RUTH RIKOWSKI
News Update No.27
To begin with I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. It is some while since I have sent round an Update; finally, I have found a window of opportunity. There are now quite a few important news items that I would like to share with you! In particular, I have written a long piece which was inspired by me hearing Michéle Roberts speaking at CILIP Members’ Day on 16th October 2008, and this is now on our website. I have not, as yet, got another blog sorted out, but hope to do that in the not-too-distant future.
1. PIECE INSPIRED BY MICHÈLE ROBERTS - WRITTEN BY RUTH RIKOWSKI
Firstly, then, I went to hear Michéle Roberts (author of 12 novels) speaking at CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Members’ Day on 16th October 2008, and really loved it. In fact, I was so inspired that I decided to write a very long piece about it, relating it to some of my own experiences (as I surprisingly found that I quite had a lot in common with her!). This long article is now available on our website, and is entitled ‘Michéle Roberts: novelist and radical feminist – Comparisons with Michéle Roberts and Ruth Rikowski: writers, book lovers, feminists, radicals, librarians and pro-activists’. It is available at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Michele%20Roberts
News Update No.27
To begin with I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. It is some while since I have sent round an Update; finally, I have found a window of opportunity. There are now quite a few important news items that I would like to share with you! In particular, I have written a long piece which was inspired by me hearing Michéle Roberts speaking at CILIP Members’ Day on 16th October 2008, and this is now on our website. I have not, as yet, got another blog sorted out, but hope to do that in the not-too-distant future.
1. PIECE INSPIRED BY MICHÈLE ROBERTS - WRITTEN BY RUTH RIKOWSKI
Firstly, then, I went to hear Michéle Roberts (author of 12 novels) speaking at CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Members’ Day on 16th October 2008, and really loved it. In fact, I was so inspired that I decided to write a very long piece about it, relating it to some of my own experiences (as I surprisingly found that I quite had a lot in common with her!). This long article is now available on our website, and is entitled ‘Michéle Roberts: novelist and radical feminist – Comparisons with Michéle Roberts and Ruth Rikowski: writers, book lovers, feminists, radicals, librarians and pro-activists’. It is available at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=articles&sub=Michele%20Roberts
Shorter versions will also be published in CILIP London News and in Managing Information in Spring 2009.
2. THE VICKERYS
A year or so ago, I met up with some second cousins of mine, on my mother’s side, for the first time. We got talking about the Vickery’s – our great grandparents. Some information about the Vickery’s is included in the piece that I have just written (see item 1 above). But I think readers might well be interested to have a little more information included separately in this Update – so here goes.
My great grandmother, Emma Sophia Vickery (neé Michael), was one of the first, if not the first woman to obtain the formal teaching certificate in England (as opposed to just being a teaching helper). Apologies for being just slightly vague here, but I have yet to check out the official historical records (and I have no idea, at this stage, how easy or difficult that will prove to be). A second cousin of mine, Deborah Dawes, informed me that her parents did a lot of research on the family, which included going to Cornwall, where the Vickery’s lived for a period. Whilst some bright women were teacher helpers in the 19th century, to go and study and obtain the actual certificate took a lot of courage, determination, as well as intelligence, of course. So, obviously, I am very proud of all of this.
What I do know for an absolute fact is that both my great grandparents, Charles Palmer Vickery and Emma Sophia Vickery ran a school in Cornwall at the end of the 19th century (which obviously led on from the 1870 Education Act). Indeed, they can be found listed in the Cornwall Online Census Statistics 1881
http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:TF8w-d59XWoJ:freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kayhin/82320.html+Cornwall+Census+Stats+1881+Emma+and+Charles+Vickery&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&ie=UTF-8 (item 78). When I was a child I remember my mother, Mabel Elsie Turney (neé Vickery), proudly showing me a photograph of them both, outside their school. Rather amusingly, my great grandfather was standing on a box, because he was shorter than my great grandmother, but did not want to appear shorter in the photograph! Later, incidentally, my great grandmother ran a shop, and then my grandmother, Elsie May Vickery, also ran a shop.
Whilst my grandfather (my mother’s father), Clement Augustine Vickery, was a Captain in the Merchant Navy, and wrote 2 books on nautical matters, and later taught nautical studies. One of the books he wrote is entitled ‘Stability of Ships – mates, masters and extra masters’, published by Imray Laurie, Norie and Wilson, I believe. Unfortunately, I have never seen the books, but I know that a cousin of mine (Christopher Littler), who lives in Spain and France has copies of the books. My grandfather is also listed in the ‘Index to the Captains Registers of Lloyd’s of London (Guildhall Library Ms 18567)’. See:
http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:A_-Xe2xHwmsJ:www.history.ac.uk/gh/capsV.pdf+Clement+Vickery&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=20&gl=uk&ie=UTF-8
In the entry it states: VICKERY, Clement Augustine b. Falmouth 1883 002376 South Shields 1907 & London,1908. Steamships Extra Steam 1908, Vol.86 1907-1911
My mother’s eldest sister, Sophia Levice Olivia White (neé Vickery) was also a junior school teacher all her working life in Wanstead, Essex, following on from winning a scholarship and attending Cheltenham Teacher Training College, around 1930 (she was born in 1910). Furthermore, my second cousin, Deborah Dawes, was a foreign languages teacher in an independent school, all of her working life, following on from obtaining a languages degree from Oxford. Also, another cousin of mine, Nigel Leaney, (who is roughly the same age as me) writes a column for a dog magazine.
So, my family has a lot to be proud of in many ways. The Vickerys, in general, really valued books, education and music. Whilst I came from the East End of London, my mother’s family was more middle class than my father’s, in terms of culture and education, rather than material possessions.
3. REVIEW ESSAY BY RUTH RIKOWSKI OF PAULA ALLMAN’S BOOK ‘ON MARX’ IN ‘POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION’
A review essay of mine (of some 4,000 words) on Paula Allman’s book ‘On Marx’, Sense Publishers, 2007, has just been published in Policy Futures in Education, Vol. 6, No. 5, 2008. See: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/6/issue6_5.asp
My mother’s eldest sister, Sophia Levice Olivia White (neé Vickery) was also a junior school teacher all her working life in Wanstead, Essex, following on from winning a scholarship and attending Cheltenham Teacher Training College, around 1930 (she was born in 1910). Furthermore, my second cousin, Deborah Dawes, was a foreign languages teacher in an independent school, all of her working life, following on from obtaining a languages degree from Oxford. Also, another cousin of mine, Nigel Leaney, (who is roughly the same age as me) writes a column for a dog magazine.
So, my family has a lot to be proud of in many ways. The Vickerys, in general, really valued books, education and music. Whilst I came from the East End of London, my mother’s family was more middle class than my father’s, in terms of culture and education, rather than material possessions.
3. REVIEW ESSAY BY RUTH RIKOWSKI OF PAULA ALLMAN’S BOOK ‘ON MARX’ IN ‘POLICY FUTURES IN EDUCATION’
A review essay of mine (of some 4,000 words) on Paula Allman’s book ‘On Marx’, Sense Publishers, 2007, has just been published in Policy Futures in Education, Vol. 6, No. 5, 2008. See: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pfie/content/pdfs/6/issue6_5.asp
4. COMPULSORY REDUNDANCIES IN LONDON BOROUGH OF NEWHAM LIBRARY SERVICE, FOLLOWING ON FROM REVIEW AND RESTRUCTURING
I was very shocked to find out from former colleagues that some 20 people are being made compulsory redundant in the London Borough of Newham Library Service (and that these redundancies will all have taken place by the end of March 2009). The plan, apparently, is to merge Libraries with Local Service Centres.
This is the third review that has taken place in Newham Library Service since 1993. I was still working for Newham when the first review took effect. Half the posts were deleted and we had to apply for jobs in the new structure. I obtained the post of ‘Training Officer’, which was subsequently deleted. I decided that enough was enough, and sought employment elsewhere – I obtained the post of ‘Support Librarian’ at Dynix, a library software company that has now merged with Unicorn.
However, this latest review is on a completely different scale (with many qualified and experienced staff being lost), and I cannot envisage what type of library service will be left as a result of all of this.
Anyway, I wish my former colleagues all the very best with all their future endeavours – whatever they might be.
5. REVIEWS OF GLOBALISATION AND LIBRARY BOOKS IN ‘PROGRESSIVE LIBRARY JOURNAL’
Given this latest news in regard to Newham library service (in item 4 above), now seems to be an appropriate time to refer to 2 book reviews about books which examine the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and libraries – GATS being the World Trade Organisation Agreement that threatens state-funded services, including libraries. These were published in Progressive Librarian: a journal for Critical Studies and Progressive Politics in Librarianship, Summer 2007, Issue 29. Reviewing and restructuring library services can be a way of introducing the commercialisation and marketisation of services, of course.
The first is a book review by me of Samuel E. Trosow and Kirsti Nilsen’s book, Constraining Public Libraries: the World Trade Organization’s General Agreement on Trade in Services, Metuchen NJ, Scarecrow Press, 2006 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Constraining-Public-Libraries-Organizations-Agreement/dp/0810852373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1231362425&sr=8-1) (on pp.79-81).
The second is a review by Samuel E. Trosow of my book, Globalisation, Information and Libraries: the implications of the World Trade Organisation’s GATS and TRIPS Agreements, Chandos Publishing: Oxford, 2005 (on pp.82-84)
Trosow concludes his review saying that my book “…should be read by anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the global processes that are at work in promoting the commercialisation and privatisation of public services” (Trosow, 2007, p. 81).
I conclude my review by recommending Trosow and Nilsen’s book, and saying that “…hopefully, together, we can start to “blow the lid” on this global capitalist agenda and, indeed, uncover the hidden (and not so hidden) global capitalist trade agenda for libraries and information” (Rikowski, 2007, p. 84)
Trosow concludes his review saying that my book “…should be read by anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the global processes that are at work in promoting the commercialisation and privatisation of public services” (Trosow, 2007, p. 81).
I conclude my review by recommending Trosow and Nilsen’s book, and saying that “…hopefully, together, we can start to “blow the lid” on this global capitalist agenda and, indeed, uncover the hidden (and not so hidden) global capitalist trade agenda for libraries and information” (Rikowski, 2007, p. 84)
6. LIZ TAYLOR – KM CONSULTANT
Liz Taylor, a former Knowledge Management (KM) masters’ student of mine at London South Bank University, now runs a KM consultancy business. She also has 2 books published with Chandos Publishing (one of which I commissioned). She has just sent me some further information about all this, for inclusion in these Updates, and this is below.
“INTRODUCTION TO TKM
Liz Taylor has recently started a consultancy business, Tkm Consulting, focusing on a number of knowledge and information management areas, as well as practical advice on complying with information-related legislation across the UK.
Liz’s expertise is in the evaluation of processes from a knowledge and information perspective. Most of her work has the key aim of producing tangible benefits for organisations through the enhanced management of information and knowledge assets associated with core business processes. The main areas that Liz deals with include:
• Knowledge and information management
o identification of key information and knowledge sources and strategies
o engineering of processes to maximise the potential of intangible assets
o mapping knowledge and information flows which can help improve the effectiveness of communication and security
o identifying opportunities to capture and re-use knowledge and information
• Practical management of information-related legislation
o review and development of practical procedures to facilitate compliance, including freedom of information and data protection
o practical guidance to achieve practical compliance on a case by case basis
• Training
o Offers a variety of training in information and knowledge management and on how to become compliant with information-related legislation.
Liz has worked on a wide range of projects in across both the public and private sector. One of the most recent initiatives was working in partnership with Sitekit, a specialist web content management company. The project focused on web solutions to assist public sector organisations comply with publication scheme requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. The resulting product significantly reduces the resource implications of compliance with the legislation through the automation of legal requirements for organisations, which won an International Award in Content Management.
LIZ TAYLOR’S BOOKS – ‘Freedom of Information: towards compliance’ and ‘Knowledge, Information and the Business Process’
Liz has written two books covering the areas she works in and they both take the format of a practical guide for organisations. The first book, ‘Freedom of information: working towards compliance’, was published in 2004 by Chandos Publishing, Oxford. It was a guide towards achieving compliance prior to the legislation coming into force across the UK and it can still provide a useful tool to evaluate or re-evaluate procedures for compliance.
Liz Taylor’s second book, ‘Knowledge, information and the business process: revolutionary thinking or common sense?’ was published in 2007, by Chandos Publishing, Oxford, and has enjoyed very good international reviews. Aimed at the practitioner, the key focus of this book is to integrate elements of information and knowledge management, with the business process and intellectual capital. The book questions some of the fundamental concepts and principles used to manage information that can be associated with business processes. Specifically, it addresses the argument to more effectively evaluate the contributions of human and systems capital (which are defined) to a process, highlighting the need to make more conscious decisions about what role each will perform in the developed process.
The book begins by discussing practical definitions of each of the terms used and then covers the integration of the intellectual capital with business processes; provides a practical guide on analysis of the complete business process (including products and customers) from a human and systems capital perspective and provides practical frameworks that enable readers to implement the suggested strategies regarding the development of intellectual capital round business processes, which are explained throughout the book.
The book is set out in a way to help the reader follow the practical advice and activities, with the chapters including the following:
• Introduction - the current environment; practical opportunities to expand the concepts; the way forward?
• Intellectual capital - definitions in context; capital relationships; introduction to the business process
• Human capital - the organisational perspective; relationship with corporate learning and development; tacit knowledge and the individual; contributions and collaboration; knowledge transfer
• Systems capital - information and communication; tools and enablers
• Examining the process (I) - the process jigsaw; inputs, outputs and by-products
• Examining the process (II) - creation of knowledge; influencing factors
• The future? – the information and knowledge management vision; next steps
For further information on either Liz Taylor’s consultancy business or her books, please see her website http://www.tkmconsulting.co.uk.
If you wish to get in contact, her e-mail address is liz@tkmconsulting.co.uk. “
7. MIKE NEARY’S INAUGURAL PROFESSIORIAL LECTURE
Glenn Rikowski and I went to Mike Neary’s Inaugural Lecture for his Professorship at the University of Lincoln on 2nd December 2008. Mike is Dean of Teaching and Learning and the Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Development at Lincoln. See:
http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/lincolnacademy/index.htm
Mike Neary considered both in breadth and depth how academics can critically engage with the issues around the marketisation and commercialisation of higher education, through their teaching practice. He is particularly enthusiastic about encouraging undergraduates to undertake their own research, and through this won a large ESRC grant and went on to establish the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research at the University of Warwick.
It was a very inspirational talk and we went out for a nice meal afterwards as well, with several others that were there.
We wish Mike all the very best in his new position.
8. ESSAYS BY THREE OF GLENN RIKOWSKI’S EDUCATION STUDENTS ON OUR WEBSITE
We have a ‘Contributions’ section on our website (see http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=contributions) which invites other to submit articles and short pieces to us, for inclusion on our website. Some of Glenn Rikowski’s students have sent him pieces, and 3 of these are now available on our website. Further details are listed below.
a. ‘New Labour and Variable Tuition Fees in Higher Education: a Critical Review of New Labour’s Policy towards Variable Tuition Fees in Higher Education’ by Alison Tuffs,
Education Studies Student, School of Education, University College Northampton, February 2004. Available at
7. MIKE NEARY’S INAUGURAL PROFESSIORIAL LECTURE
Glenn Rikowski and I went to Mike Neary’s Inaugural Lecture for his Professorship at the University of Lincoln on 2nd December 2008. Mike is Dean of Teaching and Learning and the Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Development at Lincoln. See:
http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/lincolnacademy/index.htm
Mike Neary considered both in breadth and depth how academics can critically engage with the issues around the marketisation and commercialisation of higher education, through their teaching practice. He is particularly enthusiastic about encouraging undergraduates to undertake their own research, and through this won a large ESRC grant and went on to establish the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research at the University of Warwick.
It was a very inspirational talk and we went out for a nice meal afterwards as well, with several others that were there.
We wish Mike all the very best in his new position.
8. ESSAYS BY THREE OF GLENN RIKOWSKI’S EDUCATION STUDENTS ON OUR WEBSITE
We have a ‘Contributions’ section on our website (see http://www.flowideas.co.uk/?page=contributions) which invites other to submit articles and short pieces to us, for inclusion on our website. Some of Glenn Rikowski’s students have sent him pieces, and 3 of these are now available on our website. Further details are listed below.
a. ‘New Labour and Variable Tuition Fees in Higher Education: a Critical Review of New Labour’s Policy towards Variable Tuition Fees in Higher Education’ by Alison Tuffs,
Education Studies Student, School of Education, University College Northampton, February 2004. Available at
b. ‘Paul Willis and Learning to Labour’ by James Thomson
An essay written for EDU3004 ‘Education, Culture & Society’, Education Studies, School of Education, University of Northampton, 3rd December 2007
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/index.php?page=contributions&sub=Paul%20Willis%20and%20Learning%20to%20Labour%20-%20James%20Thomson
James Thomson wrote this essay when he was a final year Education Studies student at the University of Northampton. The original title was: ‘Briefly outline the key features of Paul Willis’ (1977) study, Learning to Labour. Why did the Lads reject schooling? What is the relevance of Willis’ study for schools today?’
c. ‘The Role of Business in Education’ by Sharon Illiff
This piece examines the arguments for and against the role of business/private enterprise in education using relevant policy statements from at least two political articles, downloaded from the internet
An Essay by Sharon Illiff, a First Year Education Studies Student, School of Education, University of Northampton, April 2007
http://www.flowideas.co.uk/index.php?page=contributions&sub=The%20Role%20of%20Business%20in%20Education%20-%20Sharon%20Illiff
If anyone is interested in submitting material for inclusion in this ‘Contributions’ section, then do get in touch with us.
9. PROGRESS OF CILIP NETWORK OF EXPERTISE AND INTEREST
On CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Members’ Day on 16th October 2008, the formal launch of the CILIP Network of Expertise and Interests also took place and I attended this. There were quite a few people there, and a lot of interest. The Network has been set up by Gwenda Sippings and Lyndsay Rees-Jones. There are now some 100 people that have joined the network (of which I was one of the founding members) and I hope that others of you will join – see www.cilip.org.uk/network. The only condition is that you have to be a CILIP member!
10. PAUL CATHERALL HAS A NEW JOB AS ’E-LEARNING SUPPORT LIBRARIAN (LAUREATE),’ AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
Many congratulations to Paul Catherall who recently obtained a new post as ‘E-Learning Support Librarian (Laureate) at the University of Liverpool.
Paul worked at Glyndŵr University, (formerly North East Wales Institute for Higher Education) as the ‘Web Developer for Information and Student Services’ for quite a number of years prior to this. He has also written a book for Chandos Publishing (which I commissioned him to write), and is the webmaster for Information for Social Change and for the Career Development Group, Wales (a CILIP Special Interest Group).
I feel sure that this new position will enable Paul to utilise his breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise more effectively, and I wish him all the very best in his new post.
Many thanks to Liz Taylor for providing the information for item 6.
8th January 2009
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