LIR Annual Seminar & AGM 2025
Engagement in the Digital Era:
building Communities of Practice and Social Media Communities
HEAnet Offices, Dublin 1
Wednesday 30th April, 2025
The LIR Annual Seminar 2025 will focus on the theme of community engagement within the library community through communities of practice and social media networks.
This hybrid event will be hosted at the HEAnet offices in Dublin and will be live-streamed for those who cannot attend in person. We encourage you to join us in person but we understand that that’s not always possible for a variety of reasons.
The seminar will explore the development and sustainability of communities of practice and the changing role of social media networks in fostering engagement within the library community and will feature keynotes, case studies and plenty of time for discussions.
Communities of Practice
Discover effective strategies for developing and nurturing communities of practice. Learn how to engage members, maintain motivation, and understand the key considerations before setting up a CoP. Discover why these communities are invaluable for fostering collaboration, continuous learning and professional growth.
Social Media Networks
With the shifting landscape of social media, particularly the decline of librarian communities on platforms like Twitter/X, we will explore alternative spaces and methods for coming together as a community. Explore innovative ways to continue engaging with both end users and colleagues, ensuring that our connections remain strong and impactful.
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #LirSeminar2025
Schedule
| 9.30 – 10.25 | Registration |
| 10.25 – 10.30 | Introductions |
| 10.30 – 11.15 | Keynote: Daniela Bultoc, Communities of Practice Expert in Higher Education |
| 11.15 – 11.30 | Jenny O’Neill, Research Engagement Officer at HEAnet |
| 11.30 – 11.45 | Cillian Joy, Head of Open and Digital Research at the University of Galway |
| 11.45 – 12.00 |
Ronan Cox, Collections and Digital Service Librarian at Dublin City University |
| 12.00 – 12.30 | Discussion |
| 12.30 – 1.30 | Lunch |
| 1.30 – 2.15 | Keynote: Ned Potter, Trainer |
| 2.15 – 2.30 | TBA |
| 2.30 – 2.45 | Dr Catherine Wilsdon, Library Communications and Public Engagement Manager at University College Dublin |
| 2.45 – 3.00 |
Jennifer O’Grady, Library Assistant in User Services at Mary Immaculate College Catherine Gleeson, Library Assistant at Mary Immaculate College |
| 3.00 – 3.30 | Discussion |
| 3.30 – 4.30 | LIR AGM |
The Seminar and AGM will be a hybrid event. Participants can join in person or stream the sessions online. Please see the registration page for further details.
The seminar will be free for library staff from LIR member institutions. Attendance for non-LIR members costs €100.00
In-person registration
Book your place at the HEAnet Offices
Online registration
Book your place via MS Teams
Speakers / Panelists
Daniela Bultoc
Communities of Practice Expert in Higher Education
Daniela Bultoc is an award-winning Communities of Practice (CoP) expert in Higher Education. She’s an organisational development consultant and resilient leadership coach who creates meaningful change in the sector and works with world-leading universities. As Head of CoPs at University College London, Daniela won the 2019 Universities Human Resources (UHR) Award for the best organisationsl culture change initiative in the sector. She also supported the development of several pan-European CoPs and set-up a CoP at a UK-national level which resulted in the publication of the book: “Building Communities of Practice in Higher Education: co-creating, collaborating and enriching work cultures”.
This interactive keynote presentation will provide an overview of Communities of Practice (CoPs), exploring their unique characteristics and distinguishing them from other groups. The presentation will provide insight into the key elements that enable successful and sustainable CoPs, examining their benefits at various levels. By the end of the session, participants will gain practical information about establishing their own CoPs and actionable ways of connecting with others to drive collaborative growth within their areas of interest.
Ned Potter
Trainer
Ned Potter is Faculty Engagement Manager: Community & UX at the University of York, and a Trainer for various organisations including the Bodleian Libraries and the Irish and Welsh Governments. He has run library workshops across four continents, and his presentations have been viewed over 2.5 million times online. His book The Library Marketing Toolkit was published by Facet in 2012. Ned can be found online at ned-potter.com and on Bluesky at @nedpotter.bsky.social
Online library communities in a post-Twitter world. As more and more librarians become ex-X, where do we rebuild our communities – both with our users and with each other? This session will explore the possibilities of Bluesky, LinkedIn, and blogs / newsletters, for reconnecting.
Ronan Cox
Collections and Digital Services Librarian at Dublin City University
As Digital Services Librarian for Dublin City University, Ronan leads a team responsible for the management and development of the library’s digital platforms, services, and ICT integrations.
This talk will give an overview of how DCU Library used a community of practice approach to successfully configure and implement LibKey technology.
Catherine Gleeson
Library Assistant at Mary Immaculate College
Catherine Gleeson has been a Library Assistant on the Thurles campus of Mary Immaculate College since 2023. It is a role that is both varied and challenging. She has a wide range of duties across User support, Collections and Information Services. For the past two years, Catherine has worked as part of a cross campus communications team to share ideas, promote user services and build student engagement across the two campuses.
Cillian Joy
Head of Open and Digital Research at University of Galway
Cillian Joy works as the Head of Open and Digital Research at the University of Galway Library. Cillian aims to help create a fair and sustainable research system using open infrastructures. He is passionate about data, open publishing, and getting stuff done. Cillian collaborates with researchers, librarians, and policymakers to develop and promote open research, open access, and digital research and archives – all to improve how research is shared and used for societal benefit.
Cillian will speak about Aligning Ireland’s Open Repository Network by Strengthening Shared Standards and Practice.
Jennifer O'Grady
Library Assistant in User Services at Mary Immaculate College
Jennifer is a Library Assistant in the Limerick Campus of Mary Immaculate College. She runs the Social Media accounts (along with three other AMAZING colleagues without whom she’d be utterly lost) and does enjoy a nice quiet cup of tea and a book of an evening.
Jenny O'Neill
Research Engagement Officer at HEAnet
HEAnet is Ireland’s National Education and Research Network. Jenny O’Neill’s background is in research support and research data management and she is passionate about Open Research and FAIR Data. She is also Co-Chair of the EOSC Long-Term Data Retention Task Force.
As Research Engagement Officer with HEAnet I am involved National Forum for Research Services and Infrastructure (RESIN). RESIN brings together research support staff from Irish RPOs, RFOs and Research Infrastructures. In this Case Study I will explore what has worked in this Community of Practice.
Dr Catherine Wilsdon
Library Communications & Public Engagement Manager at University College Dublin
Catherine Wilsdon leads the Communications and Outreach team at UCD Library. Prior to this, she was Creative Producer of UCD Library’s flagship Decade of Centenaries project, Poetry as Commemoration, which promoted creative engagement with archives of the revolutionary period.
This presentation looks at how UCD Library uses social media to engage its communities, enhance visibility, and support the library’s work in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Navigating challenges such as algorithm changes, content saturation, and evolving user expectations, the library has adapted to maintain a dynamic presence online. Key successes, obstacles, and opportunities will be discussed.
Location
Link to Google Maps here.
HEAnet is located at 3rd Floor, North dock 2, 93/94 North Wall Quay, Dublin, D01 V8Y6
Nearest Train Station: Connolly and Docklands
Nearest Luas Station: The Point
Nearest Dublin Bus Stop: Stop 7623, Br an Phoirt Thoir, East Wall (22, 23, 33D, 33X, 41X, 100X, 101X, 109A, 142, 151, 193, 194, 194A, 500, 500N, 500X, 501, 503, 505, 505X, 506, 507, 702, 703, 912)
Nearest Intercity Bus Station: Dublin (Busáras)
Nearest Dublin Bicycle Station: The Point