The visit from Katherine McSharry of the National Library of Ireland inspired my capstone project for the completion of my MLIS. Her presentation emphasized the National Library’s commitment to the people of the nation and how programming should reflect this commitment to engage citizens. The way she phrased this responsibility made me reflect on my project idea.
In the fall, my idea was to examine the shift in exhibition styles from traditional glass cases to interactive exhibits. I am really interested in cultural institution outreach as a function of memory. But, this is a BIG idea and I just didn’t know how to narrow it down- my audience (children vs. adults) or by type of institution (museums vs. library vs. special collection libraries). My main problem is that I am curious about a lot of things…
Katherine’s words re-framed my idea for me and impacted my view of library programmig greatly. The change in exhibition styles is a symptom of libraries narrowing in on reaching users–that’s why it matters. Ready to hear my new topic?
The Dissemination of Memory: The importance of user engagement in National Libraries.
I will be comparing programming Ireland’s National Library with the British Library and Library of Congress. Surprisingly, I know the least about the Library of Congress! I am research ready and excited to embark on my capstone project. I am grateful to Katherine McSharry’s presentation because her enthusiasm and articulation of her job lit up a little light bulb in my brain. Her presentation helped me narrow down my topic and root it in real-life examples.
One last additional comment, Katherine’s job title is, “Head of Outreach at the National Library of Ireland,” you can learn more about her with this fabulous video or this one (both sponsored by the National Library). I think her job is my new dream job– the combination of being a master of the collection with a budget to programme and help with exhibitions combines skills I love to use with making an impact in the community.
Photos from:
British Library- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BritishLibrary.svg
Library of Congress- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US-LibraryOfCongress-BookLogo.svg
National Library of Ireland- https://www.nli.ie/en/history-of-the-library.aspx
Lib Guide 
