WHELF update: February 2012

WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum February 2012: an update

WHELF actively promotes the work of higher education libraries in Wales and provides a focus for the development of new ideas and services.
 
At our recent meeting in February, these were some of the topics under discussion:
 
Welsh history of World War One to go online
The WHELF Archives and Special Collections Group has been awarded £500,000 by JISC  to digitise primary sources relating to World War One. Through digitisation and collaborative working this project will bring together an impressive array of scattered content into one place and promises to become a key reference point for researchers and students looking at the Welsh experience of World War One.
Find out more at: http://whelf.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/welsh-history-of-world-war-one-to-go-online/

Welsh Information Literacy Project
Phase Two of this project is almost complete. The Information Literacy Framework for Wales is available on the project website http://www.welshinformationliteracy.org/ and in Welsh at http://www.llythrenneddgwybodaethcymru.org/. Agored Cymru have since built on the Framework by creating units of learning to accredit information literacy learning. We have conducted a benefits analysis advocating information literacy in the workplace and for employability, and the project is also producing materials for librarians to advocate information literacy in schools and initial teacher training.
Find out more at: http://whelf.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/welsh-information-literacy-project-phase-2/

Digital teaching and learning resources in Welsh schools
Andrew Green, Chair of WHELF,  is part of a task & finish group set up by the Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, to make recommendations on the promotion of digital teaching and learning resources in schools in Wales.
Find out more at: Written Statement by the Welsh Government

Libraries Inspire: The strategic development framework for Welsh libraries 2012-16
The Libraries Inspire Delivery Plan for 2012-13 is now available. It outlines specific actions and targets and a number of WHELF priorities have been included – walk-in access to electronic resources, mapping collections, digitisation, shared library management systems and implementing the Information Literacy Framework for Wales.
WHELF is represented on the Libraries Inspire Advisory Group by Anne Harvey, Swansea Metropolitan University and Julie Hart, Aberystwyth University.
Find out more at: Libraries Inspire

Libraries Inspire Innovation and Development Grants 2012-13 WHELF has made two bids for grant funding:
1. Walk-in Access to Library Resources in UniversitieS  - a pilot project to enable members of the public to access electronic resources in Welsh Higher Education libraries.
2. Collections Wales – mapping the printed and digital heritage of Wales to improve access. 

E-books
A number of WHELF libraries are trialling ‘Patron Driven Acquisition’ or ‘Demand Driven Acquisition’ for e-books.  In this model, the library offers access to a huge menu of content but only pays for material actually used by staff and students. Bangor University have reported on their own project and plan to seek the views of WHELF members regarding a consortial level deal.
Find out more at: http://libalyson.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/e-books-day-in-wales-a-review/

Sharing a Library Management System – Research, Scoping and Specification Study
The final report has been completed for WHELF after a lot of hard work. Thanks are due to Mark Hughes (Swansea University) who led the project, and to members of the project team and steering group. The next stage will be to seek further funding to take the work forward.

WHELF News
We welcomed Sue Hodges as a member of WHELF. Sue joined Bangor University as University Librarian at the start of December.

We also welcomed Emma Adamson, Head of Library Services at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Emma is taking over from Paul Riley as WHELF representative since Paul’s appointment to the post of Head of Library and Information Services. Cardiff Metropolitan University was formerly the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) but changed its name on 1st November. 

Cardiff University’s brand new Health Library at the Cochrane Building, Heath Park, opened on 7th November. The new Library, which is open 24 hours a day, offers a range of learning spaces over three floors, tailored for quiet individual study, group work and an informal social space.
Find out more at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/news/healthlibrary.html

… and the ‘Milne Collection’ of American Civil War material at Swansea University attracted a recent VIP visit from Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United!
Find out more at: http://whelf.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/sir-alex-admires-swansea-universitys-archive-of-american-civil-war-books/ 

For more information please contact:
Sue Mace
Development Officer
WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
http://whelf.ac.uk/
http://whelf.wordpress.com/

WHELF update: October 2011

WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
October 2011: an update

WHELF actively promotes the work of higher education libraries in Wales and provides a focus for the development of new ideas and services.

At our recent meeting in October, these were some of the topics under discussion:

Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
We welcome a new member of WHELF – Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. The Coleg is a new national institution which will play a key role in planning, supporting and developing Welsh medium education and scholarship at universities in Wales. It began its first full academic year in September 2011 and we look forward to developing effective collaborative partnerships.
Find out more at: http://www.colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/

Academic library consortia – sharing experience and expertise
We were joined for a half-day seminar by colleagues from other leading academic library consortia: Philip Cohen, Chair of CONUL, the consortium of Ireland’s main research libraries; John Tuck, Chair of the M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries; and Margaret Weaver, member of NOWAL, a consortium of academic libraries in the north-west of England and lead partner of the Northern Collaboration, a new partnership of academic libraries in the north of England. It was an excellent way to share experience on a wide range of initiatives which included shared library management systems, collaborative stores and e-books. We also explored the challenges and benefits of working together in a region/country to enhance our individual services.

Sharing services
A successful bid by WHELF to CyMAL: Museums Archives Libraries Wales has funded a feasibility study into shared library management systems. This is seen as a potential area to drive further collaboration and forms a key part of the WHELF Action Plan 2011-13. Our strategic vision for the “Sharing Library Services Programme” is to enable access to the collective resources and services of a virtual academic library for Wales.
Find out more at: http://whelf.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/sharing-services/

 A Cloud for Wales
WHELF contributed to A Cloud for Wales, a day of discussions and presentations at the National Library of Wales. It was an opportunity for leaders and senior staff from the sector to consider the potential use of cloud computing by their institutions as a way of sharing and improving services.

Libraries Inspire
We have written a response to CyMAL regarding the draft delivery plan for their new strategy Libraries Inspire. We have suggested areas where funding would allow WHELF to deliver on their strategic priorities – walk-in access to electronic resources (delivering digital inclusion), digitisation (creating new bilingual content), a shared library management system in HE – and possibly NHS – libraries (rolling out an all-Wales LMS) and implementing the Welsh Information Literacy Framework.
Find out more at: http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/cultureandsport/librariesinspire/?lang=en

Review of Digital Classroom Teaching: Task and Finish Group Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, has announced a task and finish group to review the use of digital classroom teaching. Andrew Green, Chair of WHELF, is a member of the new group and was able to report on the scope of the review.
Find out more at: Written Statement by the Welsh Government

WHELF News
The new 2011-2013 action plan for WHELF is complete and is now on the website.
Find out more at: http://whelf.ac.uk/mission.shtml  

We welcomed Bronwen Blatchford who will be representing the University of Wales at future meetings.

We bade a sad farewell to Leigh Abbott last month who, after more than five years with the University of Wales Online Library, is busy settling into a new life in Perth, Australia.

We look forward to welcoming Sue Hodges as a member of WHELF. Sue will join Bangor University as University Librarian from the start of December.
Find out more at: http://whelf.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/new-university-librarian-at-bangor/

For more information please contact:
Sue Mace
Development Officer
WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
http://whelf.ac.uk/
http://whelf.wordpress.com/

WHELF update: August 2011

WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
August 2011: an update

WHELF actively promotes the work of higher education libraries in Wales and provides a focus for the development of new ideas and services.

At our recent meeting in July, these were some of the topics under discussion:

The Future Shape of Higher Education in Wales: consultation
HEFCW sets out very clear recommendations for the reconfiguration of the higher education sector in Wales.  WHELF plans to respond over the course of the summer, highlighting innovative work in libraries which clearly demonstrates the “collaborative culture – such as that embraced by institutions in Wales” identified by JISC .
Find out more at: http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/education/heinwales/?lang=en

Sharing to be selfish: can we improve delivery and increase efficiency through shared services?
Keynote presentation at the 2011 SCONUL Conference in Cardiff by WHELF member Rebecca Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student and Staff Services, Aberystwyth University. Shared services are an important area of work for WHELF.
Find out more at: http://www.sconul.ac.uk/events/agm2011/presentations/

Joint procurement – SHEDL/WHEEL
Also at the SCONUL Conference, a workshop co-presented by Jeremy Atkinson, Director of Learning & Corporate Support Services, University of Glamorgan. Jeremy is leading on collaborative e-book and e-journal procurement for WHELF.
Find out more at: http://www.sconul.ac.uk/events/agm2011/presentations/

Welsh Information Literacy Framework launched
The Framework illustrates how learners’ information literacy develops throughout education, offering suggested learning outcomes for information literacy from entry level through to doctorates. The structure of the levels has been inspired by the recently revised SCONUL Seven Pillars core model and is aligned with both the Welsh Skills Framework for 3-19 year olds in Wales and the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW).  The Framework can be viewed on the project website at http://library.wales.org/informationliteracy/ or at http://library.wales.org/cy/llythrennedd-gwybodaeth/ for those preferring to read it in Welsh.

WHELF/HEWIT Colloquium 2011
A wide variety of themes this year, ranging from technology enhanced learning, web and mobile applications, information literacy and marketing  to partnership and collaborative working.
The presentations from the event are available on the website: http://gregynog.glam.ac.uk/page/programme

Library Impact Data Project
At various conferences in Wales, we heard about the early findings of this project with interest. We now have the answer to the question: Is there is a statistically significant correlation across a number of universities between library activity data and student attainment? The answer is a YES!
Find out more at: http://library.hud.ac.uk/blogs/projects/lidp/2011/07/21/the-final-blog-post/

Welsh Collaboration in Action 2011: A Joint Event for Librarians Supporting HE in FE
Libraries have an important role to play in supporting higher education in further education, so each year WHELF organises an event for staff to enable participants to share experiences, get up to date on recent developments and develop individual and shared programmes of action for the future. This year’s event was held at the ATRiuM Campus of the University of Glamorgan on Tuesday 28th June 2011.

WHELF News
Congratulations to David Learmont whose role at Bangor University will be changing to Director Business Improvement, with the future appointment of a University Librarian.

We welcome Madeleine Rogerson, Head of Learning Support, who will be representing University of Wales, Newport at future meetings.

And finally … welcome recognition of the role librarians play in supporting learning and teaching:
At Aberystwyth one of the Academic Services team, Karl Drinkwater, has been awarded a university Learning and Teaching Fellowship for his innovative work. LCSS at Glamorgan has given its Excellence in Learning, Teaching & Assessment Award in the Excellence and Innovation in Student Learning Support category to Steve Lee, Information Librarian for Sport, Science and Chiropractic.

For more information please contact:
Sue Mace
Development Officer
WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
http://whelf.ac.uk/
http://whelf.wordpress.com/

WHELF update: May 2011

WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum

May 2011: an update

WHELF actively promotes the work of higher education libraries in Wales and provides a focus for the development of new ideas and services.

At our recent meeting in May, these were some of the topics under discussion: 

Budget reductions

Across the board, WHELF members are identifying core services and those which will need to be cut altogether or reduced as overall funding levels decline. The cost of published resources continues to rise at above the rate of retail inflation, adding further pressure to our ability as libraries to meet the needs of our students, and to support our researchers adequately. Within our universities, we are working hard to ensure that the value of libraries and information resources to the academic community is fully recognised. 

A new deal with OUP … the WHEEL continues to roll

Working with JISC Collections, WHELF has negotiated a groundbreaking deal with OUP – all WHELF libraries will have access to OUP journals online. This deal is a further development of the Wales Higher Education Electronic Library – which already includes access to a shared e-books collection. 

Demand Driven Acquisition of e-books

Bangor are trialling Demand Driven Acquisition (DDA) of e-books. In this model, the library offers access to a huge menu of content but only pays for material actually used by staff and students.                                      

The Welsh Information Literacy Project is funded for a second year

This project, led by WHELF and hosted at Cardiff University, ended its first year with all objectives successfully completed. Funding has been secured from CyMAL: Museums Archives Libraries Wales for the second year of the project. To be information literate, a student must be able to recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use it effectively.

Find out more at: http://www.library.wales.org/informationliteracy/

Libraries Inspire: draft strategic development framework for Welsh libraries 2012-15

Public, educational, and workplace libraries are at the heart of their communities. The very reason for their existence is to inspire and assist people to make a positive difference to their lives. WHELF has an important role to play in this new strategy for Wales and we are taking an active part in all the consultations. 

Find out more at: http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/cultureandsport/librariesinspire/?lang=en

Shaping the future – for heritage, for everyone: consultation on the Heritage Lottery Fund’s strategic framework for 2013–2019

WHELF responded to this consultation in order to stress the value of the documentary heritage, much of which is held in archives and library collections in national libraries and universities. These special collections are of enduring historical value, but action is needed to preserve and make them accessible for future generations.

Find out more at: http://www.hlf.org.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/Documents/Consultation_17.02.2011.pdf

WHELF/HEWIT Colloquium 2011

An excellent programme for this year’s WHELF/HEWIT Colloquium taking place at Gregynog from 13-17 June. As ever, it is a varied mix of library and IT topics ranging from the strategic to the operational.

Find out more at: http://gregynog.glam.ac.uk/

SCONUL Conference coming to Cardiff

SCONUL promotes excellence in library services in higher education and national libraries across the UK and Ireland. Its 2011 Conference is coming to Cardiff – from 8-10 June.

Find out more at: http://www.sconul.ac.uk/events/agm2011 

Hug the National Library of Wales! 

If you happen to be in Aberystwyth on 15 July come and help us ‘cwtcho’r Llyfrgell’ by creating a human chain flung around the building to celebrate its 100th birthday.

Find out more about the centenary celebrations

The Library’s new three-year Strategy, ‘The agile library’, is now available at:
http://www.llgc.org.uk/fileadmin/documents/pdf/Strategy2011-12_2013-14.pdf

… and its new ICT strategy, at:
http://www.llgc.org.uk/fileadmin/documents/pdf/ICT_strategy_11-14_s.pdf

WHELF News

We welcome back Leigh Abbott, now returned from maternity leave to her post as Librarian of the University of Wales Online Library. Congratulations to Bronwen Blatchford who has been appointed to the new post of full-time librarian for the Online Library, working with Leigh. Congratulations to Rebecca Davies on her new post as Pro Vice-Chancellor at Aberystwyth University and to Julie Hart, appointed to take the lead on Library Services as Assistant Director: Built and Staffing Resources.

We reluctantly say goodbye to Lesley May, Head of Library Services at University of Wales, Newport. Her contribution to WHELF and to libraries in Wales will be much missed.

For more information please contact:

Sue Mace
Development Officer
WHELF: Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
http://whelf.ac.uk/
http://whelf.wordpress.com/

WHELF Annual Report 2009-2010

The WHELF (Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum) Annual Report for 2009 – 2010 is now available.

Academic libraries in different institutions in Wales have for long worked together to give improved support to teaching, learning and research, as well as contribute to the well being of the wider community. Innovation goes hand in hand with co-operation, and WHELF continues to develop new ways of providing services – like joint schemes to give access to e-journals and e-books – and new initiatives like the Welsh Information Literacy Project. The annual report illustrates many examples of this collaboration and innovation.

The following links on the WHELF website will allow you to download the report in either Welsh or English:

• WHELF Annual Report 2009-2010 in English
• WHELF Annual Report 2010-2011 in Welsh

2020: a prophecy

NLW has recently published on its website a paper entitled ’2020: a long view of the National Library of Wales’.

http://www.llgc.org.uk/fileadmin/documents/pdf/Vision.pdf

The paper tries to identify the most significant factors – economic, political, social and technological – that are likely to affect the Library over the next ten years.  It goes on to suggest how the Library itself will develop over the same period.  There will be major changes in collecting, many propelled by digital developments, and in the way users and collections interact.  A much more prominent role is proposed for the Library as an educational institution, and its relationship with local institutions in Wales may well change in radical ways.

This is not a consultation paper, but comments on it are very welcome.  It will be the subject of a talk and discussion at the Welsh Libraries Conference in Llandrindod Wells on 14 May.

WHELF has a new logo

Anyone who has visited our website recently will see we have a new logo. Goodbye at last to the old map of Wales!

WHELF Annual Report for 2008-09 now published

The WHELF Annual Report for 2008-2009 is now published. Copies of the report are available on the WHELF website in English and in Welsh.

WHELF Annual Report now published

The WHELF Annual Report for 2007-2008 is now on the WHELF website.

Welcome to the new WHELF blog!

The Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF) is a grouping of Chief Librarians and Directors of Information Services drawn from all the higher education institutions in Wales.

The purpose of WHELF is to promote library and information services co-operation, to encourage the exchange of ideas, to provide a forum for mutual support and to help facilitate new initiatives in library and information service provision.

We hope that the blog will complement existing sources of information such as our website and our various JISCmail lists, and encourage the sharing of good ideas between WHELF member libraries.

Most of the postings you’ll see on this blog are going to be from me, Sue Mace, in my role as Development Officer for WHELF, but I am happy to report on any news of interest to Welsh HE libraries!