I sit on the Local Public Data Panel for the Department for Communities and Local Government. The dept has an ESRC funded post for the PHD Student – specialising in Data Linking and Sharing. If you’re interested or know someone who is this is the info I’ve been sent: ESRC PhD Studentship – DCLG Data Sharing Position . Other research internships in government are here.
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Dear Prof Sir Nigel and Local Public Data Panel Members,
The Department of Communities and Local Government is seeking a PhD Student intern through the ESRC Student internship programme to investigate local data linking.
We have been asked to bring it to the attention of any academics or others who might be interested in putting forward candidates and we wondered if you might have some ideas on potential takers.
Please find attached the advert for the internship which is now live. The project is quite flexible at this point but is focused on working closely with at least one local authority to investigate the potential barriers, costs and benefits to linking data at a local level to improve public service delivery.
Grateful if you could please pass the details on to anyone who might be interested. Any queries should be directed toesrcinternshipscheme@esrc.ac.ukor to Cody Xuereb, Economic Advisor, in DCLG’s Analysis and Innovation Directorate (Tel: 0303 444 1722, Email: cody.xuereb@communities.gsi.gov.uk).
This week we had a very enjoyable 90 minutes taking some fine local bloggers around the new Library of Birmingham – which opens next Tuesday.
One, Catherine Munyarari who blogs at Hands on Handsworth, was – well, wowed:
When a new public library starts someone thinking about where they might choose to study for a degree it does beg the question how else might it get people thinking.
Andy Mabbett, of the B44 Blog, looked round and he started thinking about long term archiving. The days before a library opens might be a small piece of history, so he added a set of picture to the wikimedia commons (a remarkable place where you can put media which others can use within constraints) see Library of Birmingham Interiors – before opening and a set of Views from the Library of Birmingham. Many of you will know that wikipedia is one of the first things that comes up when you google something – and many people search by images. So who knows what impact these collections may have on how people view Birmingham.
He also wrote a wikipedia article about one of the people we found there:
Karen Strunks and others in a lift at the Library of Birmingham – image copyright Francis Clarke
Karen shared this video:
Of Tom Epps talking about the curious new performance area.
Lol Thurstan has been running his local blog for Sheldon for the last few months (after learning how at a social media surgery). He’s written this fab post about his preview of the new library.
When I arrived to have to have a proper look at this building which has circular wire framing around the whole of the building, which is intended to highlight Birmingham’s famous jewellery industry, at the pinnacle of the building is a gold turret top. I was unsure whether I liked it, perhaps it was too modern for my liking; however, the more I looked at the more I started to like it.
I really enjoyed walking around and seeing the new spaces. I especially liked the children’s library decorated with illustrations, the colour block book rotunda, and the rooftop terraces filled with fragrant flowers, which have already attracted lots of bees! There’s also a really good view of the Central Library from the new Library too.
Kerry is a fan of the Central Library – so visiting the new one would probably have been a little bitter (sweet?). She’s also written about the launch events coming up from next week. Other thoughts shared on twitter:
Thanks to Becky Bartlett for inviting us all and Tom Epps – Events manager at the Library – for his enthusiastic tour plus thanks to all those who joined us … any more stuff you share I’ll update here.
A bunch of bloggers from Birmingham in the new Library of Birmingham
….that’s not even half of it – Each and every floor has the most wonderful array of seating, and nooks and holes inviting you to grab a book take a seat and loose yourself for and hour. There as 2 cafes, blue sky views from the ground floor ( no really), a host of activities for all ages and free wifi throughout.
If it sounds like I’m gushing it’s because I am!
I really did think it was a library suitable for the Birmingham of today, that people of all ages could use appriciate and take some joy in.
In a political climate in which public services are often disparaged and viewed of as merely a safety net for people who do not have any other options, the high quality of the new library gave me hope that citizens of Birmingham will continue to believe in the value of high quality, universal public services.
Meanwhile Bournville Village blog (originally set up by former Podnosh staffer Hannah Waldram) made it to a separate tour and has been asking the key hyperlocal question about the new library and community libraries, would it lead to ,local libraries closing:
Deputy Leader of the Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward said that three and a half million visitors are expected every year and that the new library is a “once in a generation opportunity to change the physical, cultural and economic face of the city”.
Brian Gambles said they were concentrating on how the money invested into this library would help the 39 other libraries in the city and not treat them as outcasts while ensuring that connections with them are “strongly made and strongly felt”.
When asked about the opening hours of Stirchley Library on Bournville Lane being reduced, Brian said there was no direct link between the funding given to the central library and the cuts the community libraries were facing.
Good piece from Sharika Nambiar – her first for this doyen of hyperlocal sites.
It is often very helpful for local community groups or hyperlocal blogs to be able to record what happens at council meetings. It allows them to capture and share a record of what was agreed – and hold politicians to account in the future. It can also help them celebrate success and show good local government in practice.
many councils across the country are still refusing to allow people to film public council meetings. In some episodes of TV programme Grand Designs, viewers have been perplexed at cameras being stopped from filming meetings of the planning committee considering the self-build projects.
The new guidance explicitly states that councillors and council officers can be filmed at council meetings, and corrects misconceptions that the Data Protection Act somehow prohibits this.
The Health and Safety Executive has also shot down the suggestion that ‘health and safety ‘regulations’ also bar filming, which Wirral Council used to justify a filming ban last year.
The new rules do not apply to Wales, as they have not been introduced by the Welsh government who have devolved responsibility. This led to the situation of a blogger being arrested and handcuffed by the police for filming a council meeting in Carmarthenshire. Wrexham council also banned a journalist from the Daily Post from tweeting a council meeting. Eric Pickles has today challenged Welsh ministers to introduce the new rights in Wales too.
Here’s the document and any and all active citizens and local bloggers should keep this in their back pocket.
I’m probably going to cover to much ground in this and waffle a bit. So lets start with something you can get a handle on:
Award the first….
A week or two ago we picked up an Adult Learners Week 2013 Award for the Social Media Surgeries. It was an honour and I think an achievement. 1500 nominations turned into to 21 national awards. Ours is the BBC Learning Through Technology Award. It’s an award for the close to 4000 people who so far been to a surgery. It also for the almost 500 people who been a surgeon – and helped people learn.
I try avoiding getting the surgeries tied up in ideas of formal learning. I’ve always argued they are a place where people can get on with each first and foremost – learning improves as the relationships shape up. NIACE understood informal learning well.
So thank you BBC Learning and NIACE. This is the film NIACE made about the surgeries:
It meant a trip to an awards do in London for Steven Flower (Various Manchester Surgeries), Steph Jennings (Lots of Birmingham and Wolverhampton surgeries – and works with me to deliver surgeries for public sector bodies), myself and George Marston. George is a volunteer running the Low Hill Community Centre and he more than doubled visits after learning to use social media at a local surgery, one which was supported/funded by Wolverhampton Homes (thanks Kate Reynolds) , Wolverhampton Police (thanks Mark Payne) and the Partnerships team at Wolverhampton Council (thanks Sam Axtell).
Here we started to shrink into our chairs. So many people had overcome so much through learning that I certainly felt like messing about with a laptop didn’t quite match up to their achievements. Here’s a couple to watch, including the brill brum organsiation MyTime CIC
and Jenny Dimmock
There was another trip to Leicester for the regional awards. This time with two people. Austin Rodriguez – who’s worked with us through the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership to help change the way communities are using social media in Brum. Austin has himself become a prolific blogger ( at http://bhamsouthcommunitysafety.com/ and other sites) and now shares his skills at social media surgeries. And Lol Thurstan – an astonishing man who took just three weeks to go from knowing nothing about publishing to the web to running his own hyperlocal blog ( http://b26community.wordpress.com ) alongside local police officers.
Awards – the ones I didn’t mention….
This is where I go on a bit too much. For some reason I’m reluctant to write about the awards we get here – or anywhere. We encourage our clients to share their achievements online – but I’m a bit rubbish at it for us. Anyone who knows me will know I’m not shy – can sometimes be a bit cocky. I’ve no idea what it’s about. So for the record two other awards I’ve not mentioned on this site before.
Innovation in a Networked Society. First Place in this European wide competition run by The Oxford Internet Institute and the Knetworks programme from the European Union – last November (I think)
Creative City Award – most helpful thing in Birmingham – voted by the public 2009 (I xan’t even find a link now!) .
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