The economic downturn and libraries

 A global survey of the world’s academic and research libraries reveals that two thirds of institutions expect to cut spending on information resources in the next two years. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/infostudies/research/ciber/charleston-survey.pdf

Digitisation initiatives in Wales

Three projects are in train that will all contribute to WHELF’s ambition to put searchable texts of ‘Wales in print’ complete on the web.

‘Welsh Journals Online’, led by the National Library of Wales, aims to make available the complete contents of around 50 periodicals published in Wales, in Welsh and English, from 1900 (and before that date in the case of title already in existence in 1900). Nine titles are already available, and the rest will follow in the coming months.
http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/

‘Welsh Ballads’ is also a JISC-funded project and when complete will offer the texts of 5,000 ballads from the early 18th century onwards. Cardiff University is the lead partner, with help from Bangor, Lampeter and the National Library of Wales.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/libraries/scolar/digital/welshballads.html

The largest and most recent of these text projects is ‘Welsh Newspapers and Magazine Online’, funded by a £2m strategic grant by the Welsh Assembly Government to the National Library of Wales. This will concentrate on the nineteenth century and will open up a vast quantity (2m pages) of knowledge currently very difficult to investigate easily. A website will be available shortly.

Meanwhile, an important and very large archival collection of historic Welsh wills, is from this week available online through the National Library of Wales.
http://cat.llgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gw/chameleon?skin=profeb&lng=en

Redesigned Trevithick Library opens

The redesigned Trevithick Library at Cardiff University has been declared officially open by Honorary Fellow Carol Vorderman.

At a special launch event held in the Library on 25 March 2009, speakers included Professor Malcolm Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Estates, and Janet Peters, University Librarian.  Janet is pictured with Carol Vorderman.

Speaking at the event, Carol said: “It is fantastic to see investment in modern facilities which not only look stylish but are also practical and really cater for the needs of students and inspire research and learning.”

As part of Information Services’ Library Review, the Trevithick Library has been completely redesigned to enhance the student experience. It now offers a range of modern environments which meet changing technological and curriculum needs.

Key elements of the new design include a research lounge, open study spaces, group study rooms, wireless networks and a modern ‘computer bar’. To allow students total flexibility, self-service book issue and return units and an external 24 hour book return chute have also been installed.

More information in press release

UC&R Wales Event – Creating new learning spaces

UC&R Wales Event — Creating New Learning Spaces — Cardiff University Trevithick Library  29th April 2009

Ruth Thornton (the Trevithick Librarian) and Amanda Heal (Design Research Unit Wales, Cardiff School of Architecture) will be presenting the Trevithick Library – from Vision to Reality. The planning and implementation of the new learning space which is the Trevithick Library. The session will include a tour of the Library.

In the afternoon Professor Philippa Levy (Academic Director, CILASS – Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sheffield Information Commons) will be talking about The Development of new learning spaces at Sheffield University.

Ian Pearshouse (the Learning Research Systems Manager of The Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) at The University of Nottingham) will be presenting The findings from the JISC funded study  “Effective Evaluation Models and Practices for Technology Supported Physical Learning Spaces” and taking a look at where we go from here…

Cost £30.00 per delegate including buffet lunch and refreshments

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

Awards for Excellence

Congratulations to Cathie Jackson, Senior Consultant – Information Literacy in Information Services at Cardiff University, who has been awarded a  prize for Excellence in Teaching by the HEA Subject Centre for Information and Computer Science. This is Cathie’s second award – last summer she was presented with the Wallace Breem Memorial Award for an outstanding contribution to law librarianship.