Cuts to book and journal purchases next year

40% of university libraries plan cuts to book and journal purchases next year.

Academics should brace themselves for “severe” cuts in access to new books and journals in the next academic year as higher costs caused by the fall in the value of the pound put libraries under pressure.

Times Higher Education reported in January that the drop in the pound’s value was having a “crippling effect” on the budgets of UK university libraries, which faced huge increases in subscriptions costs for research journals from the US and elsewhere in Europe.

Now a new survey of 38 university libraries conducted by the Research Information Network (RIN) reveals just how serious the situation is.

Preliminary findings presented to Times Higher Education show that although the current academic year has been “financially challenging”, it is in 2009-10 that the pinch will really be felt.

The survey shows that nearly 40 per cent of libraries plan cuts to books and serial purchases from next year. One in five plans to cancel one or more so-called big deals with publishing houses to access bundles of journals online. A single bundle can contain hundreds of titles.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=406612&c=2

HE in a web 2.0 world

The Higher Education Academy and JISC welcomed the publication of the HE in a Web 2.0 World report, which looks at the projected future trends in the use of technology in higher education.

Findings from the report show that students typically spend four hours a day online, a figure that looks set to rise as teenagers make increasing use of Web 2.0 technology in their daily lives. One of the challenges for the higher education sector is therefore to ensure that staff can keep pace with the advancing technology which many of their students rely on every day, using the technology to enhance the student learning experience.

Read the full report at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2.aspx

Listen to a podcast with members of the Committee of Inquiry http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2009/05/podcast80heinaweb20world.aspx

Welsh Collaboration in Action

A Joint Event for Librarians Supporting HE in FE

On Tuesday 30^th June WHELF is holding a staff development event at the University of Wales, Newport (Allt-yr-yn Campus), aimed at libraries supporting HE in FE. 

The event will allow participants to share experiences, get up to date on recent developments and develop individual and shared programmes of action for the future.

Booking
There is no charge for attendance at the event, but places are limited. So early booking is advised.  Please book your place by 12^th June. 

How to get there  
To get to the Allt-yr-yn Campus, click on the Visit Us link on the University web page at http://newport.ac.uk/  

Programme

10am – 10.15am	Registration & Coffee/Tea
10.15 am – 10.20 am	Welcome
10.20 am – 11.30 am	FE  UpdatesAll to contribute  (no more than 5 mins each)
	Coffee/Tea available throughout the morning
11.30 am – 12.30 pm	HE Updates
12.30 pm – 1.15 pm	Lunch
1.15 pm – 2.00 pm	Implementation of a social learning space at Bath UniversityKate Robinson, University of Bath
2.00 pm – 2.30 pm	Dedicated HE Learning spacesAndrew Eynon, Coleg Llandrillo
	Coffee/tea available throughout the afternoon
2.30 pm – 3.00 pm	Students’ use of personal learning environments/e-portfoliosPriscilla Dawson, Swansea College
3.00 pm – 3.30 pm	Discussion and round up

For more information and to book a place, please contact Sally Skym saskym@glam.ac.uk

UC&R Wales – Umbrella sponsorship opportunity

UC&R (Wales) are pleased to announce that they will be sponsoring a place
for full residential attendance at Umbrella 2009 for one member of UC&R
(Wales) who will be a first time attendee to an Umbrella event.

Umbrella 2009 takes place on 14-15 July at University of Hertfordshire,
Hatfield and offers you a unique experience to meet the UK library
community, discuss issues affecting your future and improve your
knowledge.  To see the conference programme, go to: http://www.umbrella2009.org.uk/

Applying for a sponsored place:
If you would like to be considered for a sponsored place at Umbrella
2009, please write a short statement, approximately 300 words,
describing how you would benefit from attendance at this year’s event.

The successful applicant will have to write a short report on the
conference, suitable for inclusion in Relay or the website, to be
submitted to UC&R (Wales) Committee. Part or all of the report may be
used for publicity purposes.

Your statement should be received by 29th May 2009.  Please send as an
email attachment to: nicolaw@glyndwr.ac.uk or by post to: 
Nicola Watkinson
Academic Liaison Co-ordinator
Glyndwr University Wrexham
Library, PP22L
Mold Road, Wrexham, Wales.  LL11 2AW

UC&R Wales – Learning Technologies Event

Learning Technologies Event and AGM — Thursday 21st May 2009
Room GT7119, Glyntaff Campus, University of Glamorgan

FINAL PROGRAMME
10.30 am to 11.00 am Arrival/ Refreshments/Registration/Networking

11.00 am to 11.45 am Rebecca Mogg, (Senior Subject Librarian, Information Services, Bute Library, Cardiff University) Rebecca will talk about Cardiff University’s experiences of developing a pod cast and the pedagogical benefits. There will be a free CD for each delegate with Pod casting software and other information on creating pod casts.

11.45 am to 12.30 am Ryan Danahar (Systems Support Officer, LCSS-LR, ESS Team, University of Glamorgan) Ryan will be demonstrating how to use VPN software to connect to your work PC desktop from home enabling you to use all the software and systems, and in an environmentally friendly way.

Ryan will also show how you can use the “Remote Desktop Connection” with Windows to connect to your main work PC desktop from other PCs on the University network. 

12.30 pm to 1.15 pm Lunch

There is a cafe on campus or shops and a pub 10 minutes walk away

1.15 pm to 1.30 pm UC&R Wales AGM and Elections (all welcome)

1.30 pm to 2.15 pm` Chris Clow (IT/AV Advisor CILASS, Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sheffield) Chris will give a presentation about some of the exciting technologies used in CILASS, Sheffield Information Commons including Copy Cams and Huddle Boards, Sympodiums, Digital Audio Recorders, Camcorders and Computer technology.

2.15 pm to 3.00 pm Kevin McDonald (Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, University of Glamorgan) Kevin will give a presentation and a demonstration of the Turning Point voting system. This presentation will demonstrate the ease with which electronic voting equipment can be used in teaching and learning. There will be interactive voter participation showing some of the strengths, and weaknesses of the software and tips for how to tune the presentation to the purpose of the user.

3.00 pm to 3.10 pm Refreshments

3.10 pm to 3.55 pm Maggie Leharne and Irene Barranco (Information & Library Services Department (ILS) at the University of Greenwich), Maggie and Irene will give a presentation of INFORMS. This is a flexible adaptive tool for the creation of interactive online tutorials. These tutorials have been created by users as a shared community resource to facilitate creative collaboration.

3.55 pm to 4.00 pm Questions

4.00 pm Depart

Cost Free

For information on how to get to the University of Glamorgan Glyntaff
Campus see:  http://profile.glam.ac.uk/findus/

To reserve a place or for more information, contact Steve Lee at   srlee@glam.ac.uk