Tag Archives: Communities

People Count by Erinma Ochu

Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing phone call interviews to find ‘people stories’ behind what motivates researchers to get involved in designing these technologies. When I looked at most of the researchers websites, it talks about the technology, but not about the people behind it. It has been insightful and inspiring to hear why researchers came up with their ideas.

Each project seems to address a social need by providing simple, technology and skills to provide an innovative solution to the problem. The researchers clearly engage with potential users to design and test the solutions. Techniques include creating networks, spaces (e.g. virtual platforms and maps) to help people to communicate, relate and share information.

So for example, Aberdeen researcher, Edoardo Pignotti’s GetThereBus app (http://www.gettherebus.com/), crowd sources information from bus users to provide real-time bus schedules in rural areas where travel information is often sparse or out of date.

Common themes seem to be emerging in making low cost, simple solutions to enable skills development, communication and access to information, often in remote areas.

The other projects I’ve been in touch with, include Mike Santer and Blupoint (http://www.blupoint.org/), Mike Wright and Anna Kronenburg who worked on Cloudmaker (http://www.fact.co.uk/projects/cloudmaker-making-minecraft-real.aspx) and I visited Pat Langdon who is working on the Upland Rescue and Resilience project.

It will be interesting to discover what else people have learned as a result of being involved in their projects – but that might be beyond the scope of a ten minute film.

Filming is scheduled for the two weeks in June and includes, weather permitting, a visit to the Lake District to see the Upland Rescue team in action with the Coniston Mountain rescue team and volunteers, doing a field test.

Libraries of the Future: Community Engagement

Workshop – Libraries of the Future: Community Engagement

Tuesday, 25 March 2014 at 12:00 – Wednesday, 26 March 2014 at 13:00 (GMT), Aberdeen, United Kingdom

This event continues the series of workshops on the theme of Libraries of the Future with a focus this time on community engagement. We are very pleased to welcome you to the Sir Duncan Rice Library at the University of Aberdeen. This new library describes itself as a 21st century space for learning and research having been opened less than two years ago. We welcome all those with an interest in the theme of Libraries of the Future and especially those concerned with outreach and community activities and related knwoledge management.

The agenda for the two day event will be as follows:

  • 11:30 – 12:00 – registration
  • 12:00 – 13:00 – welcome and introduction to the IT as a Utility Network+ (light buffet lunch available)
  • 13:00 – 13:45 – talk: knowledge management for libraries + questions
  • 13:45 – 14:15 – Community engagement – key issues?
  • 14:15 – 15:00 – break out groups – discussion of community engagement key issues
  • 15:00 – 15:20 – coffee break
  • 15:20 – 15:50 -Report back from break out groups
  • 15:50 – 16:50 – Discussion on emerging ideas
  • 16:50 – 17:30 – Identification of possible follow on actions

 
Evening meal – to be arranged

  • 09:00 – 09:15 – welcome coffee and pastries
  • 09:15 – 09:30 – Recap from day one
  • 09:30 – 10:00 – talk: community engagement (from the Sir Duncan Rice Library library team)
  • 10:00 – 11:00 – library tour
  • 11:00 – 11:15 – coffee break
  • 11:15 – 12:30 – community engagement – discussion
  • 12:30 – 13:30 – working lunch – agreement on follow in actions and recommendations on community engagement.

 
Places are limited – please register if interested.
 
For further information on the workshop, please contact info@itutility.ac.uk
 
Eventbrite - IT as a Utility - Libraries of the Future: Community Engagement