Meetings Secretary Report 2003/2004

Katharine Schopflin

The 2003-4 year began with Managing Information editor Graham Coult, talking about avoiding downsizing and redundancy. Graham introduced the subject, which was followed by an informal discussion. The meeting was well-attended and interesting, with many relevant issues raised, although we did not really produce a solution.

In October we hosted our annual open day for graduate trainees and library assistants, organised jointly with the Industrial and Commercial Libraries Group. This year we held it at Friends House, which is well-located and good value. In the morning Dave Nicholas of City University spoke about studying information and Nicola Franklin of Sue Hill Recruitment gave career advice and interview skills tips. Delegates then divided into tours of the British Library and the Wellcome Library. After lunch information professionals from different sectors, including media, law, charities and government, discussed their working day and careers. The speakers were Peter Knight (BBC), Bona Ruocco (News International), Jill Halford (Charles Taylor & Co Ltd), Mary Plackett (RNID), Karen Cox (Baker & McKenzie), James Denmead (DES) and Richard Nelsson and Alan Power (the Guardian).

Later in October we had scheduled our second regional meeting, to be hosted by BBC Manchester Information & Archives. Unfortunately the speakers, who were to be discussing future television technologies and implications for information professionals, cancelled at the last minute and the hosts preferred not to hold the meeting as a social evening and visit. In November our annual conference was held in London, opening with a visit to the Guardian Newsroom exhibition and including dinner at the People's Palace and a visit to the Globe Theatre.

In December we held two events concurrent with the Online Exhibition. The first was in Online's new 'Associations Room'. Gary Price of the Resourceshelf website gave an update on web skills and resources. It was felt that Online had given no support in publicising or organising this meeting and there was little advantage in holding it at the exhibition. Two nights later, BBC Information & Archives' Online Services department demonstrated their relaunched intranet site, research.gateway. This event was held jointly with SLA-Europe and recalled events held in 2000, when the site was originally launched. The speakers were Matthew McDonnell and Lindsey Sellors.

In February, Martin Belam, who works for BBC New Media, told us how information skills are used in building and searching the bbc.co.uk website. This meeting was heavily oversubscribed after being promoted on both the LIS-CILIP and LIS-TAXONOMY lists and was well-attended by information professionals from different sectors. Our last event before the Annual General Meeting was an informal evening hosted by The Profile Group, publishers of events and celebrity information, at their new premises in Covent Garden. Attendees were given a chance to try out the products and editors were present to answer questions.

This year, there will be a demonstration of the Guardian Research department's new intranet site, a talk on training customers on using databases and one on digitisation of the TV Times. Our annual conference is to be held in York on the weekend of March 11-13th 2005. We are always seeking ideas for new meetings and events, especially outside of London.

25/9/03 - Graham Coult, BBC Bush House (22 attendees)
7/10/03 - Graduate Trainee Day, Friends House (55)
14-16/11/03 - Annual Conference, London (50)
2/12/03 - Online Exhibition, Gary Price (12) 4/12/03 - BBC Conference Centre, Marylebone High St, research.gateway demo (43)
18/2/04 - IPC Magazines, Martin Belam (30)
21/4/04 - Profile Group (22)
22/7/04 - CILIP Visit, AGM and summer party