders: Liz Roberts & Claire Styles, Project Managers, The Reading Agency & guests from the HeadSpace Lottery Programme

How can you involve young people in the development and delivery of your library services? Driven by partnerships with young people from communities across England; the Big Lottery funded Book Bars project, is transforming the experience of young people's library services through the development of ‘HeadSpace' sites. This workshop will introduce participants to the HeadSpace model and the policy drivers that have shaped the project. It will outline a framework within which the HeadSpace concept could be more widely taken up and sustained by libraries across the country, drawing on Fulfilling their Potential.

Workshop 3– Community Engagement: Implementing the Community Libraries Programme

Workshop Leaders: David Potts, Community Libraries Programme Support Officer, MLA & Sarah Wilkie, Programme Manager, Framework for the Future, MLA

The workshop will cover:

• the policy drivers for community engagement in public libraries
• the potential of the Big Lottery Fund's Community Libraries Programme as a catalyst for change
• how the Community Libraries Programme is being implemented

Workshop 4– Designing 21 st Century Services in a Heritage Building

Workshop Leader: Gordon Anderson, Service Development Manager, Glasgow Libraries

This workshop will include a tour of the recently completed Phase 1 development of the ground floor area of the Mitchell Library followed by a discussion on the challenges of modernising the services delivered within a heritage building.

The aim of the workshop is to allow delegates the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas by taking time out to explore the advantages of technology and vibrancy of environment in enticing new audiences, while continuing to satisfy the needs and demands of traditional users. A central theme will be to examine the impact of service development on the use of space and layout of heritage buildings and the challenge of redefining them to ensure their relevance to the future.