EURASLIC XVIII – Registration and abstract submission open!

Registration and abstract submission for 18th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Aquatic Sciences Libraries and Information Centres are open now.

Submissions may be made for oral presentations, country/institutional reports or posters.

Deadline for submitting proposal: March 15, 2019
Deadline for abstract acceptance: April 5, 2019

All the details about submissions, registration and payments can be found at the conference webpage http://euraslic2019.irb.hr/

Sofija Konjevic
EURASLIC Executive secretary

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IODE Associate Information Units – an invitation to apply

AIU logo

Dear Colleagues,

The IAMSLIC Executive Board would like to remind you of a new initiative from IODE (International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange) to join IODE as an Associate Information Unit (AIU).

The IAMSLIC Executive Board supports this community collaboration initiative and we encourage interested libraries to complete the application form at: http://www.iode.org/aiu

The invitation is extended to any organization, institution, project or programme that performs a marine science information management function and/or provides marine information services or products.

The goals are to promote greater communication with the global marine information community and offer it a greater voice to influence the planning of data and information products and services.

Benefits include:

  1. Being part of an international marine data and information vision
  2. Influencing the future digital direction of marine information
  3. Participating in innovative projects, meetings, training courses, workshops
  4. Sharing and gaining experience in new technology applications
  5. Being part of a professional network of global marine information managers

We are also pleased to congratulate two IAMSLIC member libraries that are the first to be accepted by IODE as Associate Information Units.

MBLWHOI Library
Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States
Contact: Lisa Raymond

INSTM Library
Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer
Salammbo, Tunisia
Contact: Saida Messaoudi

You will find more details in the presentation slides from the recent IAMSLIC 2018 Conference.

If you have questions, please contact Peter Pissierssens at: p.pissierssens@unesco.org

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ASFA survey on user needs

Dear colleagues,

ASFA wants to hear from you and your library users!

ASFA (Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts) is a database focused on fisheries and aquatic sciences. Input to the ASFA database is provided by an international network of information centers who monitor over 3,000 serial publications, in addition to books, reports, conference proceedings, translations and grey literature. Published since 1971, ASFA has recently begun an Impact Evaluation which will ensure ASFA adapts to meet the changing information needs of the fisheries and aquatic sciences sector.

As part of the Impact Evaluation, the ASFA Secretariat has set up a short survey to assess user needs. The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete, and will provide ASFA with information on what you and your library users value in a fisheries and aquatic science database.

We would be grateful if you could share links to the survey at your institutions and other relevant organizations in your countries. The survey is open until 5th December.

The survey is available in six languages:

If you have any questions about ASFA you can contact the ASFA Secretariat here: ASFA-Secretariat@fao.org

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Aquatic Commons work party in Uganda

Despite jet lag and distractive monkeys outside, a hard-working group of IAMSLIC members met prior to the conference for a hands-on Aquatic Commons training and input session. Some participants brought their own institution’s publications, including a few ASFA partners who will subsequently be indexing them in Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts. Others worked on publications for members not in attendance or helped by sharing their expertise of metadata or repository software.

Quick stats

  • 17 publications were submitted
  • 14 members participated, 5 of whom serve on the Aquatic Commons Board
  • 4 existing agencies grew in deposits: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Instituto de Investigação Pesqueira, Mozambique; National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory.
  • 3 new agencies were added: Direction de la Pêche Continentale, Senegal; Institut National de Recherche Halieutique, Casablanca (Morocco); Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde
  • 1 dedicated photographer, Aggrey Isabirye captured the hard work in pictures

Thank you to the conference organizers, the Aquatic Commons Editors (who worked from afar), members of the Aquatic Commons Board, and especially the participants for making it a successful event.

It’s not early to start thinking about next year’s conference in Port Aransas, Texas. If you have suggestions for content or any feedback on how to improve the session, please contact sally.taylor@ubc.ca

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U.S. Dept of the Interior: Records Destruction Request

I am forwarding this email from Stanford’s government documents librarian as it is something that will impact all your users.  Scary stuff happening in the U.S. Government.  Please alert your faculty, staff, and students.
Joe Wible
Hopkins Marine Station Librarian, emeritus
Hi all,

I wanted to alert you to a very disturbing thing happening in the National Archives world that may severely impact research, especially historical and scientific research. The Dept of interior is asking for permission to destroy records about oil and gas leases, mining, dams, wells, timber sales, marine conservation, fishing, endangered species, non-endangered species, critical habitats, land acquisition, and lots more. Basically records from every agency within the Interior Department, including the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and others. This is all content that would normally go to NARA for collection and preservation. This is disturbing because previous administrations would obfuscate records by classifying/reclassifying records. This admin is basically just destroying records so they’ll never be accessible.

There’s an October 29 deadline for comment to NARA: request.schedule@nara.gov /// fax: 301-837-3698 /// NARA (ACRA), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park MD 20740-6001. (Be sure to say that you’re referring to DAA-0048-2015-0003.) Please forward to your networks and researchers who may be effected.

More information: https://altgov2.org/doi-records-destruction/

NARA’s appraisal memo  https://altgov2.org/wp-content/uploads/DAA-0048-2015-0003_Appraisal_Memo.pdf   

This is tragic and terrible.

james




James R. Jacobs
US Government Information Librarian
123D Green Library
Stanford University
P: 650.862.9871
E: jrjacobs@stanford.edu
Gchat: freegovinfo
T: @freegovinfo
W: freegovinfo.info
lockss-usdocs.stanford.edu
library.stanford.edu/people/jrjacobs
freegovinfo.info/about/jrjacobs

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Presenter Profile Series: Caroline Kobusingye and Onan Mulumba

Our final post for #IAMSLICUganda’s Presenter Profile Series features Caroline Kobusingye and Onan Mulumba. We hope you enjoyed this year’s Presenter Profile Series and we look forward to sharing more about our amazing presenters next year for the 45th IAMSLIC Conference in Port Aransas, TX, USA!

A bit about Caroline… 

Caroline is a Country Focal Point of the UN – Technology Bank Project, Uganda. She is the National E-resources Coordinator for the Consortium of Uganda University Libraries (CUUL) and, Head of the Periodicals Section at Makerere University Library. As the e-resources coordinator, she oversees the country’s e-resources activities which include: licensing and negotiations with the publishers, marketing and promoting the usage, trouble shooting to ensure that institutions have seamless access to e-resources, monitoring and evaluation of the usage, organizing and facilitating information literacy workshops among others. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Library and information Science and a Masters of Science in Information Science.

A bit about Onan… 

Onan Mulumba is a Country Focal Point of the UN – Technology Bank Project in Uganda. Additionally he is an Agricultural Librarian and the Head of the Agricultural Libraries at Makerere University, Uganda. Onan is ex-Research4Life users’ representative on the Executive Council and Winner of Research4Life Unsung Heroes award 2013. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences and a Master’s Degree in Information Science.

Onan and Caroline will be presenting on…

Title: Digital Access to Research: prospects of the Technology Bank Project of the United Nations

Abstract: In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly officially established the Technology Bank Project aimed at supporting and strengthening Science, Technology and Innovations in selected Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The focus area of the project was to promote digital access to research and technology in LDCs. Working in partnership with research4life, a partnership of 5 UN agencies (WHO, FAO, WIPO, ILO, UNEP), highly rated science publishers, Cornell and Yale Universities, that have been providing free access to global academic research through the five research4life programmes, as well as, in Collaboration with the Uganda Focal Persons, the Technology Bank aims to achieve its objective. This presentation, therefore, will aim at expanding awareness of the project activities in Uganda, the mode and scope of operation, and to build a partnership base through which the project will enhance research, technology and innovation in Uganda.
Keywords: Digital Access to Research; Technology Bank; Research4Life, Research, Innovation

They can be contacted through…

Email: omulumba@gmail.com, ckobs.angel@gmail.com dar.technologybankug@gmail.com

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Presenter Profile Series: Coffi Ferdinando Rock GBEDO

Next on our Presenter Profile Series we have Coffi Ferdinando Rock GBEDO.

A bit about Coffi…

My name is Coffi Ferdinando Rock GBEDO from Benin Republic. I’m 30 years old and a holder of a bachelor degree in archival sciences (2013) and four years degree in library and information sciences (2016). I’m fonds of foreign languages and apart from French our official language, I’m capable to speak fluently English and a little German and Japanese.

My career in the domain started in november 2014 after my recruitment by Benin’s government. Since then, I’ve been working as a librarian at Benin Institute for Halieutic and Oceanographic Research (IRHOB). I’m also a volunteer at Drabo Public Library where I work every staturday from 9h-13h. Drabo Public Library is working for sustaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union 2063 Agenda in the community.

As a volunteer at a public library, I have the opportunity to attend the Strengthening Innovative Library Leaders workshop organized by African Library and Information Institutions and Associations (AFLIA) in Yaoundé on may 2017. It was also an opportunity to particpate in 4th African Library Summit and 2nd Conference of AFLIA at Djeuga Palace Hotel, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Since march 2018, I’m part of the second cohort of the Program, International Network of Emerging Library Innovators – Sub-Saharan Africa (INELI-SSAF). From 2 to 7 july 2018, I attended the 3rd African Public Library Summit and the Roundtable of African Ministers in charged of public libraries at INKOSI LUTHULI International Convention Centre, Durban – South Africa.

Talk to Coffi in Entebbe about…

– Digital Library Collections Management ;
– Marine information resources management programs
– Training/internship at marine information resources centers
– Scholarship in Library and information sciences

Coffi will be presenting on…

Title: Access to marine and aquatic sciences information in the Benin Republic.

Abstract: Information production in our societies is getting more and more breathtaking. In Benin Republic, Marine and aquatic information is produced by many organizations such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin (IRHOB), Faculty of Sciences and Technic of Abomey-Calavi University, etc. It is clear that the functioning of those institutions will be affected by diverse types of information. What do we do to meet the growing information needs of these users? This paper lays emphasis on tactics used by the library of Benin Institute for Halieutic and Oceanographic Research (IRHOB) not only in following the national rhythm of information production in the field but also in providing its users with the appropriate information.

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Presenter Profile Series: Maria Kalentsits

Second up today we have Maria Kalentsits. Learn more about this #IAMSLICUganda presenter below.

A bit about Maria…

Maria Kalentsits has been working with the ASFA Secretariat since 2015. Her previous assignments were with the Estonian Marine Institute as a librarian and with the University of the South Pacific (Fiji) as a Coordinator of the Pacific Islands Marine Resources Information System (PIMRIS). Prior to joining the ASFA Secretariat, she worked for FAO as the Fisheries Librarian between 2011 and 2015. Within the ASFA Secretariat, Maria is currently carrying out essential duties of the ASFA Editor-in-Chief.

Maria was the IAMSLIC President in 2012-2013 and hosted two IAMSLIC conferences – in 2008 (USP/PIMRIS, Suva, Fiji) and 2015 (FAO, Rome, Italy). She is representing FAO/ASFA at the Aquatic Commons Board and is a member of the FAO-IAMSLIC Joint Activities Group.

You can talk to Maria in Entebbe about…

ASFA partnership and evolving information needs in the aquatic and fisheries sector. Maria likes gardening, reading and swimming.

Maria will be presenting on…

Title: FAO ASFA Secretariat Update: ASFA – IAMSLIC Co-operation

Authors: Maria Kalentsits, FAO (Presenter) & Tamsin Vicary, FAO

Abstract: The co-operation between FAO and IAMSLIC is developed based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by these organizations back in 2005. The presentation will report on the state of activities of mutual interest that ASFA is involved in. A brief overview of transitional changes that ASFA is proposing will be provided.

Connect with Maria through…

Email: maria.kalentsits@fao.org

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Presenter Profiles Series: Arame G. Ndiaye Keita

Wow! Day 1 of #IAMSLICUganda has already begun! We have had a few more presenter profiles come in, so don’t forget to check our Presenter Profile Series as we post our last few profiles today. To start off today we are featuring Arame Keita, head of the Documentation and Information Unit of the Marine fisheries Department under the Ministry of Fishery and Marine Economy in Senegal.

A bit about Arame…

Arame G. Ndiaye Keita is acting as the head of the Documentation and Information Unit of the Marine fisheries Department under the Ministry of Fishery and Marine Economy in Senegal and has been there for many years.

She holds an MLIS from the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal (UCAD), School of Library, Documentation and Archives (EBAD) and previously a Bachelor in the same field at that same university.

Arame is one of the founding members of the regional group of Africa and served in various IAMSLIC’s committees. Currently, she is acting as the representative of AFRIAMSLIC.

She worked on a number of projects and initiatives related to marine information management in Africa ie IOC/ IODE/ODINAFRICA project and continues to serve on various boards, committees, and working groups. She also is a staff member-lecturer of Regional Training Center of Senegal developed in the framework of Ocean Teacher Global Academy program.

Arame will be presenting on…

Title: Development and Introducing to the new website project of the Regional Group of IAMSLIC for Africa-AFRIAMSLIC.

Abstract: AFRIAMSLIC is the regional group of IAMSLIC for Africa. IAMSLIC provides a forum for sharing ideas and resources within the various aquatic and marine science disciplines. IAMSLIC has six regional groups: AFRIAMLIC, Cyamus, EURASLIC, Grupo Regional Latin America, Pacific Islands, and SAIL. AFRIAMSLIC aims to exchange and explore ideas and issues of mutual concern through cooperation within Africa and to build strong links with other national, regional and international aquatic and marine science libraries and information networks.

To enhance communication and resources sharing among members of the group and increase better access to information resources, an AFRIAMSLIC website will be developed under WordPress and hosted by IAMSLIC. The basic framework of the website is already created. The next steps will be the configuration and customization of the site as well as addition of new contents. The paper will report on the success and the challenges in the development of the website..

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EURASLIC XVIII – conference website

The website for 18th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Aquatic Sciences Libraries and Information Centers is launched. The conference entitled River of no return: sail or sink will be held from May 6-9th, 2019, Zagreb, Croatia. The title of the Conference signifies changing role of libraries in information age and their ability to sail with the flow in order to maintain their presence in today’s digital environment, therefore the themes are covering various range of important topics.

Follow the updates on Conference page:

http://euraslic2019.irb.hr/

or event Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/events/2247778922109902/

 

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