House of Commons Library – 200 years

Ooh! It’s 200 hundred years since the first librarian was appointed at the House of Commons Library. Happy Birthday to them!

EDC Information Update

© UK Parliament. Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The House of Commons Library is celebrating as this year marks 200 hundred years since its first librarian was appointed.  You can find out more about the library’s history here or watch the video at the end of this blog.

One aspect of the library’s work, relevant to anyone starting to research a contemporary topic, is the production of impartial research briefings on a wide range of current issues.  While these are intended to help members of Parliament by providing them with good quality impartial background information, they are extremely useful to anyone starting to research a current issue. They can be searched by date or topic.

Some recent briefings which may be of interest include:

Brexit and European Citizenship

Brexit the exit bill

Brexit and financial services

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Scottish Official Publication Listing: Dec2107 – Jun2018

The listings are now available to view for the following months:

• Dec2017
• feb2018
• March2018
• April2018
• May2018
• June2018

 

SWOP visit to GWL – June 2018

On Wednesday 13th June SWOP visited the Glasgow Women’s Library. We received plenty of tea and cake – along with a very warm welcome – at this unique museum of women’s history.

“I had no idea that the Glasgow Women’s Library had so much to offer.  Apart from the traditional lending library there is also lots of interesting artefacts in the archive collection, too many to mention and definitely worth a trip out from Glasgow City Centre for a visit.  Thanks for a great afternoon” –  Morag Higgison,  Scottish Government Library

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SWOP at the GWL – June 2018

Scotland’s languages: Gaelic, Scots and English

Photo credit: Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture

 

Re-posted from The Statistical Accounts of Scotland (1791-1845):

This is the second post on Scotland’s languages. This time we look more closely at the languages spoken throughout the parishes. As can be gleaned in the last blog post, at one point the majority of Scots spoke Gaelic/Erse. During the time of the Statistical Accounts of Scotland Gaelic was still the language of the majority, but there were also areas of Scotch or Scots speakers, with English beginning to make strong inroads…

Source: Scotland’s languages: Gaelic, Scots and English

UK Arms Exports, European Historical Memory, and the Iran Nuclear Deal – New Official Publications 21.05.18

University of Glasgow Library

Newly published official publications from :

Westminster and the UK Government

House of Lords Library: The Queen’s Room (c) Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament

Libya: the consequences of a failed state – “Libya is without doubt a fragile state and efforts to rebuild it are complicated by Libyan divisions and interventions from outside.

Since the overthrow of Colonel Gadaffi in 2011, Libya has joined a long list of “failed” or “fragile” states around the world, that is, states riven by internal dissent and without effective national government. In the case of Libya there have been rival governments based in Tripoli and Tobruk for several years, while a large part of the country is controlled by neither.“

An introduction to UK arms exports – “A short introduction to UK arms exports. This Commons Library paper explains what arms exports are, what controls are in place…

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Posting on SWOP Forum

All members of SWOP are invited and encouraged to post onto this site. We welcome any posts relevant to the world of Official Publications. If you don’t already have access, please contact the Webmaster for information.

Brief instructions for posting onto this site can be found here.

Categories & Tags
One important point to note is that the site uses a system of Categories to funnel and direct posts into specific subject areas.

Please do not create categories of your own. They serve no purpose and will just be deleted by the Admin. When creating a new post please choose a relevant category from the options already available:

• Education – Learn more about working with Official Publications
• Events – Information on upcoming SWOP meetings, training and other OP occasions
• Publications/Resources – Official Publications news and updates – including digital resources
• SWOP – SWOP meetings, news and other business

You may add as many Tags to your post as you wish!

Hyperlinks
Also, when adding links – especially to external sites – please be sure to tick the option that will ‘Open link in a new window/tab’. We don’t want users being accidently whisked away from our site!

Thanks for your co-operation in these matters. It may seem a bit nit-picky but it does make a wee Admin’s life easier…

We look forward to reading your posts and remember, please contact the Webmaster if you have any questions. Training on the use of this site may also be available.

 

Brexit discussion event in Aberdeen

EDC Information Update

©MPDO1605. Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

An event, entitled Brexit: Scotland, the UK and EU27: Key Issues, organised by the Scottish Centre on European Relations takes place in Aberdeen at the Central Library on May 23rd.  Organised with the support of the European Commission in Scotland the panel will consider how, with less than a year to go, the Brexit talks are developing and the implications this has for Scotland.  There will be time for questions and answers.

The Speakers are:

Prof Claire Wallace, University of Aberdeen

Liam Smyth, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce

Dr Craig McAngus, University of the West of Scotland

and the Chair is:

Dr Kirsty Hughes, Scottish Centre on European Relations

The event, which starts at 6.00pm on May23rd is free but you need to register in advance.

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SWOP Summer meeting hosted by GWL

Our next SWOP meeting will be on Wednesday 13th June at the Glasgow Women’s Library.

Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) is a national treasure! It is the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women’s lives, histories and achievements, with a lending library, archive collections and innovative programmes of public events & learning opportunities. Highlights from GWL’s collections include Suffragette postcards and jewellery, feminist posters and badges, archives of organisations such as Scottish Women’s Aid and UK Family Planning Association and knitting and dress-making patterns.

It was a finalist in CILIP’s Libraries Change Lives Award in 2017, for its weekly read aloud group, Story Cafe.

GWL has recently been shortlisted for the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 – the only Scottish museum to make the shortlist this year, and the first nomination for a museum rooted in feminism.

Our visit will start with a tour of the collection followed by refreshments (and the meeting). You can book a place on this exciting visit via Eventbrite.

Please aim to arrive promptly so the tour can begin at 1.30 sharp.

Betting terminals, data ownership and mackerel – New Official Publications 08.05.18

University of Glasgow Library

Newly published official publications from :

Westminster and the UK Government

House of Lords Library: The Queen’s Room (c) Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament

Fixed odds betting terminals “are electronic machines, sited in betting shops, which contain a variety of games, including roulette. The Gambling Act 2005 regulates gambling in Great Britain. Critics point out that it is possible to lose large amounts of money and claim that the machines have a causal role in problem gambling. The gambling industry says there is no evidence of a causal link with problem gambling.”

Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. “The Interim Report sets out what the Chair and Panel consider to be the key emerging themes from the Inquiry’s work to date and includes recommendations for specific changes which will better protect children from sexual abuse.”

The Microbiome and Human Health

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Avoidable Mortality, Realistic Medicine, and the Future of Europe – New Official Publications 23.04.18

University of Glasgow Library

Newly published official publications from :

Westminster and the UK Government

House of Lords Library: The Queen’s Room (c) Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament

Surgical mesh implants – “Mesh implants may be used in a number of surgical procedures to provide additional support when repairing weakened or damaged tissue. Over recent years attention has increased on what are thought to be infrequent but sometimes serious complications that may be associated with the use of this mesh in uro-gynaecological procedures to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.”

Parliamentary approval for military action – “The deployment of the Armed Forces is currently a prerogative power. Parliament has no legally established role and the Government is under no legal obligation with respect to its conduct. In 2011 the Government acknowledged that a convention had emerged whereby the House of Commons would have the opportunity to debate the…

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The EU Open Data Portal

EDC Information Update

Do you need to find and reuse EU Data for your research?

The EU Open Data Portal  is free and offers a single point of access to a wide range of data held by EU Institutions and bodies. Generally you can reuse the data free of charge, for commercial or non-commercial purposes, provided you acknowledge the source.

One of the advantages of this portal is that it enables you to link data from various sources automatically that can then be used in a new and creative way.

So to find out more about searching, reusing and linking EU data have a look at a new guide entitled Discover the EU Open Data Portal or check out this short tutorial.

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Brexit Roundup: Where Are We Heading?

This is the latest    report from the Scottish Centre on European Relations (SCER)  a new independent and unaligned EU think tank, based in Edinburgh, that will inform, debate and provide up-to-the-minute, high-quality research and analysis of European Union developments and challenges, with a particular focus on Scotland’s EU interests and policies. This report covers topics from environment to devolution to trade to independence, it charts a rocky path ahead to any possible Brexit deal in the autumn – and the crucial question of whether such a deal will pass in Wesminster or face a further referendum vote on accepting it.

Government Information Group (GIG) Bursaries – CILIP Conference 2018

Want to go to the 2018 CILIP Conference? Our bursary call is now OPEN! Also remember nominations for our GIG Annual Award and Lifetime Achievement Awards are NOW OPEN. Find out more on our GIG Awards page. The closing date for nominations is 31st May 2018. The CILIP Conference is returning to Brighton this July with a fantastic line-up of keynote speakers, thought provoking seminars and essential workshops. Meet like-minded colleagues and make new connections for two days of knowledge sharing, discussion, debate and networking opportunities. The conference aims to leave you feeling inspired and passionate about the work that we do as professionals. To keep up to date on conference developments, follow @CILIPConf18 and #CILIPConf18 and visit the website cilipconference.org.uk. You can also register for the conference. Don’t worry – if you receive a bursary place, CILIP will refund you. The Government Information Group (GIG) is delighted to be able to offer two bursary places to its members for attendance at the conference: • the first bursary is offered by CILIP in recognition of GIG’s involvement with the conference; • the second is being funded by GIG itself. We particularly welcome applications from GIG members who have not previously attended the conference. Find out more and apply. Applications close on Friday 13 April.

Cyber Crime, Chemical Weapons, and Fake News – New Official Publications 26.03.18

University of Glasgow Library

Newly published official publications from :

The Scottish Parliament and Government

Image © Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body – 2012. Licensed under the Open Scottish Parliament Licence v1.0.

The impact of Brexit on Scotland’s Growth Sectors – “This briefing brings together the latest research on the economic consequences of Brexit, assessing the impact on six key sectors (referred to as Growth Sectors) of the Scottish economy. They are: Food & Drink; Sustainable Tourism; Life Sciences; Creative Industries; Energy; and Financial & Business Services. The methodology adopted is a mix of desk research and interviews, analysing the latest data and including the views of industry experts.”

Prescription (Scotland) Bill – “Prescription sets time limits after which legal obligations (and associated rights) will be extinguished. In day to day life a wide range of legal obligations are affected by prescription, making it important in practice. This briefing provides an introduction to the current…

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EU Graduate Administrators Competition

EDC Information Update

The EU institutions are looking for talented graduates and young professionals to fill more than 100 new graduate administrator roles.

Applicants need to have a university degree, a good command of two European languages and EU citizenship.

Registration is open now until the 10th of April 2018 at 12:00 CET.

More information is available here.

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