Liam Sullivan, Systems Support Analyst (Library Systems)

Step into the exciting world of Library Systems as we give an overview of the integrations into Library Search/Primo. Join us on a journey where disparate resources converge into a centralised oasis, enhancing research endeavours.

Delve into our established liaisons with university systems like Pure/Emu/Preservica, and more recent integrations such as the AIU Race Centre and Figshare. Peek into the future with upcoming integrations like MDC and Pure Research outputs.

This is not just a presentation; it’s a short presentation.

Ciaran Talbot, Associate Director: AI and Ideas Adoption

Your ideas are the fuel driving Imagine2030. Across the Library we are encouraged to explore, to test and to build on the ideas developed through our individual and collaborative efforts.

Some ideas can be accommodated within our existing ecosystem, whilst other require some funds to develop. To help enable more of your ideas through to realisation we launched the Imagine2030 Ideas Accelerator Fund. Over the past year colleagues across the Library have submitted ideas in support of our Imagine2030 themes and priority areas ('500 words for £500!')

Ideas currently being funded include bringing examples of researched collections to new audiences in Main Library, unearthing ‘The Elusive Christabel’ as she lay low in Paris and exploring new ways to make Library events more accessible through live captions.

In this lightening talk we will relaunch Imagine2030 Ideas Accelerator Fund for 2024-25. Get ideating!

Christopher Wilson, Software Developer

We will explore mapping EMu system data to Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) files, powering the Manchester Digital Collection website's Golden Mummies display.

We'll detail tool creation and methodologies bridging these data realms, parsing EMu's data and crafting TEI files. Attendees gain insights into data management systems and digital collections' relationship.

This approach transforms raw data into narratives, enhancing the digital experience for ancient history and culture enthusiasts.

Mark-Taylor Hutchinson, Reader Services Assistant

Mat Bancroft, Curator (British Pop Archive)

This talk introduces ‘The Secret Public’, the inaugural exhibition in the refurbished Rylands Gallery space: opening in Spring 2025. ‘The Secret Public’ examines the profound influence of LGBTQ+ performers, artists and activists on mainstream pop culture.

Using the book ‘The Secret Public - How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture 1955-1979’ by Jon Savage as a basis and influence, the exhibition utilises and presents key pieces from Savage’s extensive archive and research materials.

The exhibition pulls in supporting material from our Special Collections and further afield to present a story of queer culture moving from the margins to the mainstream, changing the face of global pop culture forever.

Anna Theis, Assistant Teaching Learning and Students Manager

Jennie Blake, Head of Teaching and Learning Development

Recognised for its expertise, reliability and strengths in collaborative working and student partnerships, the Library is leading the creation of a central, cross-University learning resource around academic integrity. The resource will support students' understanding of the policy and guidance around academic integrity, covering all forms of malpractice, and will include guidance on use of GenAI tools for learning.

This presentation will outline how we have approached the project so far, from running initial consultation meetings with academics and professional services staff, to a student-led audit of existing support on this topic and co-creation of a content outline for a new resource to be fully developed by Sept 2024.

Olivia Rye, Research Services Analyst

Abigail Harrison-Henshall, Research Services Analyst

Tristan Martin, Research Services Analyst

Occasionally The Open Access Team receives a request for Open Access funding for a journal that we think might be a bit… suspect.

In this session we invite colleagues from across the library to don their deerstalker, and act as an Open Access Investigator, spotting the shady publishers and suspicious OA practices of predatory publishers.

We’ll cover what predatory publishing is, the ways we spot a problematic journal, and what behaviour and clues we look for to identify a non-reputable publisher. We’ll share our experiences of suspicious journals, and some of the Open Access publishing activity we encounter in the OA team that we consider dodgy.

We’ll then give attendees the opportunity to use their newly acquired skills to follow the clues and identify the predatory publisher.

• Book tickets

Grant Collier, Collections Assistant (Heritage)

Steven Hartshorne, Curator (Science, Technology and Medicine Printed Collections)

A fun, gameshow-style contest celebrating 200 years of The University of Manchester. Learn more about our amazing history and familiarise yourself with our digital resources, including our heritage webpages, our special collections guides and the brand new self-guided bicentenary tour.

Having stuffed your head full of our historic people and places, it will be time to test your mettle against the other teams. Coded notes, lifelines and ‘Barnabee’s Bonus’ will keep things interesting! Do you have what it takes to prove yourself the brainiest (or sneakiest) team, and win the Bicentenary Breakdown?

We recommend attendees bring an internet-enabled mobile device or laptop with them to this session.

• Book tickets

Jane Gallagher, Head of Digital Special Collections and Services

Padma Inala, Teaching and Learning Librarian

Abi Harrison-Henshall, Research Services Analyst

Rachel Kirkwood, Collections Manager

Bean Sharp, eLearning Support Officer

Mehvish Ali, Stock Operations Co-ordinator

Helen Scott, Metadata Manager for Digital and Special Collections

Kathryn Sullivan, Metadata Discovery Manager

Megan Johnson, Reading List Assistant

Jess Smith, Curator (Creative Arts Archives)

Join us to explore and shape the Library’s EDI priorities, through ‘in conversations’ with members of the EDI Working Group and colleagues across our Directorates.

We’ll discuss a wide range of areas including the development of the Library’s staff Multifaith and Contemplation space; building an inclusive recruitment toolkit; developing inclusive curated book lists; and opportunities for LGBTQ+ training and networking.

We’ll conclude the session with an opportunity for you to share what helps you feel like you belong at the Library, how you can get more involved with EDI activities and how we can all work together to develop better equity, diversity and inclusion in our Library communities.

• Book tickets

Pete Morris, Software Developer

You’ve probably heard about AI systems like ChatGPT and DALL-E, and may have experimented using them too, but have you ever looked under the hood? Simple AI models are a lot less terrifying once you know a few basic ideas and concepts.

In this session we’ll make a real AI from scratch. Our AI will look at images from Manchester Digital Collections, and work out which collection an image should be in. We’ll explore bizarre sounding terms like “TensorFlow” and “Convolutions”, before diving in IKEA style and assembling your own from component parts. No Allen keys required, and you don’t need to be a programmer.

Bring your own laptop if you want!

• Book tickets

Mark Furness, Senior Conservator

Elisabeth Carr, Collection Care Manager

Laura Snow, Collection Care Team Leader

Paul Robinson, Conservator

Heather Garner, Conservator

Sophie Coulthard, Conservator

The Collection Care Laboratory sits on the Crawford House mezzanine, tantalising those that pass. But what mysteries does it really hold and what activities go on behind that mundane door? For Together24 we open that door to the whole library, to come and see.

Tour round the new laboratory and workspace, with stations to show and demonstrate the equipment, facilities and staff that keep the simplest to the rarest cultural treasures preserved for future generations and open up access to researchers far and wide.

Collection Care is a part of the Curatorial Practices division, yet it’s activities and responsibilities stretch across the entire library, and a little into the wider University. We’re not just at the Rylands.

• Book tickets

Martin O'Dwyer, Digital Support Services Manager

• Is there a long standing problem in your area you'd like help solving?
• Do you have an idea for improving a service?
• Or maybe there is a completely new idea you would like to share?

Join colleagues from the newly formed AI and Ideas Adoption directorate to run through an Ideas Sprint session and help us work on how we can innovate more, and at speed, in future.

Attendees may be asked to pre-submit some additional information in advance to help feed into the session on the day.

• Book tickets

Paul Ralphs, Assistant Customer Services Manager (Training)

Imagine a pub quiz about work!

The Customer Service team recently introduced the Training and Activity Programme (TAP). Designed to bring together induction and training activity, as well as specific CS Services and tasks, into a consistent process which allowed staff to have a clear understanding of their personal progress as well as a set of resources that could be revisited at any point, giving staff a sense of ownership of their own development and training.

This fun, workshop-style session will introduce the TAP and then put you to the test! Our quiz will highlight the incredible breadth of knowledge that CS staff require and answer the question; could you work in Customer Services?

• Book tickets

Michael Roughley, Teaching, Learning and Students Co-ordinator

Members of the Library Student Team

This year, the Student Team celebrated 10 successful years at the Library by organising a cross-university symposium where they facilitated discussions linked to student partnership.

Following on from this event, we would now like to invite Library staff to reflect on their own practices and think about ways in which we can embed student voices into all the work we do at the Library.

In this breakout session, our Student Team will showcase some of their exciting achievements, pitch ideas for future Library projects and host group discussions around how we can work together to take some of these ideas forward.

• Book tickets

Bonnie McGill, Learning Developer

Bean Sharp, eLearning Support Officer

Ciaran Talbot, Associate Director: AI and Ideas Adoption

Tim Calvert, Teaching and Learning Librarian

This session will open with four provocations from the four panellists on ideas connected to Artificial Intelligence, Democracy and Research, outlining possible considerations for Libraries, Researchers, Teaching Staff and Students.

The aim of the session is to explore what we, as custodians of information, teaching and research practices, should be thinking about and aware of in relation to Artificial Intelligence and our own daily practices.

Following the provocations, attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the provocations in groups and reply to the panellists. The session will follow Chatham House Rules to encourage frank and open debate among Library colleagues.

• Book tickets

Emma Booth, Metadata Manager for Content Management

Des Coyle, Acquisitions Manager

Lucy May, Research Services Manager

Steve Carlton, Research Services Coordinator

This session will cover the joint Operational Project on Open Access Monographs to:

1. Support the implementation of UKRI’s open access policy for long-form research publications.
2. Develop a strategic framework for evaluating and supporting alternative funding models for open access monographs and associated infrastructure.
3. Ensure a purposeful and holistic approach to acquiring and enabling the discoverability of open access monographs, driving collaboration with COPIM.

We will focus on Work Package 4, providing a practical demonstration of its outputs:

1. ‘Strategic Framework for the Acquisition of OA Monographs,’ and
2. ‘Assessment Criteria for Supporting Collective Funding Models for OA Monographs and Open Infrastructure.’

We will demonstrate how the project-team worked collaboratively to respond to the strategic and operational challenges of supporting sustainable funding models for open access monographs, connecting altruistic aspirations with realistic strategic actions.

• Book tickets

Fred Breese and Steve Carlton, Research Services Coordinators

The Open Research Tracker will provide University of Manchester staff with a window into the Office for Open Research’s systems, giving a real-time overview of our business processes at the individual publication level.

This talk will present our experiences so far developing the Open Research Tracker, our uptake of agile working practices and the future vision for the product.

John Gandy, Incunabula Cataloguer

The University of Manchester Library holds one of the world’s greatest collections of early European printed books from the 15th century. Known as incunabula, these books were the first products of one of the most important inventions in history: the printing press.

This talk takes a quick look at the Incunabula Cataloguing Project and its work to create, for the first time ever, fully-researched catalogue records for all of these marvellous books.