#LyonMeeting2019: Day 2

Aarhus University, Chalmers Institute of Technology, Enssib and the University Lyon 1 researchers and Dokk1, Lungby and BML librarians were part of the #LyonMeeting2019 (April 4th and 5th) This meeting gave all partners some insights about the deployment of the project, its potential and its current obstacles. In this two-day chronicle, we describe what had happened in these meetings, some backstage and most importantly, how such an important international project works.

If the first day was the day of presentations, balances and new perspectives, the second day of the #LyonMeeting took another stage: the BML, or as its French name states: Bibliothèque Municipale de Lyon. Libraries tend to be a central axis of community life in any city, but the BML is a central space where people and knowledge meets.  By the same logic, Placed is an interface encouraging the encounter of collections, events and participation.

After some orange juice, caffeine and the traditional patisserie française, the journey started with the business plan managed by Anya Ernest. Placed participants were split in two groups, all of them composed by researchers and librarians from different countries. They have to think about how the implementation of these platforms could create/encourage pains, gains and costumers jobs (referring costumer tasks) to potential users. This activity was aimed to transform Placed’s narrative into a easily-sold storytelling and to make a huge leap into the market. 

With more caffeine in the tables, it was the turn of the Dissemination Plan, in charge of Raphaelle Bats, Enssib research and part of the #LyonTeam. As a way to ensure that the results of the project are disseminated to a wide audience and its work has maximum impact, the plan has two objectives and two targets. In regards to objectives, the Dissemination Plan tries to engage library staff and visitors with the project to have a basis of future co-design participants as well as it develops a communication strategy to spread knowledge on it.  The targets of this strategy are the academic community and the librarian one. The dissemination plan directed to the librarian community uses different stances, such as the online publication of this blog and the presentation of its potential and results in academic and professional congresses.

When the orange letters of the Communication Plan appeared on the screen, some hysterical shouts started to rise. By using a strong visual identity and following a “serious but fun” philosophy, the communication strategy presentation part strongly emphasized the federate and promote motto of Placed. It also highlighted the “whole and the parts” strategy of the website, trying to connect the globality of the project to an individually crafted storytelling process from each event. After that, the Dissemination Plan team discussed some statistics about the new community management of the institutional twitter account.

Last but not least in regards to the dissemination plan, the strategy directed to professionals intends to promote each demonstrator (Explore and Participate) in information science and bibliothecology events. By showing a chronogram of future events and proposing some questions, Raphaelle encouraged the dialogue between the dissemination opportunities and the academics needs.

In spite of the importance and the personal impacts of the advancements of the dissemination plans, the #LyonMeeting was far from finishing. Groups split in two again, being the occasion for some to discuss the future of the project, as long as others to make a guided tour to the BML. Before of it, half an hour was spent in the discussion about the upcoming national UE calls.

Swedish and Danish librarians were thrilled to visit the BML in order to know their secrets.  A trainee made a brief introduction of the library history, its sections and its importance at the local and national level.  Then, librarians had the chance of meeting the officials in charge of the Disability section, the Artothèque and Children’s one, regarding possible stances of cooperation and personal interests of our prominent visitors.

The division ended up with a lunch under the Lyonnais sun and the expected family photo. Then, the planes tickets and the preparation of passports of our Scandinavian partners were ready. After long speeches and strong farewells, some promises of more work and a strong commitment to future collaborations still lingered on the air of Lyon.