A new research project is documenting thousands of endangered languages – before we lose them forever
You'll never again hear anyone speaking Laghu, and anyone yearning to communicate in Old Kentish Sign Language is out of luck: it, too, has gone the way of the dodo. But there's still a chance to track down a conversation in Gamilaraay, or Southern Pomo – if you're prepared to trek to visit to one the few native Americans still speaking it in California. Of the 6,500 living languages currently being used around the world, around half are expected to be extinct by the end of this century.
It was concern about the cultural and historical losses that result from a language disappearing that inspired the World Oral Literature Project, an online collection of some of the 3,500-plus "endangered languages" struggling for survival in the world.
The heart of the project, run by Cambridge University, is a large database listing thousands of languages alongside details such as where they are spoken and by whom, plus audio clips. On the site, surfers can discover that Laghu was a language spoken in the Solomon Islands until it disappeared in 1984, Old Kentish Sign Language was a precursor to the modern-day version, and Gamilaraay is still used by the Kamilaroi tribe of New South Wales.
The project is the brainchild of Mark Turin, 37, a research associate at Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. He grew up in London speaking Dutch and English and had planned to study linguistics at university, but on a gap year in Nepal realised he was interested in "what language unlocked, not just the nuts and bolts of linguistics", and switched to anthropology.
"We know very little about most of the world's languages, and an incredible amount about the histories and changes of a handful of western European languages," Turin explains. And he has devoted his academic career to trying to open up little-known languages. "Most endangered languages are primarily oral, and are vehicles for the transmission of a great deal of oral culture," he says. "That's at risk of being lost when speakers abandon their languages in favour of regional, national or international tongues."
So the World Oral Literature Project aims to document vanishing languages – and everything about the culture and society they convey – before they disappear. Its database used three major sources to collate the information about the disappearing languages, including Unesco's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. About 150 of its listed languages are in an "extremely critical" condition, where the number of known living speakers has slipped to single figures, or even just one.
"As soon as a scholar declares a language to be extinct, you get a phone call from someone furious who says 'my mother still speaks it'," Turin says. "But in a way, these corrections are all part of the process of drawing attention to the cause and the sense of urgency involved in careful documentation and description of endangered speech forms the world over."
The project also provides funds for local fieldworkers in countries including Malawi, India, Mongolia and Colombia to collect data and recordings about little-spoken languages. In the past, Turin says, major collections of recordings were lost because they weren't deemed important. He sees the new site as a "safe haven" for fieldwork on languages that might otherwise be lost. "The vast majority of tapes are just kept in dusty boxes, but to put them on our database we digitise and hopefully future-proof them," he adds.
"All manner of people have been getting in touch to give us their collections, including missionaries, retired scholars and community activists." One early donor was Reverend John Whitehorn, a former missionary and Cambridge linguist who lived with an indigenous community in Taiwan in the 1950s. "When he came back to England, he walked into Cambridge's Museum of Anthropology and said, 'I've got books, textiles and tape recordings, are you interested?' The museum took it all apart from the recordings because they didn't know what to do with them," Turin explains. "He went home and stored his collection around the house in plastic carrier bags, where they stayed until he walked into my office with the bags under his arm, and asked, 'do you want them now?' The tapes are brilliant, with songs and interviews and linguistic information that might otherwise have disappeared."
The database is currently updated exclusively by academics (though users are encouraged to send in contributions), but Turin hopes that it will ultimately become a Wikipedia-style web 2.0 project "that people want to contribute to", with user uploads, recordings and discussion to help keep languages alive. To that aim, Turin organises lectures and workshops for linguists, librarians, academics and members of the public to discuss the best strategies for collecting and protecting languages and their research.
But he worries that, in academia, funding pressures mean the importance of languages is being overlooked. "These days, students are in a huge rush to finish their PhDs due to time and funding requirements," he says. "They often don't have the time to develop a linguistic awareness for the people they're studying, and have to rely on interpreters and translators. But it's just not the same."
Turin is used to hearing sceptics dismiss the research. "I get a lot of people saying that they think this work is pointless as all minority languages that have no utility are better off dying off anyway – a kind of social Darwinian position," he says. "But I usually ask them whether they feel the same about all the old churches and buildings that Heritage Lottery money is helping to restore – or the plight of species around the world. Our work means we're helping not only endangered languages to stay with us, but all the culture and history that they denote."
Watch the video
www.oralliterature.org/database
Small plastic rulers were thought to be imprecise by metrologists; now, researchers have shown that most meet the official standards, but that these are 'shockingly poor' themselves
Complimentary small plastic rulers, being imprecise, innacurate, flimsy and defaced with advertising, draw only a measured amount of respect from metrologists. In 1994, two metrologists took measures to see just how much respect the rulers deserve.
Metrologists are the people who come up with more accurate, more precise ways to measure things.
The metrology community incessantly tussles about new standard definitions for the intimidatingly important, never-quite-as-good-as-they-ideally-could-be standards – most famously, the kilogram, the metre and the second.
The father-and-son team of TD Doiron and DT Doiron looked, briefly, at a neglected standard. Their report, called Length Metrology of Complimentary Small Plastic Rulers, drew some measure of interest at the Measurement Science Conference in Pasadena, California.
Theodore Doiron was a member of the Dimensional Metrology Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Daniel was, at the time, a high school student.
The Doiron/Doiron report implies two simultaneous and opposite truths. Metrologists sometimes express contempt for small plastic rulers (known in the trade as SPRs), because they are made of cheap polystyrene and manufactured to loose tolerances. But metrologists also, down deep, harbour respect for these stylish, useful, slim, flat-bottomed objects, with the four straight-edge working surfaces and the top that boasts a sufficiency of both inked markings and raised graduations, said graduations being located at the outer edges of the beveled top sides.
The Doirons explain this ambivalent attitude:
"There are virtually no active scientists or engineers who do not have a number of SPRs in their desks which are used continually for developing the earliest and most basic designs of virtually every object manufactured. A quick survey of engineers will show that these early sketches, the very basis of our manufacturing economy, are largely dependent on the use of SPRs. While there is a federal standard for plastic rulers, Federal Specification GG-R-001200-1967 and the newer A-A-563 (1981), there has never been a systematic study of the metrology of this basic tool of the national measurement system."
Doiron and Doiron studied 50 rulers they had "collected over a long period of time at conferences and from colleagues". They discovered that the government specification was itself so shockingly poor that they could point to a key passage and say: "We cannot figure out what this statement means."
After measuring things as best they could (and being good metrologists, they could measure things well indeed) the Doirons reached a pair of conclusions. First, that most of the complimentary small plastic rulers "quite easily" met the official (albeit murky) standard. Second, that "the older the ruler" was, the more accurate it was likely to be.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (Nist) itself, an official told me, once ordered a batch of complimentary small plastic rulers that turned out, upon arrival, to be wretchedly calibrated. As a measure of caution (they have a reputation to protect), and perhaps with some umbrage and embarrassment, Nist returned them to the manufacturer.
• Marc Abrahams is editor of the bimonthly Annals of Improbable Research and organiser of the Ig Nobel prize
Open letter to Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
Dear Boris
As a well-educated man who enjoys delivering a well-crafted phrase I know you understand how a love of reading and learning can transform someone’s life. It is clear, however, that you do not understand that public libraries are a statutory service and, greatly to their credit, it was a Conservative government that made them so.
In an article in the Sunday Telegraph you said:
“...there is no statutory obligation to provide a library service, but there is plenty of ill-thought-out legislation about equalities and heaven knows what, emanating from Westminster, imposed from Whitehall and slavishly obeyed by local authorities. Councils are not obliged to have libraries...”
Sorry Boris, but this is just plain wrong. Under the Public Libraries and Museums Act (1964) local authorities are required by statute to provide a public library service which is comprehensive and efficient, and available to all who wish to use it.
Public libraries make a huge contribution to society; children that use public libraries are twice as likely to be above average readers; they help the 5.2 million adults who struggle with reading and writing; they are a lifeline to so many older people; and are at the heart of many communities.
At a time when many local authorities are making cuts to library services, going around saying authorities do not have a statutory obligation to provide public libraries when they do is breathtakingly irresponsible.
I am happy to meet you and talk about how we can best support our libraries through tough economic times. You can find out what makes a good library service at www.cilip.org.uk/goodlibraries.
Yours sincerely
Annie Mauger
Chief Executive
The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals
Press contact:
Mark Taylor, Head of Corporate Marketing and Media Relations, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0650
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
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CILIP submits nominations for the world’s largest children’s and youth literature prize
A panel from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group, School Libraries Group and Education Libraries Group will review nominations from members and choose the candidates that CILIP will put forward for the 2012 prize.
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is an international award for literature for children and young people. The aim of the award is to strengthen and increase interest in literature for children and young people around the world, and also to promote children’s rights.
The award is five million Swedish kronor, over £450,000, making it the world’s largest prize for children’s and young people’s literature and the second largest literary prize in the world. It is awarded by the Swedish Arts Council.
Past winners include Philip Pullman; Banco del Libro for disseminating books and promoting reading among children in Venezuela; and the Tamer Institute for promoting reading to children and young people in the West Bank and Gaza.
Illustrator Shaun Tan won the 2011 Award.
For more information visit the award website.
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I feel very pleased that the Council have agreed that I can take the title 'Immediate past President' for 2011. This is not an automatic title, but one that comes when there are tasks to be undertaken that are suitable for a member of the Presidential team.
Members will recall the significant work undertaken by Peter Griffiths who has completed an interim report of the Audit Panel and investigated the potential, in the current climate, for a Review of Governance.
Having played a lead role in the early days of 'Defining Our Professional Future' in 2010, I am now contributing to an over view of the CILIP Qualifications landscape, with an initial remit to look at cotemporary accreditation procedures.
This work will start with an assessment of best practice for professional associations from the perspective of the Higher Education organisations whose courses create the graduates that our profession employs. It will also look at other professional associations to review how they are managing this important aspect of asserting and maintaining standards and quality. Like many such partnerships it will be important to look at this from the outside in - in other words ensuring that CILIP appears to be a good partner to work with.
The overall aim of this is to grow the number of courses that are accredited by CILIP, thus creating a more equal situation for more graduates to Charter. I will ensure updates on progress are posted on my blog and the CILIP Qualifications department web page will also carry update on progress.
Other issues I am involved with are the advocacy around a CILIP Information Literacy Strategy and the management of the CILIP/IFLA Aspire Award in memory of Bob McKee.
I continue to Tweet (@bikerbid) and to contribute to professional journals, seminars and conferences as requested. I shall be attending the LILAC conference in April, EBLIP6 in June, the Umbrella conference in July and will be attending the Yorkshire and Humberside Branch Committee meetings.
Perhaps the most important aspect of this year's activity for us all is to ensure we, individually as well as collectively as 'CILIP', inform the debate about the use, value and future of libraries.
The work that is done in all of our various communities to '#savelibraries' (the Twitter tag) needs both contributions and I shall ensure that I do what I can to raise the name profile and status of all CILIP members.
As our CEO Annie Mauger says, 'CILIP cares about library closures'. She is right, we all do.
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As well as the advertisers on the CILIP Graduate Training Opportunities list, here are some other organizations that can offer opportunities to gain experience in library and information work. It is worth making sure with library and information courses that the work will meet entry requirements.
Action for Blind People (Charity No. 205913) Enabling blind and partially sighted people to transform their lives through work, housing, leisure and support. For more information visit our website www.afbp.org Sandra Hanafin, Information & Advice Manager Action for Blind People Tel: 020 7635 4816
Book Aid International (Charity No. 313869) is a major charity in the information and library field, supporting projects in developing countries by providing professionally selected and targeted books, which are a valuable resource. It also actively supports local publishing initiatives in Africa. The charity has opportunities for volunteers to work as Library/Warehouse Volunteers or Projects Volunteers at its LONDON headquarters. Contact: The Volunteer Co-ordinator, Book Aid International, 39-41 Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 9NR. Tel: 020 7733 3577 Fax: 020 7978 8006 E-mail: rls@gn.apc.org .
BAAF (British Association for Adoption & Fostering) (Charity No. 275689) aims to promote the highest standards of child centred policies and services for children separated from their families of origin. It has members across the country and provides child linking and enquiry services, offers training and consultancy, and publishes books, journals and guides. There are opportunities for volunteers to help run the library and information service at the Head Office in London but please see the BAAF website for full details. Contact: Katrina Wilson, Information Officer, Safron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS Tel: 020 7421 2646 Fax: 020 7421 2601 Email: katrina.wilson@baaf.org.uk Web: www.baaf.org.uk
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
Volunteer: Librarian/Information Professional
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is the world's leading organisation dedicated to exposing crimes against wildlife and the environment www.eia-international.org
We are looking for a skilled volunteer who is willing to assist us organising our files into a systematic database and ensuring the preservation of documents that are important to the history of the organisation. The role will encompass records from all the EIA campaigns, and would be of particular interest to someone with a passion for environmental protection/conservation. The position would suit a recently qualified information manager looking to gain further experience in implementing a filing system, or an experienced individual seeking an opportunity to apply their experience in the non-for-profit sector.
Volunteers are welcome to contact us to discuss the position, hours and objectives of the role. We can cover your lunch/travel. The position is flexible and can be either full or part time depending on your availability.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The Fostering Network (Charity No. 280852)
The Fostering Network is the UK's leading foster care charity for everyone with a personal or professional involvement in fostering. We support foster carers, and improve the lives of children in care. The headquarters in London has opportunities for volunteers to help run the library and information service. Contact the Information Officer, The Fostering Network, 87 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA Tel: 020 7620 6400 Email: info@fostering.net Web: www.fostering.net.
Gedling Community and Voluntary Services (Charity No.1108272) in NOTTINGHAMSHIRE provides a resource library for voluntary and community groups and others interested in the voluntary sector. Gedling CVS has opportunities for volunteers to help run the resource library, for example cataloguing resources. Contact: Jean Ramsden/Melanie Russel-Smith, Frontline Services Managers, Gedling CVS, 22a Main Road, Gedling, Nottingham, NG4 3HP. Tel: 0115 987 1981 Email: info@gedlingcvs.org.uk Website: www.gedlingcvs.org.uk
Nottingham Council for Voluntary Service (Charity No. 1070790) 7 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3FB provides an information service to voluntary groups in the Nottingham area. From time to time they have opportunities for volunteers to help run their library. You will need to check with them if they have a current vacancy. Contact: Coral Jackson Communications Assistant Nottingham Council for Voluntary Service (NCVS) Directline: 0115 9348403 coralj@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.
Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment Library (charity No 1069969) The library at The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment supports postgraduate courses and educational programmes at the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment and the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. It also supports a studio of urban designers, architect and consultants and is open to members of the Prince’s Foundation and the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism. We would like to offer an ongoing voluntary position in the summer months to candidates needing library experience before or after library school, or former library staff needing some experience before returning to work. Please note that because of the nature of the service we need a very high level of spoken and written English. We offer tailor made in-house training within our means, and we ask for reliability, attention to details and preferably interest/knowledge of sustainable architecture, urbanism, building crafts and the traditional decorative arts of the world. We offer £5 lunch stipend per day and reasonable travel costs to and from the office.
We have now filled our vacancies for summer 2011. Applications for 2012 can be sent earlier in the new year, with shortlisting closing just after Easter, and interviewing to be completed by the end of May 2012.
For expressions of interest please contact the PFBE Librarian carla.marchesan@prince
Treloar College Residential post - 16 Specialist College for Students with physical disabilities, some of whom also have learning disabilities. Role includes shelving, filing, processing new stock and helping library users find information. London Road, Holybourne, Alton, Hants GU34 4EN Tel 01420 547495 Email: Moira.johnson@treloar.org.uk
Web: www.treloar.org.uk
The Wiener Library (Charity No. 313015) in London frequently has places for people who would like to volunteer to work at the Library for at least 5 to 6 months. Starting dates are negotiable. These places are for students/graduates of librarianship, information science, or archive studies only. You will gain insight into all aspects of library services including acquisitions, cataloguing, indexing, and customer service.
Essential: Fluency in English and a good reading knowledge of German.
Desirable: Interest in the history of the Holocaust and related subjects.
We can provide monthly travel cards for transport in London.
For information about the Library visit www.wienerlibrary.co.uk; to apply please contact Miriam Haardt mhaardt@wienerlibrary.co.uk stating "work placement" in the subject heading or telephone on +44 (0) 20 7636 7247.
For changes or to advertise here please contact us at the Qualifications & Professional Development team on quals@cilip.org.uk or 020 7255 0625
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1. Ensure you're a current CILIP Member then read the Chartership handbook. You can register as a candidate as soon as you qualify from an accredited course or have completed Certification and are in a suitable role. Not sure of your eligibility to register? Click here.
2. Find a mentor and together write your Personal Professional Development Plan. Email us at quals@cilip.org.uk who your mentor is and when you've completed your PPDP. You don't need to send us anything else at this point. We advise you to complete the PPDP as quickly as possible to start benefiting from reflective practice and to have the widest choice of material for your portfolio.
3. Collect evidence of your professional development. As well as advice from your mentor, complete a CPD audit sheet and get ideas for courses from CILIP's Seal of Recognition.
4. Attend the Portfolio Building workshop. Write your evaluative
statement and assemble your portfolio using evidence of your learning through training and experience, and explaining how your performance and service have benefited.
5. Once you and your mentor feel you have addressed all the criteria, (the Chartership matrix from Margaret Watson's Building your portfolio, the CILIP guide will help)is you should submit your portfolio to Qualifications and Professional Development, CILIP, 7 Ridgmount St, London WC1E 7AE or if you would like to submit electronically just follow these guidelines.
If you think you are eligible to backdate any experience and training, contact the CILIP qualifications office and discuss with your mentor.
From sending in a portfolio to becoming a Chartered Member can take between two and six months, and sometimes longer. The Chartership timeline explains the stages your application may go through.
The MCLIP discussion list keeps you in touch with other candidates and news from CILIP
Candidate Support Officers (CSO) are there to help
Chartership presentations are available here
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The Planing Cycle and Learning Styles
The Planning Cycle below will help you focus on the different stages of creating a personal development plan.
How do you learn?
As the planning cycle is continuous so is the learning process. David Kolb’s learning cycle is very well known and very simple:
But people learn in different ways and Peter Honey and Alan Mumford created diagnostic tools to help you determine your own preferred style.
www.peterhoney.co.uk There is a small charge to complete them online but they have been shown to be ‘the most widely used diagnostic of its kind in UK’
(Visit resources page for more)
Learning Styles
Activists – having an experience – learn best from short, interactive tasks. They are keen to “have a go” without any bias in new experiences but less interested in reviewing their actions
Reflectors – learn from it – learn best from observation/experience of others, and review the situation before taking any action
Theorists – draw an idea from it – are similar to reflectors but they need to apply a model concept or theory to the task
Pragmatists – apply a new idea – not unlike activists but like to have an obvious practical application to their activities.
We all have different styles of learning and some have at least two but the majority of people are biased towards one particular style which can be limiting. It is therefore worth considering developing new ways of learning so you don’t limit your learning opportunities. For example if you are a strong reflector it might be worth doing something more practical or participating in a meeting at an earlier stage rather than remaining an observer. Perhaps if you are an activist then apply some theory before you act.
Preparing for CPD
Taking control of your own development is a personal responsibility which involves familiarising yourself with concepts of SWOT analysis and reflective practice.
A SWOT is an audit of your:
Strengths – personal and professional
Weaknesses – that should be addressed
Opportunities for development
Threats – to achieving your goals
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Continuing professional development has benefits for the individual and the employer.
Benefits of CPD: Individual
Disadvantages
Benefits of CPD: Employer
Disadvantages
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Professional development underpins every successful career. CILIP members benefit from CILIP's own qualifications:
Accreditation The CILIP accredited course page is the definitive list of university programmes needed to become a librarian and information professional.
International qualifications CILIP's qualifications are accepted all round the world and many overeas qualifications can be used in the UK
Mentors Find a mentor to support your application for Certification and Chartership and see how you can become a mentor.
Training providers CILIP's Seal of Recognition is the authoritative guide to providers of Continuing Professional Development activities for the library and information community.
Graduate Training Opportunities For Graduates from all disciplines but who have little or no library / information experience, these opportunities will give your career off to a flying start.
Keep in contact Read the Qualifications Blog and follow Qualifications on 
and you can reach the qualifications team through Quals@cilip.org.uk and 020 7255 0610.
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Two JISC-funded projects which make life easier for students have won accolades this week as examples of international good practice.
Sarah Porter, JISC head of innovation, said: “Good use of innovative technology can have a positive impact on the way students perceive an institution and on their learning experience. We are delighted to see innovation being recognised and anticipate that other universities will glean useful findings and inspiration from these JISC projects.”
A clever mobile app which gives University of Oxford staff, students and city residents real-time transport information, find local amenities and leisure facilities has won the 2010 UCISA Higher Education Award for Excellence sponsored by Eduserv.
Mobile users can also find books by library location, access the University’s iTunes U podcast catalogue and get notifications when their exam results are released.
On hearing of the Mobile Oxford success, Dr Stuart Lee, director of computing systems and services, commented: “We are thrilled at Oxford to receive such an award as it shows that our work has been valued by our peers. We hope that this leads to more people looking at the free source code behind the project, and would like to thank JISC and the funders within the University for allowing us to take this innovative service forward."
Meanwhile another JISC project at the University of Newcastle has received US acclaim for allowing students flexible and detailed control over access to their personal information on the web.
The ‘student managed access to online resources’ or SMART initiative allows university students to log their preferences about security in a single authorization manager – an idea which other universities can now use as it is open source.
The SMART project won the Kantara Initiative identity deployment of the year award in the emerging applications category which showcases innovation in digital identity management.
Maciej Machulak who leads the project said: “With the increased number of services available on the web, the end user is no longer able to easily control access to their distributed data and is often paying the price in both privacy and convenience. User-Managed Access and SMART aim to provide a solution to this problem. These approaches allow people to apply the necessary security and privacy controls to their personal data while retaining all the benefits of social interactions and data sharing that the web environment offers.”
Find out more about how JISC can help you better support your students
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Latest Public Lending Right figures announced
Seven British children’s writers are among the top ten most borrowed authors from UK public libraries. This is the highest number of children’s authors in the top ten since PLR records began over twenty years ago. This clearly shows the important role public libraries play encouraging children to read.
Children’s writer, Julia Donaldson, author of the most borrowed children’s title, The Gruffalo, and 7th in the most borrowed authors list said: “This just shows how much children need, and are entitled to libraries and librarians. It's how they find out which books they like best and develop a love of reading.”
Top 10 of most borrowed authors (adult or children’s author in brackets)
1. James Patterson (adult)
2. Daisy Meadows (children)
3. Nora Roberts (adult)
4. Jacqueline Wilson (children)
5. Francesca Simon (children)
6. Mick Inkpen (children)
7. Julia Donaldson (children)
8. Danielle Steel (adult)
9. Lauren Child (children)
10. Terry Deary (children)
More about the Public Lending Right
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This section of the website offers hints and tips on how to make CPD and learning an integral part of your life.
What is it?
“CPD is the planned and systematic updating of professional knowledge and improvement of personal competence throughout the individuals life”
Key principles of CPD
How do I do it?
CPD encompasses all kinds of learning - both formal (training courses) and informal (e.g. meetings; learning at work). You can do CPD anytime anywhere and it doesn’t have to cost money. Activities that constitute CPD are wide ranging and diverse:
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FAQs for accessing and using CILIP Update's digital editions
CILIP Update magazine is recognised as a key member benefit and, from January 2011 will be published every month in hard-copy format and distributed to all CILIP members by post. Digital editions of each issue will also be available.
CILIP Update Digital also provide access to a searchable digital archive of all Update magazines and special supplements published since January 2008.
1. I access the internet at work where we don’t have Flash and I’m not able to install it. How can I access CILIP Update?
Flash is an industry standard software solution. Some organisations require their staff to make a valid case before they will install Flash on networked computers, so this is a good opportunity to do so. Update Digital delivers high-quality information of direct relevance to members’ work activities, and access to it is restricted by log-in.
If it is not possible to have Flash installed on your network computer, it may be possible on a laptop or netbook. Otherwise access may need to be from your home pc or laptop. Longer-term we are investigating whether Update can be provided online via Apple’s iPhone/ iPad or Smartphones.
2. I have a disability (e.g. visual impairment/poor motor control) and find that I cannot use CILIP Update Digital. How can I access Update?
You can zoom in and magnify the text by clicking on the page. You can also print all the pages by clicking the 'Print' icon in the top tool bar (far right). When the thumbnails have loaded, choose Select all to print all the pages. Our software developers are working on speech-activated controls and text-to-speech, but these are not yet available.
3. When I tried to print CILIP Update out and read it offline it took forever and I gave up. Is there somewhere I can download the whole issue to print out?
You can easily print pages by clicking on the 'Print' icon in the top tool bar (far right). Make your selection by clicking on the individual page thumbnails, or click the Select all button to print the whole issue.
4. I wasn’t able to register/login. Where can I get help?
Please email digital@cilip.org.uk with details of your problem, your name and your membership number. We will respond to you within one working day to attempt to resolve the problem.
5. My computer is running a personal firewall (or other security software). Could it be this that is preventing access to CILIP Update Digital?
Security software may be stopping your browser from sending the referring URL. You need to configure your personal firewall to stop it from blocking the referrer information. Most firewalls will allow you to set up a trusted site. Once you have set up CILIP Update Digital as a trusted site in your firewall, you will be able to access it. You need to mark the following site as trusted: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/ .
If you are unsure how to make changes to your firewall software, please consult your user documentation to make the necessary changes. Due to the vast number of personal firewalls available on the market, CILIP cannot provide adequate support for all of them.
6. I currently use a web accelerator provided by my ISP (Internet Service Provider). Should I be using this when trying to access CILIP Update Digital?
Sometimes web accelerators block the referring URL. If you are having a problem accessing CILIP Update Digital after logging in, we suggest temporarily turning off the web accelerator.
7. How can I check my browser and Flash software is working properly?
Please follow the link http://www.cilip.org.uk/check-my-browser to the Check My Browser Settings page on Proquest’s website. There you should see thumbs-up for both Flash and Referring URL. This will enable you to self-diagnose any problem and provides useful information which you should pass on to your own IT support to make any changes necessary to enable you to have access. (Our thanks to Proquest for their permission to use their web tool in this way for CILIP Update Digital.)
8. I am a paid subscriber to CILIP Update. Can I access the digital editions?
Yes. Non-CLIIP members who are paid subscribers to CILIP Update can now access all Update's digital editions, including a digital archive of Update issues going back to January 2008. Please follow the link http://www.cilip.org.uk/publications/update-magazine/subscribe/pages/default.aspx to register and to log on.
9. Can you provide me with advice and tips about how to use the digital edition?
Key tips are:
Zoom and move around the page: You can zoom in by clicking on the page, or by using the + and - zoom tools in the toolbar. Click and drag to move around the page. (Note: these functions are disabled in reading view).
Reading view: You can view the magazine in a simple reading view format by clicking on the 'toggle reading view' button (looks like a magnifying glass). Click again to exit reading view.
Navigation: You can move through the pages in various ways:
- Hover over bottom right-hand corner to turn the page
- Use the left and right arrows in the toolbar at the top of the screen
- Enter a page number in the box (centre of toolbar)
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All speakers at an upcoming SINTO Executive Briefing, "Library campaigns, are we all inside the tent" have announced today that they will not be taking part in the event. Alan Gibbons, Tim Coates, Annie Mauger and Lauren Smith have all agreed that because of the way the event has been organised and promoted, their involvement would not positively contribute to campaigning in support of public libraries.
At a time when the campaigns need friends, profile and support an event that will potentially highlight divisions amongst library supporters is not in the interest of public libraries, of the public who care about their libraries, nor the library staff.
The speakers also objected to librarians being charged £30 + VAT to attend the event; it is unclear how the proceeds from the event are being used and what the justification is for the charge.
All speakers have made a commitment to work together in a positive manner, for the good of the public and public library service. They all felt this event to be a divisive distraction from the campaigning work they are all keen to carry out in support of public libraries. Public outcomes from their discussions will be made in due course.
-ends-
Press contact:
Mark Taylor, Head of Corporate Marketing and Media Relations, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0654
Mobile: 07792 635 305
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
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LATEST ISSUE: CILIP Update - APRIL 2012
CILIP members: CLICK HERE to read CILIP Update's April issue now
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The recommended salaries quoted are minimum guideline figures for the state sector*, and do not represent any particular salary scale or the sums paid by any particular institution.
Posts in some areas may be graded to recognise local labour market conditions. However, CILIP recommends that all posts should be graded according to the level of responsibility they bear and the level of qualification, skill and experience required.
Posts requiring the employment of a Chartered Librarian should be graded to provide a salary of no less than £23500.
The salary bands do not take into account special allowances such as London Weighting or other benefits, they are worked out on a 35 hour week.
*The School Libraries Group is curently compiling guidelines for non State schools. These will be published shortly.
|
Library Assistant |
£15461 - £17259 |
|
Senior Library Assistant |
£17259 - £19057 |
|
Newly qualified librarian 0-2 years |
£21746 - £23766 |
|
Chartered Librarian |
£23766 - £30842 |
|
Chartered Librarian with teaching role |
£30842 - £35929 |
|
*Senior Librarian or Fellow |
£35929 - £43000+ |
*Librarians at this grade share their skills in disseminating good practice and enhancing the performance of libraries both with their own school and in other institutions.
CILIP recommends that school librarians have a status, salary and conditions of service on a par with senior colleagues within the institution with equivalent responsibilities. This would normally be at least at Head of Department level, although salaries will vary depending on managerial role, experience and the sector worked in.
The CILIP website contains a number of resources for use in pay negotiations that can help school librarians demonstrate their worth and achieve a salary that properly reflects the contribution they make.
If CILIP members require further guidance on salaries in the sector please contact the Information and Advice Team at info@cilip.org.uk or tel. 020 7255 0620.
These figures have been produced by the CILIP Information and Advice Team and SLG (The School Libraries Group) September 2010.
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Statistics relating to the library and information profession.
LISU at Loughborough University produces several statistical reports. These include LAMPOST, Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey* and Average Prices of Academic Books*.
Other LISU publications are listed on their website.
CIPFA Public Library Statistics* includes a detailed analysis of revenue expenditure and income, staffing levels, service points open to the public (including the number with access to online information), book stock and audio, visual and electronic stock, annual issues, inter-library loans, enquiries and visits. Further details from cipfastats.net.
DCMS gathers statistical information relating to library services through its Taking Part survey. This is a continuous household survey providing national data on participation in culture, leisure and sport by adults aged 16 and over. In relation to libraries, Taking Part asks respondents whether they have visited one in the past 12 months and, if so, how often. It also asks about their experiences during their last visit; their satisfaction with the library's services, and whether they would repeat the visit. The survey also tries to find out why respondents have not visited a library. A link to the datasets is on the DCMS website.
Statistics on the most borrowed authors and titles are available on the PLR website.
LibScan is a new service for public librarians offered by Nielsen BookScan UK. In return for providing your issue data to them you will have access to their free online service that allows you to:
A summary of the latest LibScan data appeared in the Bookseller on January 21 2011
Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL)SCONUL produce statistics relating to libraries in the academic sector*.
The aim of this research, conducted in 2002 by the Survey and Statistical Research Centre (SSRC) at Sheffield Hallam University, with funding from CILIP, was to build up a picture of secondary school library provision.
BIALL produce the Law Librarian Salary Survey* as well as the The Annual Academic Law Library Survey.
Independent research into children's reading habits, conducted on behalf of Booktrust for its free books programmes, Booktime and Booked Up.
National Literacy Trust published a report, Literacy: State of the Nation, in 2010.
SWETS Serials Price Increase Report is a comprehensive survey of annual serial price increases and works as an improved budgeting tool for libraries.
LISU publish Average Price of Academic Books
There is also some data on the Baker & Taylor Library Services website.
The Publishers Association publish a series of statistics on the book market.
See also Book Marketing Limited and Nielsen BookScan
IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Section
The Section aims to promote the application of statistics, evaluation and assessment in libraries, both for the successful management and operation of libraries and for the demonstration of the value of libraries to their users, parent institutions and funding agencies. There are some useful links on their website.
The World Report series is a biennial report series that reports on the state of the world in terms of freedom of access to information, freedom of expresion and related issues.
Some statistics are available in the Statesman's Yearbook*.
Additional statistics for the USA are available from the Library Research Service and the American Library Association's Office for Research & Statistics.
*Hard copies available to CILIP members in the Information Centre.
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If you want to promote a product, including a book, or a service to a library and information professional there are a number of options:
CILIP sell mailing lists, in a variety of formats, for chief and acquisitions librarians and other key staff in a number of sectors:
Mailing lists rental
We also produce a directory of library services in the UK: Directory
Other options are:
Putting an advert in Update magazine
An entry in the CILIP Buyer's Guide
Membership of CILIP's suppliers' network
Some of CILIP's Special Interest Groups and Branches accept advertisements. Please contact them directly for further information.
You can also access contact details for public library authorities (and local libraries) for free via their websites, which are listed at http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/ac940/weblibs.html
and academic library websites are listed on the University of Wolverhampton website at http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/
Alternatively contact a library supplier, book distributor or subscription agent to see if they will distribute your product.
You can advertise on CILIP's online calendar of events Entries are added within one working day of submission. If you would like to submit an entry, please use the following form: Entry form
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A list of courses in Liverpool accredited by CILIP
Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, John Foster Building, 98 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5UZ
Contact: Janet Farrow
Tel: 0151 231 3596
Fax: 0151 7070423
E-mail: a.j.farrow@ljmu.ac.uk
Web: http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/
Postgraduate Diploma/MA/MSc Information and Library Management.
Full-time & part-time - Next accreditation April 2013.
BA(Hons) Business Management & Information (Subject to Placement being taken).
Full-time. No longer recruiting. Advised by University Spring 2011. Successful graduates are eligible to proceed towards Chartership.
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Answers to questions that are frequently put to the Information and Advice Team.
We have made a list of our frequently asked questions to give you some help with finding the answers:
Marketing products to librarians
Number of libraries in the UKvia RSS Feed
More ideas are coming in for our Children's Manifesto. Have you sent yours yet?
Calling all classes: tell us about your dream school!
Sofia Lockwood, six, who goes to Hautes Capelles primary, Guernsey, wants more toilets for girls and to wear her slippers all day. She says:
"Our school should have a pets zoo in a garden with birds and flowers and trees. On Friday you can take a pet home to look after. The playground will be full of climbing frames. At lunchtime you can eat your cake first and sandwiches last. There is a cinema with popcorn for when it's cold outside. More toilets for the girls, the boys have enough but we always have to queue. No shoes inside, just slippers – and for the teachers, too."
We want to hear your ideas. Send them to school.i'd.like@ guardian.co.uk by 4 March. We will read them all and some of the children with imaginative ideas will be invited to join a panel to draw up a new Children's Manifesto
It doesn't clash with lectures and pays up to £300 a night. Rowenna Davis talks to students who are funding their studies by lap-dancing
Joy Nilsson is a student protester, but not as we know it. She has just started an MSc at a London university. Today she is bundled up in a puffa jacket and a fluorescent waistcoat outside Hackney Town Hall, marching along with a group carrying signs and shouting through megaphones. But this protest is not about tuition fees or higher education funding cuts. These women are here to oppose a plan to clamp down on east London's menagerie of strip and lap-dancing clubs. If the plan goes through, Nilsson says she will struggle to be able to pay for her postgraduate course, because she is funding it with her job as a professional lap-dancer.
"If they close the clubs many women will drop out of higher education," she says. "I don't want to owe £50,000 when I graduate, and I know other women feel the same. I love my job and I'm very proud of what I do – it fits perfectly with my studying, it's very flexible and you get your money up front. What other jobs give you that kind of freedom?"
Lap-dancing for degrees is becoming a common phenomenon. A recent study of over 200 lap-dancers carried out by Leeds University found that one in three of those surveyed were working to fund education. The majority of these were younger women, with 14% working to fund undergraduate study; 6% were on postgraduate courses and 4% in further education. At a time when fees are about to increase, there is widespread expectation that more women will turn to this industry to fund their studies.
Patricia Barnes is one example. A 19-year-old in her first year at Southampton Solent University, she started dancing at a local club, Aqua Lounge, to pay off debts that started mounting when her student loan arrived three months late. With no space available in over-subscribed student halls, Barnes rented a shared house in the private sector, which cost a good deal more. She maxed out her overdraft and credit card in the process. Her mother had already got into debt trying to help her, and Barnes says there was no way she could ask for more. Now when her mum asks where she's getting her money, Barnes simply tells her she's working part time for a communications company.
"No one wants to see their kids doing it, but I know why I'm here," she says. "In my last job I wasn't guaranteed £20 for three hours; here I could make £200. I've paid back the deposit on my house, started paying back my credit card and kept up with my rent. I can make my rent in three days here. Without that I'd still be in a lot of debt."
Good money
Barnes says she got into dancing during a night out. She and some friends went into the club for fun, and got talking to one of the dancers. When her eyes widened after hearing that it was possible to make £300 a night, the dancer said they were looking for more women, and introduced her to the manager.
"I had to audition on a client in the club, but I practised on one of the girls beforehand. She gave me some tips, like doing more floor work. You have to be completely naked. That was the worst part – getting comfortable with everything. I practised on my housemates, too, after a few drinks – I figured if I could do it for them it was OK. I was embarrassed at first, but that went away. The girls are great, and my manager is excellent."
Barnes has mixed feelings about what she is doing. "At work I'm proud of dancing, but out of work I feel a bit ashamed," she says. "People can judge you – it's the picture it paints: she's a stripper so she's a slag … I haven't told anyone apart from my best friends, and my mum's religious so I definitely wouldn' t tell her."
The club's manager, Vicki Andrews, also paid her way though university as a dancer, working for eight years before she opened Aqua Lounge in 2005. Now she says she's in a position to provide opportunities for others, and would give priority to students looking for work. "We've had a lot of inquiries from younger girls since the [student] protests started," she says. "From 18-year-olds who think they'll be off to study soon and they need to do something to help fund it. Some are worried about paying for accommodation, and many parents are not in a position to help. We rarely turn anyone down, but if we reached saturation point I would prioritise those who felt most hard pushed trying to fund their education."
In the research study by Leeds, most women worked between two and four eight-hour shifts a week, and the average earni ngs were £232. However, there was huge variation between clubs, reflecting the diversity of work available. While Barnes generally makes £60-£80 a night to help fund her degree dancing privately for individual clients in her underwear, Nilsson can often earn up to £200 a night for her MSc by putting on collective shows for large audiences in a strip club that offers something much closer to burlesque entertainment.
Three quarters of all the dancers surveyed reported good job satisfaction, but interviews took place only in clubs where open access to staff had been granted by the management, so a high rate of satisfaction could be expected.
"Dancing is a strategy," says Dr Kate Hardy, who helped to undertake the research led by Dr Teela Sanders on behalf of the Economic and Social Research Council. "A large proportion of the women we spoke to were dancing to continue education or to balance inconsistent work, often in the creative arts. Most saw it as a bit of fun because it wasn't for ever – after studying, the idea is to move and get a graduate job. The money isn't easy, but 80% of the women said they liked the work because they earned more than in other jobs and 88% said that they liked the flexibility – there's no need for them to go in when exams or essays are due in."
The hours mean that students are able to lead something of a double life, engaging with lectures and studies during the day and working evening shifts late into the night. "I don't think anyone has any idea what I do," says Nilsson with a smile. "Sometimes I go to lectures with a bag full of kinky outfits so I can go straight to work. During the day I don't even wear any make-up. It just shows that you never know."
But Nilsson insists that her decision to keep her dancing secret has nothing to do with shame. "I'm an artistic performer not a sex worker, and I'm very proud of what I do," she says. "It doesn't make me feel cheap or used."
For some women, doing this work gives them a sense of independence. Twenty-eight-year-old Jen Richardson, who works at Brown's club in Hackney, started lap-dancing when she was a student at Oxford University studying English and French literature. "I'm not a brazen hussy or a bad person, I just don't like borrowing money," she says. "When I was a student, money was an immediate problem and dancing offered an immediate solution. I didn't want to ask for more handouts from my parents, and I was under a lot of stress trying to pay the rent. I can't speak for women in all clubs, but I'd much rather pay my own way."
Tuition fee increases
The department for Business Innovation and Skills did not want to speculate about whether the rise in fees would push more women into lap-dancing establishments, simply reiterating that "students do not pay anything for their tuition upfront". Oxford Brookes, London South Bank University and Southampton University declined to comment on their students' choices of part-time work. Portsmouth expressed concerns that some women "may be involved in working in these clubs". Oxford University pointed to its generous bursary schemes, and a spokesman for Southampton Solent encouraged any women who were concerned to "contact their university careers service, who can identify student jobs available both on campus and in the region", or to talk to the student support team for extra funding.
But Olivia Bailey, the women's officer for the National Union of Students, says this issue does worry her. "Obviously there is a concern for the welfare of the women," she says. "It's outrageous that any student feels forced into sex work to fund their studies, and students should know they can talk to their women's officers if they have any concerns or visit www.hiddenmarks.org.uk.
"I'm worried that as women find it harder to fund their studies they may feel forced into this kind of work."
The Leeds study also picked up on concerns from lap-dancers themselves. Irregular hours and high levels of commission being taken by managers were the chief sources of complaint, with women frequently being charged between £20 and £100 just to get into the club to work. On-the-spot fines for anything from turning up late to chewing gum were also reported by some women, some of whom have been known to leave work with less money than they started with.
Today the pressure on dancers continues to grow. Nineteen-year-old Barnes says that she's hoping to give up lap-dancing next year by transferring to another university that will allow her to live at home. But she's worried that other female students will look for different ways to fill the gap. "Women can do a lot worse than dance to make their rent. But I've heard of girls in other clubs being offered to do "extras" for more money. That's really horrible, but if my money problems got worse I can imagine being tempted."
All students' names have been changed
Postgraduate courses remain in demand, but is one right for you? Our new guide will help you to decide
"It helped me stand out from the crowd and get a job," says Gitte Pedersen of her master's degree in international marketing. The fact that she's talking about the course from her office at advertising giant Ogilvy reinforces her point. "I learned a lot and became more motivated," Pedersen adds, "but the best thing about it was definitely that it helped me go straight into work."
Pedersen, who is 28 and originally from Denmark, was offered the job last year, while mid-way through her master's at London South Bank University. "I had picked the course for its industry links," she says. "I knew the course director had regular contact with alumni working in marketing, and that that led to a lot of job opportunities. I hoped that as well as improving my knowledge and boosting what I could offer a firm, the course would give me access to a whole secret network of jobs, and it did. Ultimately, that led to my job offer as an ad operations executive – I don't think I'd have heard about the position otherwise."
Not all postgraduate courses have such a happy ending, but students are still heaping their dreams on them. The spike in demand for postgraduate education during the recession is still in evidence. Almost 353,500 students enrolled in postgraduate studies in 2009-10, according to the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (Hecsu). Demand for master's degrees was up 7.4%, and the number of PhD students grew 1%. Hecsu has not yet published last year's admissions figures, but says anecdotal evidence suggests even higher student numbers.
With graduate unemployment at a 15-year high, it's little surprise that students want to further their education in the hope of finding employment. There are, however, growing fears in academia that the rise in undergraduate fees and the end of schemes such as the education maintenance allowance will leave domestic students too indebted to afford a postgraduate education in the UK, which could become the preserve of foreign students.
For now, those opting to return to academia are, like Pedersen, fanatically focused on one thing: employability. Recruiters like master's courses, but only if graduates can prove their value. "If post-graduate qualifications are undertaken for the right reason and graduates are able to explain their worth to prospective employers, they can be very worthwhile additions to a CV," says Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters. "But motivation is important. If it's just to delay the job search or as a last resort after failing to secure a job, then it's not worthwhile."
If you're considering a higher degree, Education Guardian's Postgraduate Guide, launched today, will help your research. It lists course fees, staff-student ratios, completion rates and expenditure per student. More than ever this year it's crucial to ensure you're getting the best value for money – not necessarily the cheapest fees, but a place on the course that is most likely to lead to the job you want, at an institution with good industry links, careers advice and student satisfaction levels.
"If you're serious about investing your time and money in a postgraduate course, ensure you're making an informed decision," advises Laura Hooke, careers consultant at City University London. "If you are motivated by the sheer enjoyment of study and a love of the subject, that's great. But if you see further study as a means of getting employment, proceed with caution. A job ... is not guaranteed."
If you do decide to proceed, pick your course with your career objectives in mind – whether that's work in academia or a particular industry sector. "Find as specific a programme as possible," advises James Intriligator, senior lecturer at Bangor University. When his psychology department switched its master's in "consumer psychology" to one in "consumer psychology and business", it saw a marked increase in the number of students securing jobs at the end. "Employers take notice of highly relevant, specialised programmes," says Intriligator. He also highlights the value of courses that include hands-on experience. "Our students do a semester-long project with a local company, which gives them something 'applied' to talk about in interviews," he says.
Would-be postgraduates should also look into the details beyond graduate employment numbers. "Write to your top few courses and ask what kind of careers their graduates tend to pursue," says Intriligator. "Ask how successful they have been, and ask for examples. Many will not answer you, but if you continually get no response, this should tell you something about the university." Past and current students are another useful source of advice, but try to track them down through student forums, Twitter or Facebook rather than just those beaming out of the prospectus: they're more likely to be honest.
Looking back on her own postgraduate experience, Pedersen says the best thing she did was secure work experience before picking her course. "You can select modules that are based around what you want as a career," she says.
This is something Katarina Palin did not do. Palin, 25, completed a PGCE teaching qualification at Sheffield Hallam University last June. She embarked on the course after graduating with a degree in business administration and sociology from Aston University. "After mild career panic, I thought I needed a vocation, and decided – with minimal knowledge of what it really entailed – that teaching would be it," Palin explains. "I found out there were still spaces on Sheffield Hallam's PGCE course and applied without really putting much thought into it."
Palin quickly regretted her decision. "On my first placement, I had a minor breakdown about whether I really wanted to continue, but I convinced myself I should carry on. I was trying so hard just to keep my head above water and was literally counting the days until the end of the course. Deep down, I knew I didn't really want to teach. After graduating, I ended up going back to recruitment agencies. I secured some admin work at a university, where I am now. I'd like to build a career here."
Palin says potential postgraduate students should not start a course in the vague hope it leads to a career. "I feel like I wasted a year. It was a path I chose out of blind panic, the idea that I needed a career – I'd never advise anyone to choose a postgraduate course because of that."
Spending time weighing up the pros and cons of a master's is all the more important when you consider the cost. The average fees for a one-year course for a domestic student rose to £4,000 last year; an MBA costs an average of £12,000. And experts predict that the cost of postgraduate courses will rise when tuition fees triple from 2012, as universities won't want to offer master's qualifications that are cheaper than undergraduate ones.
While bursaries are available for some, many need to take out a career development loan, worth up to £10,000, to fund two years of study. Alternative options include long-distance learning or part-time study, which can be juggled with paid work, or studying abroad: some European universities' fees are far lower than those in the UK.
Whatever postgraduate path you pick, make sure you're committed to the hard work. "At least 70% of what you get out of a master's is directly related to how much you put in," says Intriligator. "Be prepared to make things happen on your own – set up study groups, read widely, and engage. If you don't feel ready to take responsibility for learning on your shoulders, and don't feel interested or excited by the topic, then don't waste your time and money."
Our online Postgraduate Guide covers master's degrees and other qualifications, and can help you to decide what's right for you
Today on our website we publish the Guardian Postgraduate Guide 2011, covering master's degrees, including MBAs and qualifications such as the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). The tables are compiled in association with EducationGuardian.co.uk by Intelligent Metrix, an independent consultancy specialising in measures of higher education performance and activity, which also compiles our undergraduate University Guide.
Our postgraduate tables focus on master's degrees. Doctoral research degrees (PhDs) are very different. For anyone interested, the key criterion to look at will be the department's research rating. Tables based on the latest research assessment exercise (RAE 2008) appear at www.guardian.co.uk/education/table/2008/dec/18/rae-2008-results-uk-universities. In today's tables, readers can compare universities against the following criteria:
Number of postgraduate students
Full-time and part-time study are often very different, and the balance of provision can vary widely between departments with similar numbers.
Percentage of overseas students
Depending on the subject, this may indicate the international standing of a university.
Expenditure per student
We do not publish actual figures. This score is marked out of 10 in bands to allow for comparisons, where the departments with the highest rate of expenditure score 10. Spending on medical students is always going to be higher than on historians, for instance. Spending is based on combined figures for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including central academic services. It does not include the costs of academic staff, as these are already counted in the staff/student ratio. The amount of money is divided by the number of students given as full-time equivalents (FTEs); numbers of part-time students are converted to FTEs, so that part-time students contribute proportionately to the ratio.
Staff/student ratio
This is based on combined figures for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in each subject.
Completion rates
The figures show the proportion of leavers who achieved the qualification that they had set out for (or a qualification of equivalent or superior status).
Tuition fees
For UK/European Union and overseas students. These figures are compiled by Mike Reddin, who publishes an annual survey (www.publicgoods.co.uk). The figures relate to master's courses and are general guidelines only.
• Please note that the Higher Education Statistics Agency does not accept responsibility for any conclusions derived from its data by third parties.
Queries about the tables? Email:
university.tables@guardian.co.uk
Want to know more detail about the methodology? http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/15/postgraduate-tables-2011-methodology
Find the tables at www.guardian.co.uk/education/series/postgraduate-subject-tables-2011