Just 7 Days to Go Until Repository Fringe 2013!

There is just one week to go until Repository Fringe 2013!

So, we thought you would like a thorough guide to all of the key information for anyone attending the event – or following the tweets and blogs online.

What to Bring

We have power available for laptops and expect a good few people to bring them, tablets or smart phones for tweeting etc. If you need an extension cord in the Forum let us know and we’ll try and arrange it. Do bring your camera too – we welcome your pictures of the event and have a dedicated Flickr group – just ask to join and we’ll get you set up!

Remember to bring your business cards – or something that could be used as one – as we have a special prize this year for the best business card or the most original manner of distributing your contact details. Why? Because we think a good conference is all about the networking! Find out more here.

Finally the weather, like most of the UK this week, is set to be warm and wet. Bring a light waterproof layer or umbrella and not too many layers.

Before the Event

It’s never too early to start meeting the lovely folk of Repository Fringe! We have a CrowdVine network set up, the #rfringe13 hashtag for Twitterers, a Lanyrd and a Flickr group. Join us, chat, meet, and start plotting your Developer Challenge entries, your grand Pecha Kucha finale, your Fringe entertainment or whatever…

If you are busy preparing your presentation do take a look at our Essentials for Presenters guide – it should include pretty much everything you need to know about bringing your presentation to Repository Fringe!

And if you would like to help us blog, tweet or otherwise help share your experience of Repository Fringe (an interpretive dance on YouTube perhaps?) then you may also find our beginners guide to social media amplification a useful read ahead of the event.

Joining Instructions

How to find the venue: The Informatics Forum is located on Crichton Street, a small side street off Buccleuch Street. A map showing the forum can be found here. (If you have any trouble finding us follow instructions for Fringe Central – we are just across the road!)

Locating Coffee is pretty easy at this end of town. In addition to the coffee we will be providing throughout Repository Fringe we recommend the java at Kilimanjaro, Brew Lab, and the California Coffee Company – located in the Police Box right next to the Informatics Forum.

Registration will be at the desk inside the Forum. You don’t need to bring your ticket, just tell us who you are and let us know if you have any questions. The desk will be manned by various Repository Fringe organisers throughout the event for questions, help, etc.

Wifi will be available via Eduroam or, if you don’t have an Eduroam login, via guest logins for the University Wifi Network. Guest logins can be picked up from the registration desk on the day.

Joining online is basically a matter of following our hashtag #rfringe13 and keeping an eye on the blog. There will be some live blogging and we also have volunteer bloggers (and welcome more if you’d like to take part) who will share their reflections throughout the event. We will also be videoing all of the talks (any taking place in Room 1) and these will be shared online as quickly as we can after the event.

Finding your accommodation should be fairly straightforward. If you have booked into a room at Pollock Halls on Holyrood Park Road (a pleasant 10 to 15 minute walk from the Forum) you can find maps and information here. If you are booked elsewhere then the Google Maps and Open Street Map coverage for Edinburgh are good but we are also happy to help in any way we can.

Workshops

We have two workshops taking place on Wednesday 31st July 2013: Open Journal Systems will be taking place in the University of Edinburgh Main Library, George Square; Getting to the Repository of the Future will take place in the Forum in “Room 2”. Both are now fully booked so if you have not already booked your place you will need to sign up to join the waiting list. For more information on the workshops (including timing) please take a look at our EventBrite page.

Programme

We are delighted to announce that we have published our programme filled with your super presentations, round tables and Pecha Kucha. This is a near-final draft so there may be a few last minute tweaks, but otherwise everything is scheduled. If you would still like to make a contribution to the programme there is probably just enough time for submitting a last minute Pecha Kucha, otherwise we are happy to receive updates, ideas, etc. as guest blog posts, videos or other digital materials to be shared on the Repository Fringe website.

Developer Challenge

If you are taking part in the Developer Challenge do take the time to take a look at our prizes, our theme for this year, and our rules. If you have indicated that you may be taking part in the Challenge you will also receive an email shortly with a few more details from Muriel Mewissen who is coordinating the Developer Challenge this year.

The Developer Challenge will take place in the “Cafe” area in the Forum. This is an informal seating and table area at the rear of the Atrium. There will also be some opportunity for using other rooms on the ground floor when available (not during round tables). There will be extension cables and there should be network cables in addition to wifi. If you have any special requirements please let us know now (email repofringe@gmail.com) – or on the day – so that we can help.

The Developer Challenge is deliberately at the heart of the Fringe this year. We want you to meet and chat and exchange ideas whether or not you have signed up for the Challenge so expect lots of mixing, particularly in the coffee and lunch breaks.

If you would like to be part of the Developer Challenge but cannot make it along in person you can submit your idea/hack online. Take a look at the Developer Challenge page for more on how to do this.

And, aside for a reminder of all the Key Links (see below), that is pretty much it for now…

We are very much looking forward to seeing you in Edinburgh next week and think this will be another fantastic Repository Fringe!

– Nicola Osborne and the Repository Fringe Organising Team

 

Key links

• Programme: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/programme/
• Essentials for Presenters: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/2013/07/19/our-essential-guide-for-repofringe-presenters/
• Networking Session – what to bring: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/2013/07/09/coming-to-repository-fringe/
• Developer Challenge: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/developer-challenge/
• Developer Challenge Rules: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/developer-challenge/developer-challenge-rules/
• All of our social media links in one place – including our hashtags: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/contact/
• Beginners Guide to Social Media: https://rfringe13.blogs.edina.ac.uk/2013/07/23/beginners-guide-to-repository-fringe-2013-social-media-amplification/
• Wifi – how to use the University of Edinburgh Wifi: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/computing/connecting/using-wireless
• Wifi – how to use Eduroam at the University of Edinburgh: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/services/computing/desktop-personal/wireless-networking/jrs-eduroam
• About the Informatics Forum – includes a map of the venue: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/informatics/about/location
• Google Maps showing the Forum: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?expflags=enable_star_based_justifications:true&ie=UTF8&cid=13308771724632550868&q=The+Informatics+Forum&iwloc=A&gl=GB&hl=en_uk
• Connect with us – Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/repofringe13/
• Connect with us – Crowdvine: http://rfringe13.crowdvine.com/
• Connect with us – Lanyrd: http://lanyrd.com/2013/rfringe13/
• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/repofringe