Vasa City library: AKEpampas – The district of Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia
Operation’s main goal is to develop regional library services, knowledge, and co-operation of the employees of library. Collaboration gives the advantage to share best ways to solve problems and share the most efficient equipment’s from colleague’s experiences. In regional libraries one can make quick and bold experiments and learn from another co-worker’s failures. The results can be shared nationally.
We have one post of the Executive Service Designer who does part time, two full time Service Designers and Service Manager gives his input of 20%. Director of library services work’s for 10%, Media Officer work’s for 20%, the representative of children’s library services work’s for 10% and Interlibrary loan services work’s part time.
The Service Designers are in charge of planning and developing new services, conceptualization and piloting new services, the versatile education of the library staff, educational planning and execution, regional communication and the development of programs and equipment’s that are used to communicate on a wide range.
To fulfill the assignment, one must have proactive thinking skills in both organizing a training and developing services.
AKE personnel utilize the innovations of services and staff competence also from other fields. They keep up with the progress by training and benchmarking other actors. They are also active in marketing and sharing the activities in versatile forums among other AKE and VAKE libraries. Part of the job is to participate in multiple gatherings with other colleagues.
AKEpampas collaborates as much as possible with other AKE libraries (Porvoo, Lahti and Tampere to name a few) to provide training days etc. Åke collaboration is also a vital source of shared knowledge. AKE Vasa also takes part in international IFLA conference in august 2023 among Kuopio and they represent all the AKE and VAKE libraries. They can include one person and a poster presentation in the application.
The planning group includes the Directors of Library services and assistant directors from former regional libraries etc., the representative of Fredrika- team and the representative of AVI. Their task is to plan and assess how the activity carries out over the region.
During the year of 2023 AKEpampas will continue the series of workshop that begun the year before. Longterm plans for AKEpampas activities are made in the workshops. By using open forums of discussion that are facilitated, different kinds of methods bring out more hopes, needs and opportunities that libraries can benefit from AKE. AKEpampas is organized to make long term plans for versatile initiatives that will give solutions to concrete problems or challenges that lies ahead.
AKEpampas takes place in meetings with regional teams as a passive bystander, to have an awareness where the regional libraries are standing right now and where they are heading in the future, to find out their hopes, and current issues. Vasa AKE also takes place in Liboppi -committee, Library Channel control group and LL-center control group.
AKEpampas functions as bilingual so all the material is in both Swedish and finnish, when instructors can also be recruited from Sweden, but it will cost more. We have collaboration with Turku and Porvoo when it comes to education in two languages. We have a wide Scandinavian network where we can learn good solutions to utilize in Åke district. We also have collaboration in education and virtualvisits across Europe.
AKE organization has been built to make sure that library employees stay ahead of their professional field, they maintain enthusiasm and stamina over their job. Participatory way of working has bound the customers of libraires to develop library services. This has made library services more visible and effective. Libraries dare to take more chances without a fear of failure. By experimenting and peer learning libraries has learned new ways to function which can be put to good use on making a tomorrows library. Collaboration regionally and nationally is the key to a successful future.
Workshops
The group of children and youth activities in libraries called “Lanukkaat and Barnpampas” was founded in year 2018. The group for senior citizen activities in libraries called “Seniliinit and Seniorpampas” was founded in 2021. The groups are still active. New groups in digital development and immigrants will be founded over the year 2023.
Topics of the year 2023
Psychological resilience to crisis
Topic will be handled over series of discussions.
Accessibility
This topic will have its own project directed to the regional libraires and it is built on the projects of previous years.
Fieldtrips
AKEpampas arranges several fieldtrips to the regional libraries to make sure that as many library workers as possible can attend, so they will have the opportunity to build a network between other areas. Through virtual trips the library staff can get to know other ways of working in the libraries in other countries. There were two virtual trips to the libraires of Luxemburg, Germany, Gibraltar and Canada during spring 2023
Developing
Over the year 2021 AKEpampas collected digital equipment’s to loanable boxes, which libraries can make a reservation for, so they can learn how to produce digital material such as podcasts and live streaming in a professional way. Boxes are called Somelaatikot (social media boxes) and includes digital recorder, microphones, still- and video camera, lights and stands. Boxes have been on an active use for few years now.
AKEpampas podcast
AKEpampas-podcast handles topics that are relevant in libraries right now, such as youthwork in libraries and what kind of sounds belong in there. Podcasts has different guest speakers who brings up the topics of the year and to start a discussion where the libraires are heading. Podcasts are recorded with the equipment’s from the loanable social media boxes. The idea is to activate libraries in the district and to make better communication between libraries.
Loanable boxes for games and memories
Senior groups will collect boxes full of items that will bring up memories from childhood and everyday life in the past. The items in the boxes will be collected around literature that will help to remember old times.
Gameboxes are made to support libraries to expand the knowledge and understanding of the games of tomorrow.
Service Design project
Year 2021 was the beginning of a two-year project to develop services through service design. Project was implemented through participatory methods, collective way of thinking and experimental ways. Eight libraries participated to make a new way to operate on customer service, an event management and networking. Workshops were implemented bilingual and it came to an end in 2022.
What is Liboppi?
Liboppi is moodle based online platform for learning, that is focused on complementary learning to the employees of public libraries in Finland. Liboppi gives the advantage to take courses independently, with one’s own speed.
To have the access to the courses, you need to register on the platform, after that you send a message to Anneli Haapaharju (anneli.haapaharju(at)vaasa.fi) who will send you the password for each course.
What it takes to study through Liboppi?
It takes motivation and systematic scheduling. The courses are built in several sections to make it easier to follow even in short periods at a time.
One of the many services that AKEpampas provides to the public libraries in the district, is multiple loanable equipment’s. Equipment’s comes in boxes. Boxes contains equipment’s to provide social media content (visual and sound), Magic carpet and robots. Boxes can be loaned for a month at a time.
To make a reservation for a loanable box, you can send an e-mail to akepampas@vaasa.fi.
Picturebox
By using Picturebox you can have the best pictures, and making high quality videos is quick and easy. Box includes a camera, gimbal, and user-friendly light with a stand, to have the right kind of lighting to create videos with a smartphone.
When to use the box for picture aids? For example, when one needs to take a picture for social media, websites, or brochures. In times when you want to take a picture from a colleague or a guest. You can make steady videos without trembling (also in slow motion), using your own smartphone.
To have a perfect lightning while streaming a guest speaker, you need to loan Videobox. The box includes a light, video camera and a stand. Libraries can have more than one box for loan at a time. Boxes are for library use only.
Videobox
With the help of this box, you can make high quality videos with no effort. The package contains video camera, a stand, a MacBook air, and a wireless microphone.
Videobox is good for streaming and making trailers or educational clips. You can use the equipment’s for editing videos that are made with smartphone.
If you want to have a higher quality sound for videos, remember to loan the Audiobox. Audiobox includes a recorder and headphones.
Libraries can have more than one box at a time and boxes are for library use only.
Audiobox
With the use of Audiobox, you can make high quality sound recordings with no effort.
The box contains a recorder set, batteries with a charger and headphones.
You can use Audiobox to make a podcast, to record sound for streaming, or to make a video with a higher quality sound. It is easier to edit audio when it is recorded separately from video. You should try out how easy it is to make a podcast with this set. The box is easy to take with you, wherever you want to record.
You can use this box with other loanable boxes and boxes are made for library use only.
Dash and Dot -robots
Dash and Dot are small robots, that makes learning encoding fun for kids. Robots include many attachments which makes playing and games more interactive.
Dash is the bigger one, it can move from place to place and do a lot of fun things. Dot is the smaller one and won’t be able to move but has its own skills. Robot’s has built-in speakers, led lights that can change color, sensors help them avoid objects etc. Robots can also communicate with each other. One can give instructions to robots via iPad that comes with the package.
Magic carpet
Macig carpet is an interactive machine that brings your floor to alive! The system is built with computers and a television projector that reflects image on a light-colored floor. Magic carpet activates and inspires children of all ages to move and solve various tasks.
The whole field reacts to the movements of the user. One can choose from 500 puzzles and games of the program menu. The carpet size is 2 meters long and 3 meters wide.