A JISC study (PDF) has found that learners develop a variety of digital literacies often through a social trial-and-error process, without the direct support or advice of their educational institutions.
Ben Showers JISC programme manager said: “By understanding and recognising students’ hidden behaviours and motivations, JISC is in a position to help universities and colleges develop better digital services and resources, with the student experience significantly improved.”
Watch a video interview with the two project leads David White (University of Oxford) and Lynn Silipigni Connaway (OCLC Research)
To understand learners’ engagement with digital technologies, JISC is now funding the next phase of the project which uses the concept of visitors and residents to describe their online journey.
The visitor sees the internet as a toolbox that they use for a specific task and then leave the web without leaving a footprint. The resident partially lives out their life online; they see the web as somewhere they can express themselves.
It’s the next phase in a longitudinal study into US and UK learners at different stages of their education in a partnership between the University of Oxford and OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
The study says that there is now a learning ‘black market’ where learners use non-traditional sources of information online, which may lack academic credibility. While these practices can be effective for their studies, students are often wary of citing such resources.
Gaining an understanding of these emerging practices will help ensure that projects and institutions provide effective advice and guidance in the ongoing development of digital skills.
Ben Showers said: “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Visitors and Residents work. It is not only challenging assumptions about how students use technology, but it is shedding light on those practices, attitudes and techniques students employ online.”
There are more intriguing findings from the study, including that LinkedIn becomes more important to people in the later stages of their education; that there is more skepticism in the US than the UK education system over students’ use of Wikipedia; and that students prefer email over instant messenger and other tools for ‘administrative’ tasks such as contacting a researcher.
“We are very excited to continue this work,” said co-principal investigator Lynn Silipigni Connaway. “We believe our preliminary findings will have a great impact on the development of services and systems for teaching and learning.”
“The project is discovering the extent to which the embedding of the web in both personal and institutional contexts is changing the way we learn, teach and research,” said co-principal investigator David White. “We are delighted to be able to explore this further and to have the opportunity to create resources that can be used to reflect on, and experiment with, new forms of professional practice.”
Find out more about the project and read the latest report
via Jisc news
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) today issued the first public appraisal of the Digging into Data Challenge, an international grant programme first funded by JISC, the US National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the US National Science Foundation and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Their findings are presented in One Culture, along with a series of recommendations for researchers, administrators, scholarly societies, academic publishers, research libraries, and funding agencies. The recommendations are “urgent, pointed, and even disruptive,” write the authors. “To address them, we must recognize the impediments of tradition that hinder the contemporary university’s ability to adapt to, support, or sustain this emerging research over time.”
The Digging into Data Challenge was launched in 2009 to better understand how “big data” changes the research landscape for the humanities and social sciences. Scholars in these disciplines now use massive databases of materials that range from digitized books, newspapers, and music to transactional data such as web searches, sensor data, or cell phone records. The Challenge seeks to discover what new, computationally based research methods might be applied to these sources.
In its first year, the Digging into Data Challenge made awards to eight teams of scholars, librarians, and computer and information scientists. Over the following two years, report authors Christa Williford and Charles Henry conducted site visits, interviews, and focus groups to understand how these complex international projects were being managed, what challenges they faced, and what project teams were learning from the experience.
Brett Bobley, chief information officer and director of the NEH Office of Digital Humanities, heads the Digging into Data Challenge. "Do we have big data in the humanities and social sciences? Yes—buckets of it,” he says. “But our ability to produce huge quantities of digital data has outstripped our ability to analyze and understand it. One Culture helps us to see not only why we would want a computer to assist us with our work, but how big data is changing the very nature of traditional humanistic research."
Co-author and CLIR president Charles Henry said, "This report discloses the complexity and sophistication of humanities and social sciences research in a digital era. It underscores the excitement and potential of new discovery through deep collaboration across disciplines and affirms the continuity of traditional values and perspectives of scholarly communication in a data-dependent milieu. The report also seeks to animate a collective responsibility to more concertedly appreciate, extend, fund, and provide adequate services to sustain this remarkable research."
In 2011, four additional funding bodies joined the four original cooperating agencies in support of fourteen new international collaborative research projects. These funders include the Institute of Museum and Library Services (US); the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK); the Economic and Social Research Council (UK); and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.
Stuart Dempster, director at JISC, said, “We are proud to be a partner in this trans-Atlantic endeavor which aims to assist individual researchers, academic departments, and research institutions to succeed with the ‘data deluge’ in the humanities. For the UK to continue to punch above its weight in terms of digital scholarship and research it is vital for it to collaborate in ‘smart partnerships,’ which foster innovation in the development of tools, skills, and new research findings. This report shows that success in action.”
“The CLIR report is an excellent assessment of this unique and exciting international partnership,” said Gisèle Yasmeen, Vice-President, Research, at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. “The Digging into Data Challenge project is generating innovative computation and data analysis techniques to better advance research and we look forward to its continued success.”
"NSF has found the Digging into Data Challenge to be an excellent mechanism for enabling collaborative, data-intensive research in the social sciences and humanities," said Elizabeth Tran, programme officer in NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering. "It has significantly reduced some the key barriers to conducting research across borders and has resulted in a number of truly international outstanding research projects."
The report is available online in pdf format; an extended version with case studies is also available in html format. Print copies are available for ordering through the website.
The report, One Culture. Computationally Intensive Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences, was made public today at the Joint Conference on Digital Libraries JCDL 2012 conference in Washington, DC.
CLIR is an independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching, and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions, and communities of higher learning.
via Jisc news
Listen to the podcast (Duration 8:33)
JISC EMBEDDED OBJECT
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John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning launched two new JISC TechDis tools this week as part of our work to improve access to education for all abilities.
The tools TechDis Voices and TechDis Toolbox will improve text to speech and provide a one-stop toolbox of resources, aimed primarily at helping people with disabilities or other difficulties to improve their work and learning.
TechDis voices will improve the computerised voice people hear when they choose to listen to a voice read out text from a device.
The new TechDis voices are two high quality, youthful and modern voices Jack and Jess that can be used with text-to-speech tools.
JISC TechDis have worked with hundreds of learners and the specialist synthetic voice company Cereproc to ensure that Jess and Jack meet high standards.
“Jack’s pronunciation is the best I have heard for a long time. Jess is even better than Jack – brilliant!” says Sid Cameron, assistant manager of Soundwell learning resource centre, City of Bristol College.
Sal Cooke, Director of JISC TechDis says, “We are hoping that Jess and Jack will help bring text-to-speech out of the shadows and into the light of mainstream education provision. There are so many benefits for so many different types of people.”
For instance, this software could help you multitask and listen to texts whilst travelling or exercising. TTS is especially useful for people with print impairments, such as dyslexia, and can also be very helpful to those who are more confident with spoken rather than written English.
The second tool is TechDis Toolbox, a collection of resources which give useful hints and tips on technologies that can help individuals work smarter, quicker and more efficiently.
While written primarily for those with disabilities or difficulties, it is useful for anyone who wants to gain or improve on the skills most valued by employers.
The toolbox explores many common workplace technologies such as Microsoft Office and Google and explains how to get the most out of them. It also suggests different tools for different needs. For example, people with a visual impairment may find screen magnifiers or text-to-speech tools useful; individuals with dyslexia or memory problems might like to use task lists, calendars and reminders.
JISC Techdis decided on the contents of the Toolbox by asking groups of former students “what should your tutor have told you but never did?” Their answers shaped the final resource, so the toolbox now contains bite-size videos, short guides, animations and brief audio files.
The two new tools were announced in Hayes’ plenary speech at the 7th National Digital Conference.
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Historical events such as the Aberfan disaster in 1966, the Miners’ Strike in 1984 and the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 are some of the important events to have been documented and placed on the website, created by Aberystwyth University as part of Jisc's investment in opening up valuable content online.
Paola Marchionni, programme manager at Jisc, said: “The TV audiences that our popular programmes enjoy today is nothing like the peak figures reached by the nation’s favourite programmes in the eighties and nineties. The television was a really key part of our culture. Jisc’s suite of work to support the digitisation of collections like this one and the gathering of people’s memories of these events, shows our commitment to preserving our national treasures and opening them up for the benefit of education and research.”
As well as interviews with contributors and film footage the website, which is called Media and Memory in Wales, also includes maps, documents and photographs.
Working in four areas of Wales – Caernarfon, Carmarthen, the Rhondda and Wrexham – researchers interviewed people about how television affected their lives and the way they saw the world around them at that time.
Professor Iwan Rhys Morus, from the Department of History and Welsh History and leading the project, explains: “The website will be a vital resource for academic researchers, professionals in the media and policy makers. You could easily spend hours searching through the stories that are collected here.If you are inspired to share your own memory of watching these events and of the impact of television on your life, you can contribute to People’s Collection Wales.
“The archive resulting from this project will provide a significant resource for understanding the politics of television. For much of the fifty years in question, television formed a key battleground in struggles for linguistic and national identity.
“The new website includes an extremely important archive which explains the role of television in the lives of Welsh people over fifty years. I am sure there is something of interest to everyone here."
The project was carried out by Aberystwyth University’s History and Welsh History Department with support from project partners Culturenet Cymru.
Other partners are BBC Wales whose footage of the events provided an important spur for peoples’ memories, and the National Screen and Sound Archive at the National Library of Wales where the content will be archived.
Image by brizzlebornandbred on Flickr
via Jisc news
Listen to the podcast (Duration 6:21)
JISC EMBEDDED OBJECT
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The UK public sector already saves £28.6 million by using open access. The reports make it clear that both the public sector and the voluntary sector would see further direct and indirect benefits from increased access to UK higher education research publications.
Already, more Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations use open access than pay for subscriptions, despite the fact that subscription journals make up the vast majority of journals on offer.
image by mollyali on flickr
The UK public sector spends £135 million a year, made up of subscriptions and time spent trying to find articles, accessing the journal papers it needs to perform effectively. Each extra 5% of journal papers accessed via open
access on the web would save the public purse £1.7 million, even if no subscription fees were to be saved.
The UK's valuable voluntary and charitable sector would also benefit from open access to academic research. For survey respondents, the two most frequently mentioned barriers to accessing research were cost (80%) and lack of time (46%).
Professor Martin Hall, vice-chancellor at the University of Salford and chair of the OAIG, says, “These findings mark a turning point in the quiet revolution of open access. There are many good reasons for making research available on an open access basis, and the reports are clear that one reason is because open access makes economic sense. The UK Open Access Implementation Group is committed to helping the public, private and academic sectors benefit from UK research and I am proud that these reports further that cause."
Making more research free at the point of access, and easier to search across could produce significant savings, but could also lead to better decisions based on all the available evidence. As one senior scientific officer in a specialist scientific unit of large department of state observes “Open access would allow a lot more speculative reading and reading around the subject which is really useful for a holistic and high quality view to be developed."
This, in turn, offers benefits back to researchers, boosting the impact of their research by increasing its reach outside the academy.
These findings are borne out across all three reports in this series, and this body of new, quantitative work provides compelling evidence that increasing open access to research articles will have direct financial and practical benefits for the UK as a whole, benefits that are especially valuable in a time of austerity.
Professor Martyn Harrow, executive secretary of Jisc, which is a member of the OAIG, said: “Jisc is pleased to contribute expertise and assistance to the important work of the OAIG and we welcome this report.”
The reports make a number of recommendations around increasing awareness of open access in these two important sectors. These include promoting the value of the information produced as a result of public research funding and exploring ways of improving relationships between academic researchers and workers I other sectors who rely on their research to do their jobs well.
The UK OAIG is working to add value to the work of the member organisations to increase the rate at which the outputs from UK research are available on open access terms, and these reports show how important that work is to the UK.
Read the report Benefits of Open Access to Scholarly Research to the Public Sector
Read the report Benefits of Open Access to Scholarly Research for Voluntary and Charitable Sector Organisations
See the references for this press release on the OAIG website
via Jisc news
A list of courses in Aberystwyth accredited by CILIP.
Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth University, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3AS
Tel: 01970 622188 direct; Fax: 01970 622190
E-mail: dis-dept@aber.ac.uk
Web: http://www.dis.aber.ac.uk
BSc Econ Information and Library Studies Single Honours.
Full-time and distance learning (including major/minor combinations)
Next accreditation June 2014.
BSc Econ Information and Library Studies Joint Honours.
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014.
BScEcon Business Information Management.
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014.
BSc Econ Information Management Major.
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014.
BSc Econ Information Management Single Honours.
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014.
MSc Econ / PG Dip Information & Library Studies.
Full-time & distance learning - Next accreditation June 2014.
MSc Econ / PG Dip Information Management (Research Training).
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014.
MSc Econ / PG Dip Management of Libraries and Information Services.
Distance Learning - Next accreditation June 2014.
MSc Econ Information Systems (Research Training).
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014.
MSc Econ / PG Dip Records and Information Management.
Full-time & distance learning - Next accreditation June 2014.
MSc Econ/PG Dip Information Governance and Assurance.
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014
MSc Econ /PG Dip Archive Adminstration.
Full-time - Next accreditation June 2014
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CILIP joins calls for faster reforms to UK copyright law
Consumer Focus, The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), the Open Rights Group, the Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance (LACA) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), are calling for reforms of the UK’s copyright law to be speeded up. The call comes after the latest survey by Consumers International1 reveals that the UK continues to significantly lag behind other developed nations on copyright issues.
For the fourth successive year the UK has been in the survey’s bottom three. UK copyright law must be updated to be fair for consumers and to drive vital economic growth. Therefore all of the recommendations from the recent Hargreaves Review should be implemented without delay.2
According to the survey, which looks at how copyright laws in 30 countries balance the interests of copyright owners with those of consumers, the UK was ranked third from the bottom. Overall Consumers International gave the UK a C- rating, only Jordan and Argentina fared worse. Israel was ranked highest followed by Indonesia, India, New Zealand and the USA. In 2009 the UK was placed last and was third bottom in both 2010 and 2011.
Failure to implement Professor Hargreaves' recommendations to modernise the UK’s outdated copyright exceptions would be unfair to consumers, hinder economic growth, and put the preservation of and access to our cultural heritage at risk.3 The most glaring example is the lack of a private copying exception for products consumers have already paid for. The UK’s current copyright regime does not reflect the way consumers use music, films and e-books today. As the law stands, transferring music from a CD to an MP3 player for your own use is illegal.4 The UK should take maximum advantage of its ability to update copyright exceptions under European law.
Outdated copyright exceptions not only bring the law into disrepute, but also force businesses to spend unnecessary time and money taking legal advice or fighting unnecessary court cases when developing digital products and services. The current copyright regime also makes it more difficult for creative industries to gain access to the UK’s significant cultural assets and hinders academic research. If the UK is to compete globally, UK based companies and cultural institutions must be free to innovate without being held back by an outdated copyright regime.
The lack of an exception for parodies stifles legitimate and important cultural engagement and expression around music, film and books. Outdated copyright exceptions also impact on cultural institutions. Libraries and archives allow society as a whole to benefit from certain copyright protected works whilst not damaging the moral or economic interest of creators and copyright owners. It makes no sense that such an important cultural function does not include film, broadcast and sound recordings.
Mike O’Connor, Chief Executive of Consumer Focus, said:
“Our copyright regime, especially on exceptions, is outdated and is both unfair for consumers and hinders economic growth. It is ludicrous that it is illegal for people to put CDs they have paid for onto laptops or MP3 players or to back-up their digital purchases.5 The creative industries are a beacon of hope for the UK economy and the outdated copyright regime puts us at a disadvantage against our competitors.
"The law is running miles behind current technology and the needs of the digital age, with our copyright exceptions last updated in 1988 when Walkmans, videos and cassette tapes were in fashion. We welcome the Government decision to accept the recommendations by the Hargreaves Review, and we call on them to bring them into force as soon as possible, before the UK falls any further behind.”
John Dolan, Chair of CILIP Council said:
“The UK needs to become a world leader in research and information provision. This can only be done if researchers, librarians and information professionals are able to fully utilise the range of materials held in archives and libraries. There is an ever growing richness of research material available in audio and video; it is ridiculous that they cannot be copied in the same way that print materials can. Government should update the existing libraries exception as a matter of urgency, so that libraries can help our researchers access the UK’s full cultural heritage.”
Jeff Lynn, Chairman of Coadec said:
“The purpose of intellectual property protection is to foster innovation, but many aspects of the current copyright regime have the opposite effect for digital businesses. Brilliant new models of producing, marketing and distributing creative content are emerging, and they thrive on the vibrancy of the internet rather than being threatened by it.
“The exceptions will allow today’s technology start-ups to compete with their European and US rivals. Digital startups and SMEs across the UK are the job creators and wealth creators of the future and they need to be able to harness the web’s potential to contribute to economic growth.”
Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“Music, films and books are strands of our cultural fabric, not just products to consume. Parodies are legitimate ways to engage with them, helping people learn creative techniques, entertain, express themselves or make a point about the original work. At the moment copyright in the UK puts creativity like this on the wrong side of the law, acting as a veto over culturally useful activity. That's why we need a new exception for parodies in the UK.”
Tim Padfield, Chair of LACA said:
“The preservation exception urgently needs to be extended to ensure that all kinds of copyright work, including artistic works, films, sound recordings, and works in electronic formats, are available for the benefit of future generations. Many films, sound recordings and photographs have already been lost because it was not permitted to copy them. Copies of those that remain, and that will be created in the future, are essential for the preservation of knowledge and our cultural heritage.”
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Notes to editors:
1. Consumers International (CI) are the independent global campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries, they are building a powerful international consumer movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. CI has been conducting the IP Watchlist since 2009.
2. The “Hargreaves Review of IP and Growth” was published in May 2010 and makes a range of recommendations to update copyright exceptions, licensing and enforcement. Following the Government’s endorsement of the review’s recommendation implementation has commenced. Richard Hooper is currently in the second phase of his feasibility study for a Digital Copyright Exchange, one of Prof Hargreaves’ recommendations. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) consulted on a small claims track for IP disputes, as recommended by Prof Hargreaves, and the small claims track will be implemented later this year. Late last year the IPO also launched a consultation into implementing Prof Hargreaves’ remaining recommendations on updating copyright exceptions and licensing.
3. Amongst others the following recommendations have been made to update copyright exceptions:
4. Under current UK copyright law it is illegal for consumers to format-shift copyrighted music, films, e-books etc they have purchased, eg it is also illegal to format-shift a Kindle e-book into other e-book reader formats. Once implemented the Hargreaves recommendations will end this legal anomaly.
5. Consumer Focus previously published a literature review of the existing economic evidence on fair use rights. The review found that there is no existing evidence to support the argument that activities such as format-shifting, where consumers copy their CDs onto an iPod or computer, causes copyright owners to lose money.
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This practical programme will outline the structure of English law and its basic legal materials, along with brief coverage of European Union sources. Participants will use a mix of paper and electronic sources throughout the day, with a segment of the afternoon dedicated to self-guided, supervised exploration of subscription law databases. There will be some coverage of free online sources, including tools to keep yourself up to date.
By the end of the course participants will have:
The programme will be valuable for librarians and information specialists who work in public, commercial and private organisations where law is beginning to form a part of their enquiry work or who are newly appointed to a position within an established law library.
Sample programme
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The audio-visual archives of the BBC contain a wealth of material gathered since it was founded in the 1920s, but they remain largely inaccessible, held on film or videotape and managed to serve the needs of programme-makers within the BBC.
Chronicle makes part of that archive available to UK higher and further education by digitising news and current affairs programmes from the BBC Northern Ireland’s vaults.
This gives teachers, students and researchers the chance to explore and immerse themselves in the events over an important period (1963-1976) of Northern Ireland’s history, delivering a rich and contextual experience from a political, historical and cultural perspective.
After several years of informal collaboration between the BBC and JISC, today also marks the start of a new partnership as the two organisations sign a Memorandum of Understanding, to support the promotion of their common purposes, especially with regard to education, learning and culture.
Signed by Caroline Thomson, BBC Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Secretary, Professor Martyn Harrow at the New Broadcasting House and managed by a joint steering committee, the MOU will enable the two organisations to develop their joint interest in encouraging the creation and use of a wide range of audio visual and cultural assets to support education, research and public use.
Chronicle will provide authenticated users with access to digitised copies of news and current affairs material covering Northern Ireland and ‘The Troubles’, along with web-based tools allowing them to be searched, viewed and annotated.
Other advantages of this project are considerable, not least as there exists very little audiovisual content, covering Northern Ireland historically, politically or culturally during the sixties and seventies in any depth, even though a number of organisations and academics have indicated a ‘significant need’ for such materials.
Additionally, there was a strong archival need to digitise the material from the period: between 1963 and 1981 news material was recorded on 16mm film and a significant proportion of this footage is now in need of preservation while coverage from 1981 onward was recorded on Beta or Digibeta tape and at much less risk of deterioration.
The project has also been shaped by an academic steering group made up of scholars from participating institutions (University of Westminster, Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Ulster, St Mary’s University College and Royal Holloway University of London) who are reviewing the academic value of the project as it runs.
Martin Doherty, Department of Social and Historical Studies, University of Westminster says: “The value of the BBC Northern Ireland News footage cannot be overstated. Access to this corpus of materials means that at the same time as fostering understanding and appreciation of ‘The Troubles’ within education, the academy is also given the opportunity to build on this through new avenues of research using innovative techniques.”
Caroline Thomson, chief operating officer of the BBC, says: “The BBC is committed to making the best possible use of its enormous archive, and this project is an important step forward in finding ways to use archive material to serve both the academic community and the BBC's broader public purposes. We are very excited to be able to share this significant collection, not only because of the light it will shed on recent history but because we will be able to apply the expertise gained to other archive-related activities across the BBC.”
Martyn Harrow, executive secretary of JISC, says: “Partnerships like this one with the BBC are extremely important to us. We are able to share our respective knowledge, skills and resources for the ‘common good’ of British creativity, ingenuity and economic growth. Working together shows how archive content can be ‘opened up’ for the benefit of higher and further education which in the case of this project means it provides the opportunity for rich content to be embedded into teaching, learning and research.”
Luís Carrasqueiro, chief executive of the British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC), says: “I am delighted that this unique collection – which has not been seen since broadcast – will be available for learning and research. Television news is arguably the most dominant medium informing and reflecting public opinion. This news coverage is essential in understanding the history of Northern Ireland: including the Troubles but also fashion, architecture, journalism, religion, sports, and daily life. The BUFVC has worked for more than 60 years in placing the moving image alongside text as a scholarly asset, this new resource is yet another step in that direction.”
I don't have a .ac.uk email address but I'd like to preview the Northern Irish footage
via Jisc news
This training programme is for Library staff who work with service users away from reference desks and other fixed contact points and where self-service points may operate within the library environment.
Many libraries are moving over to self-issue and /RFID and asking staff to roam, rove or walk the floor to deal with customer enquiries. This complete change from feeling ‘safe’ behind the issue or enquiry desk where roles were clearly defined and the customer sought them out to having to seek out the customers themselves may cause staff to feel quite anxious and unsettled in their new roles.
In this new environment where large issue desks no longer exist staff find themselves feeling exposed. Mangers would like their staff to be more attuned to the needs of the customers, to recognize when to approach and when not to approach and to ask the appropriate questions in their own way.
This one day programme will help front line staff gain the confidence to cope with these changes, develop techniques and skills to use when walking the floor.
By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Peter Firkin
Peter is a consultant and manager with thirty years’ experience of training in the UK and overseas. He specialises in training in effective communication for library and information staff, especially when coping with difficult situations , and provides interim and project management and training for a range of organisations. He is a visiting lecturer at City and Islington College and City University London.
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High quality, topical content helps information professionals worldwide keep up with latest industry developments
Facet Publishing, the commercial publishing and bookselling arm of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, are pleased to launch its 2010 catalogue. The complete listing of practical, authoritative and topical books features over 50 new titles, which together cover a broad reach of LIS developments and highlight the challenges faced by library and information services in the digital age.
Whether you require a good understanding of the increasingly complex legal and regulatory framework that applies to information work, are a cataloguer with a responsibility for ensuring a smooth transition to Resource Description and Access (RDA), or are a publisher concerned with the evolving trends and behaviours in academic libraries, Facet’s new 2010 programme provides dynamic, relevant and up-to-date content for you.
Titles cover subjects ranging from archives and records management, to cataloguing and classification, knowledge and information management and the latest web 2.0 technologies
One 2010 highlight is E-books in Libraries: a practical guide by Kate Price and Virginia Havergal, which provides a practical appraisal of e-books: looking at planning and developing e-book collections and delivering them to readers.
Another title to watch out for is The Future of Archives and Recordkeeping: a reader. This timely book asks where the archives discipline has come from and where it must now go to remain professionally relevant in the 21st century.
We will also be publishing The Tech Set, a series of ten practical, fast-paced guides to today’s hottest new technologies for information professionals, from Mobile Technology and Libraries and Microblogging and Lifestreaming in Libraries to Wikis for Libraries and Gaming in Libraries.
In addition, in 2010, we will be publishing a number of textbooks including a third edition of the best-selling textbook, Introduction to Modern Information Retrieval by G G Chowdhury, Information Policies and Strategies by Ian Cornelius and Understanding Healthcare Information by Lyn Robinson.
This is just a taster of what Facet Publishing will have to offer in 2010. For all the latest information about these new titles and our comprehensive backlist take a look at our website www.facetpublishing.co.uk or email info@facetpublishing.co.uk to receive your personal printed copy of the new 2010 catalogue.
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Press contact:
Lena Stuart, Marketing Manager, Facet Publishing
Tel: 020 7255 0597
Email: lena.stuart@facetpublishing.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1. Facet Publishing is one of the largest publishers worldwide in the field of library and information science. At the forefront of library and information development, Facet Publishing has a comprehensive list covering all the major areas of professional activity.
2. All titles are available at 20% discount to Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals members. Remember to quote your Membership Number if claiming the discount.
3. All our books are available from Bookpoint Ltd, Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk
4. CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 36,000 people engaged in library and information work, of whom around 21,000 are CILIP members and around 15,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information about CILIP.
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(to serve until 31 December 2013)
Postnominals
MA, Dip Lib, FCLIP
Biography
Sue is currently the Head of Knowledge Management in the Localities Team at the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). This role involves developing knowledge management tools to support the building of relationships with the Department’s external stakeholders including Local Authorities, businesses and the Voluntary and Community Sector. She has a particular responsibility to support the work of the DCLG team for the north east of England.
She has worked in a number of government departments in a variety of information management roles including Head of ICT Services at DCLG, Chief Librarian and Head of the Public Enquiry Service at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and roles in intranet, records and knowledge management at the Department of Health. She was also Director, Information Resources for the International Secretariat of Amnesty International for a one year secondment in 1997. She started her career as a graduate trainee at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and studied for her MA in Library and Information Studies at University College London.
She is currently a CILIP Chartership Mentor and editor of the Network of Government Library and Information Specialists journal “Network”. She was previously a CILIP councillor and member of the CILIP Executive Board (2000-2005), Vice Chair of the Government Library and Information Group and was Secretary of CDL: Heads of Profession for Library and Information Managers.
She has contributed articles to Update and other professional publications and has spoken regularly at conferences and seminars. Her particular areas of expertise include the government sector, personal and professional development (and promotion) and delivering information and knowledge management activities to deliver organisational goals. She was also involved in developing the IFLA Government Library Guidelines.
She enjoys living in London, visiting art galleries, theatres and the cinema and travelling to new places.
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Title: Ms
Forename: Sue
Surname: Westcott
Post Nominals: MA, Dip Lib FCLIP
Candidate manifesto
CILIP and its members face challenging and changing times. To continue to thrive and meet the needs of its members and its responsibilities to society, CILIP Trustees and staff must focus on being financially robust and retaining and attracting members. My experience in leadership roles, at work and in the profession, has given me a range of relevant skills in financial management, strategic planning, service delivery and project management, which I want to use to help CILIP achieve these goals.
I am Vice Chair of the Government Information Group with a remit to build relationships with other professional groups and to work with CILIP to develop its policy priority for information management. The first role has led to GIG hosting shared events with other groups ensuring that with limited time and resources we can be as effective as possible. The second role has enabled me to meet with a much broader range of professionals inside and outside CILIP. It is clear to me that there is tremendous potential for a much bigger CILIP community providing we create an organisation hospitable and of interest to those in new information roles.
At work I provide a knowledge management service in a government department, providing effective information to support to our senior management team as they implement new ways of working with citizens, businesses and parts of the public sector. I do this with limited resources by being flexible and imaginative in my approach and by building relationships with others inside and outside the department to meet my goals. I am able to constructively challenge colleagues and to take difficult decisions.
As a trustee I would use these experiences to help CILIP and its wider family transform itself.
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Nominators' Supporting Statements
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Statement 1
Title: Ms
Forename: Veronica
Surname: Fraser
Post Nominals: FCLIP
Sue is an active member of the profession with a track record as a Group activist, Umbrella speaker and member of CILIP Council. In addition to working in government information services. Sue has worked in the voluntary sector and has a broad understanding of the contribution that our services can make. Sue is clear about what CILIP needs to survive and flourish. Sue embodies the clarity of thinking, ability to make difficult decisions and delivering on commitments that we need. I'm pleased to be able to vote for Sue - and urge you to vote for her too.
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Statement 2
Title: Mr
Forename: Peter
Surname: Griffiths
Post Nominals: BA(Hons) FCLIP MCLIP
I’m delighted to nominate support Sue Westcott for Council because of her experience and her understanding of CILIP’s activities and position within the wider information profession. Sue has a successful long-term track record of delivery as a CILIP activist (she has served as a Councillor, and is currently on the GIG committee) and she has proven business skills of the kind that will help lead CILIP to a new position of strength in the sector. Sue’s professional links will help CILIP spread its message across all sectors, and to build its reputation in areas where it currently lacks visibility.
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Statement 3
Title: Mrs
Forename: Gwenda
Surname: Sippings
Post Nominals: FCLIP
Throughout her career to date Sue Westcott has demonstrated a commitment to CILIP and the wider information profession. She is an energetic ambassador for information, and has willingly contributed time to committees and networks, taking an active role in organising events and writing for publications. She has taken opportunities to use her core skills in a variety of key roles in the public sector. Her experience gives her the authority to voice ideas and share best practice to inform CILIP’s future development as an effective organisation for its members.
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Statement 4
Title: Mr
Forename: David
Surname: Smith
Post Nominals: MCLIP
I wish to nominate Sue Westcott as a CILIP Trustee. Sue is an experienced member of CILIP, who is very active in its affairs both within groups and at a national level. In addition Sue is a CILIP Fellow, as well as Vice Chair of the Government Library and Information Group. As an integral part of her work as a senior civil servant, Sue would bring considerable strategic decision making skills, as well as a well developed understanding of the governance issues connected to this role. Sue is an excellent communicator, and a powerful advocate for CILIP issues
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Statement 5
Title: Dr
Forename: Sandra
Surname: Ward
Post Nominals: BSc Hons, PhD Cert, HonFCLIP
CILIP faces tough challenges. Trustees require business nous, courage, creativity, and real understanding of the breadth of activities now undertaken by LIS professionals. Having chaired CILIP’s council for much Sue’s time as a councillor and worked with her professionally since, I can confirm that she possesses these qualities and others. Sue’s strengths include the ability to debate contentious issues dispassionately, working with others to reach sound conclusions and making wise decisions. Her experience in many government departments demonstrates capability in absorbing and making sense of complex information. Her boundless enthusiasm will inspire others. I am pleased to nominate her.
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A list of courses in Loughborough
Department of Information Science, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leics. LE11 3TU
Tel: 01509 223051/223052 direct; Fax: 01509 223053
E-mail: h.l.rees@lboro.ac.uk
Web: lboro.ac.uk/departments/ls/
BSc Information Management & Computing
(3/4 year full-time, non sandwich/sandwich modes year) Next accreditation April 2013.
BSc Information Management & Business Studies
(3/4 year full-time,non sandwich/sandwich modes year).
Next accreditation April 2013.
Postgraduate Diploma/MA/MSc Information and Library Management -- Next accreditation April 2013.
Postgraduate Diploma/MSc Information and Knowledge Management-- Next accreditation September 2014.
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A list of courses in Glasgow accredited by CILIP.
The University of Glasgow
Humanities Advanced Technologies & Information Institute (HATII)
George Service House, 11 University Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8QQ
Tel: 0141 330 3635
Fax: 0141 330 2793
Web: http://www.hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk
MSc Information Management and Preservation (Digital). Next accreditation April 2013.
MSc Information Management and Preservation (Archives & Records Management). Next accreditation April 2013.
The University of Strathclyde
Department of Computer & Information Sciences
Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XH, UK
Tel; 0141 548 3700 direct, 0141 552 4400 switchboard.
Fax: 0141 552 5330
Web: http://www.strath.ac.uk/cis/
Postgraduate Diploma/MSc Information and Library Studies. Next accreditation October 2013.
Postgraduate Diploma/MSc Information Management.
Next accreditation October 2013
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Here you will find details of our research policy, developed for CILIP by the Library and Information Research Group (LIRG). There is also information about the LIS research coalition and links to research resources.
CILIP's research policy document outlines our position on a range of aspects of research and development issues as they affect the management of information and library services. CILIP claims a role in, among others:
The Library and Information Science Research Coalition facilitates a co-ordinated and strategic approach to LIS research across the UK. CILIP is one of the founding members of the coalition. Dr Hazel Hall currently implements the plans of the coalition.
For more information contact: hazel.hall@lisresearch.org
The conference: Evidence, Value and Impact: the LIS research landscape in 2010, took place in June 2010
Library and Information Research Group (LIRG)
LIRG plays an important role, in partnership with the Policy and Advocacy Unit, in developing and implementing the policy and its associated strategy.
LIRG researcher directory
At Umbrella 2009 LIRG launched a new researcher directory of people researching LIS in the UK and Ireland. LIRG invites practitioners and academics who are conducting or planning on conducting research in the LIS area at any level to add themselves to this Directory.
Library and information research resources
LIRG maintains a research resource collection to act as a starting point for research and current awareness. It covers a wide range of resources including journals, websites, discussion lists and conferences.
Policy & Advocacy Unit
Email: policy@cilip.org.uk
Tel: 020 7255 0638
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The research shows that in the seven institutions surveyed, a FOI request takes a university an average of 5 hours 2 minutes to respond, at a cost of £99 rising to £121 when employment overheads are taken into consideration.
However, the report suggests that there are factors influencing these costs including the size of the institution, the nature of the request and possibly the maturity of the institution’s records management system.
As Steve Bailey, the senior adviser at JISC infoNet who managed the research, explains: “From the data we have there appear to be certain elements responsible for influencing the costs involved in processing requests over which the institution has no control; its size, for example, where the bigger the institution the more complex and therefore more costly the process is likely to be. There will also always be an element of luck involved with a question which one institution might find relatively easy to answer proving difficult and vice versa, simply due to the exact wording of the request and the way in which each institution functions. However, a good records management system seems to have the potential to streamline the identification, location and access of required information; whilst ensuring staff at the most appropriate grade are engaged in each stage of the process may also help universities deal with requests more efficiently.”
The research tracked 36 different FOI requests in seven institutions during January 2012.
Now that the methodology underpinning this research has proved successful JISC infoNet plans to collect similar data for a further 140 requests over five months later this year. The work was inspired by discussions with UUK.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of UUK, said: “Universities are committed to openness and transparency and JISC research has shown that universities respond efficiently to the majority of FOI requests. But this latest research shows that the costs are considerable. We want the Government to look closely at how FOI affects universities and particularly at aspects such as the charging rules, and how FOI relates to unpublished research. Meanwhile, this research will help universities develop their capacity to deal with these requests.”
The JISC figures appear to be broadly in line with data released earlier this week from the Ministry of Justice study (PDF) into the costs associated with FOI. That study suggested an average response time of 5 hours 21 minutes at a cost of £164 for non-central government departments, rising to 6 hours 10 minutes and £184 for central government departments.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives anyone the right to access information held by public authorities, which includes most UK colleges and universities.
For advice on how to deal with FOI requests, and the legal issues surrounding them, read JISC Legal’s guidance.
Read Steve Bailey’s blog post about the research
via Jisc news
These resources can be downloaded by CILIP members and library campaigners in developing their campaigns and demonstrating the value of professional skills and knowledge:
Blogs and Networks
CILIP Communities: your space for connecting, sharing and gaining focus on professional issues.
CILIP Information and Advice Blog
thewikiman blog: Ned Potter
Guides
Adding Value: Practical Guide.
Salaries: Job Evaluation and a Practical Guide to negotiating for pay with sector specific advice and information.
Careers Gateway: your route to information and advice related to your library and information career.
Encompass Toolkit: Advice and guidance for diversifying your staff profile and developing positive action trainee schemes.
Improving pay and status: a school librarian's self-empowerment pack
Tools for government, legal, health and corporate libraries:help demonstrate the value and impact of library and information services, assess whether they deliver good value for money and provide early identification if the service is at risk of reduction.
What makes a good library: professional guidelines for public libraries.
Presentations
Internal marketing: Presentation (PowerPoint)
Making a difference - your value as a library and information professional: Presentation (PowerPoint)
Reports and Consultations
Empower, Inform, Enrich: The modernisation review of public libraries.
Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS: CILIP response to NHS White Paper
Templates and Worksheets
Action plan: Template (MS Word)
Key messages: Template (MS Word)
Sample key messages: Worksheet (MS Word)
Statistics
Facts and figures for library and information profession for all sectors.
Tips for Success
Building a network of campaign supporters: Tips for success (MS Word)
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Latest blog post from CILIP President Phil Bradley
Should the library and information community, and in particular CILIP, be concerned about government plans for greater email and web monitoring? Is it possible to respect personal privacy rights and effectively combat crime and terrorism activities online? Do the new plans go too far? Read Phil Bradley's blog and have your say.
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Practical Cataloguing by Anne Welsh and Sue Batley, provides cataloguers with the skills needed for transition to Resource Description and Access (RDA). The book builds on John Bowman’s highly regarded Essential Cataloguing and gives an introduction to Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), which provides the conceptual basis for RDA; discusses the differences between AACR2 and RDA; and shows the current state of play in MARC 21.
Shawne D. Miksa said, “Welsh and Batley have given us a fine example of the kind of transitional work needed as we move forward with implementation and practical application of Resource Description and Access. This book offers a simple overview and comparison of RDA and AACR2, as well as discussion of some of the more fundamental issues of FRBR and its role in modernizing library catalogues. Cataloguers new and old should find it an informative read that gently ushers them into understanding the changes on the horizon for bibliographic control.”
Practical Cataloguing is the first book to provide worked examples of RDA and the first to cover RDA alongside AACR2 and MARC21 and will be essential reading for students of library and information studies and practising library and information professionals in all sectors.
Céline Carty said, "A worthy successor to Bowman's Essential Cataloguing. Practical Cataloguing does exactly what it says on the tin: offers a practical, pragmatic approach to the basics of cataloguing in AACR2, RDA and MARC21 with useful sample records for reference. This book provides a much-needed roadmap to guide novice & experienced cataloguers alike through the acronyms and the changes of the new hybrid cataloguing environment".
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Press contact:
James Williams, Marketing Manager, Facet Publishing
Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0597
Email: james.williams@facetpublishing.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1. Practical Cataloguing (March 2012; 224pp; paperback; 978-1-85604-695-4; £44.95) is published by Facet Publishing. It is available from Bookpoint Ltd, Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk. The book is available in the US and Canada from Neal-Schuman Publishers www.neal-schuman.com
2. Practical Cataloguing is by Anne Welsh, lecturer in Library and Information Studies, University College London and Sue Batley, Course Director for the MA in Information Management, London Metropolitan University
3. Shawne D. Miksa is Acting Associate Director for the Interdisciplinary Information Science Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Library and Information Sciences at the University of North Texas, USA.
4. Céline Carty is the Cataloguing Team Leader at Cambridge University Library
5. All titles are available at 20% discount to Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals members. Remember to quote your Membership Number if claiming the discount.
6. Facet Publishing, is the commercial publishing and bookselling arm of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, is the leading publisher of books for library and information professionals worldwide. At the forefront of library and information development, Facet Publishing has a comprehensive list covering all the major areas of professional activity.
7. CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. CILIP’s vision is a fair and economically prosperous society underpinned by literacy, access to information and the transfer of knowledge. CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information.
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Through The Faculties website, universities are already working to reach A-level students more effectively to improve recruitment and better retain students who understand what to expect from university.
The new site, funded by JISC and supported by the major exam boards, is providing free educational video podcasts by university lecturers on subjects taken directly from the A-level/IB curricula.
Professor Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “The Faculties provides an excellent platform for academics at UK universities to bring their expertise into the A-level classroom. Podcasts of short university lectures on topics from the A-level/IB curriculum should help prepare 16-18 year olds for university. There is great potential in the project.”
Professor Martyn Harrow, chief executive of JISC which is funding the website, said: “At JISC we are very conscious of the demands being placed on universities at the moment – what The Faculties shows is how smart use of technology can help universities minimise the expense of outreach and reach a range of prospective students at very low cost.”
The project was supported by the JISC Content and BCE programmes which helps universities to use digital content and technologies to engage with other institutions both inside and outside academia.
Students and teachers have already embraced the site. In less than three months, The Faculties has attracted over 134,000 pageviews from 32,000 unique users.
“We’re only just beginning,” says Faculties director and history lecturer Dr James Harris. “University departments have a strong interest in contributing lectures not only because they better prepare students for university but also because they make a powerful tool for outreach and recruitment. We also encourage companies that recruiter UK graduates to sponsor podcasts. Companies help defray the cost of production and we show 16-18 year olds what job opportunities will open to them if they continue their studies. Given that they’re looking at paying up to £27,000 for their degrees, it something they want to know.”
The podcasts are so-called ‘stretch and challenge’ resources that explore the richness and complexity of the topics and help students prepare for post-secondary education.
Colin McCausland, ICT development manager at Ashfield Girls’ High School in Belfast, said: “Thanks for such a brilliant resource. It is going to be of real benefit now when pupils need that little bit of extra revision, which the Faculties have done in a very engaging way.”
The Faculties is already being used in around 20% of classrooms across the UK and the site has received hundreds of requests for new titles and for similar resources in other fields.
Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said: “I think the concept of theFaculties is brilliant. For years I have been pleading for better sources of information to help students choose the right universities and degree courses. This new website goes a long way towards helping students make informed decisions. With the increasing financial commitment that students make, the site’s appearance is timely as well as welcome.”
All the resources are licensed under creative commons so other universities and colleges can set up similar sites or reuse the podcasts as they wish.
Find out more about the JISC project
via Jisc news
Universities and researchers will be able to improve the efficiencies of their research and remove obstacles in their collaborations, thanks to a new strategic partnership between the UK and Canada.
The Consortia Advancing Standards in Research Administration Information (CASRAI), a community-driven membership organisation founded in Canada, has invited JISC to be its first UK member. The two organisations will work together to advance a standard data dictionary for research and to advance a common global approach to research interoperability.
CASRAI’s vision is for all research teams around the world to have a single authoritative and reusable 'file' on themselves and their projects and be able to quickly produce and exchange any information needed, without retyping.
David Baker, CASRAI Executive Director, explains, “The research community in every country captures largely the same types of data. But three obstacles divide us: meaning, structure and format. These include the classic 'lift vs. elevator' problem - same concept with different labels - and the persistent problems of clashing data elements and software systems that can't speak to each other. A standard dictionary implemented in our systems and exchanges removes these obstacles while keeping freedom of choice in implementation.
"Thanks to this leadership from JISC, we look forward to bringing UK subject-matter expertise and perspective to this evolving international dictionary. In Canada, leading organisations (funders, universities, vendors) have come together to collaboratively advance this mandate. We hope to mirror this broad representation within the UK community.”
In both Canada and the UK research has shown much time is spent administrating rather than conducting research. This was confirmed by an American survey in 2009 that found an average of 42% of research time was spent on administration.
Josh Brown, JISC programme manager, adds, “JISC has a strong history of working with UK universities to deliver time and cost savings within the research administration process and contribute towards making research accessible, discoverable and easier to share.
“We know that one way to increase the visibility of research internationally and increase efficiencies in the research process is to establish a common language for research. This is so researchers, funders and universities have the opportunity to reduce their research administration and concentrate on the job of delivering their work. In just one example, imagine a universal 'auto-correct' that resolves terminologies between countries and disciplines and frees the researchers to focus on the concepts. We are delighted to be invited to be part of CASRAI to see how we can help to make this happen.”
The first areas of focus for this partnership will be research impact and research datasets. CASRAI is already an active participant in the JISC-funded DESCRIBE project on research impacts and the partnership will build on that collaboration.
For datasets, JISC and CASRAI will work together to form a joint UK/Canada committee (with associated review circle) to explore how we can incorporate the discovery and accessibility of scientific datasets into the standard dictionary.
View the CASRAI dictionary.
via Jisc news
Download the podcast