Often in our busy working lives, we don’t get enough time to reflect and consider our work, especially now in a time when all library institutions, be they public, national, academic etc. are facing challenges such as shrinking budgets, increasingly more complex demands from our users and the widening use of the internet and databases.
This is why events such as the upcoming Forum for Interlending Annual Conference present a unique opportunity to get together with fellow library colleagues who happen to do exactly the same job as you do. Irrespective of which sector of library work we represent, we all have one common goal. This year’s conference, entitled Embracing Differences: Diverse customers, varied methods, same goals! encompasses this.
Therefore, past, present and future library staff who share an interest in Interlending and Document supply, really look forward to the Forum for Interlending Conference. The Forum for Interlending and Information Delivery (FIL) is an organisation for Interlending and document supply personnel. It is run by a committee of elected members who are themselves involved in inter-library lending (ILL) and document supply.
FIL was set up to enable library and information workers in this area to exchange ideas and views and also to raise the profile of this area of work both nationally and internationally.
Each year the conference is themed around one of more aspects of Interlending, with keynote speakers from the wider library environment, presentations from partner institutions as well as from those working at the front line. It is an opportunity to network with colleagues from across the country and gain an insight into the different approaches and ways of working found in other libraries.
It also provides an arena for discussions on wider library developments that impact on our service, e.g. patron driven acquisition or the growth of institutional repositories.
This year we are focusing on continuous improvement and best practice, although there is always a request from our members to cover the minefield of copyright and document supply' The full programme has yet to be finalised but will be made available on the FIL website:
http://www.forumforinterlending.org.uk/
Over two, hopefully sunny, days at the end of June this year around 70-80 delegates will make their way to Portsmouth to the Best Western Royal Beach Hotel for this year’s event where, along with a great British sea view, they should all be entertained and educated, and hopefully sent back to work with a new sense of purpose to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.
Full details and information regarding the conference on 27th – 28th June, including booking information, will be found on our website in due course.