WHELF Quarterly news update Feb 2015
WHELF’s first meeting of 2015 was held on February 12th via videoconference.
Present: Aled Gruffydd Jones (Chair, NLW), Emma Adamson (Cardiff Met), Bronwen Blatchford (UofW) , Andrew Dalgliesh (UofSW), Julie Hart (Aberystwyth University) , Anne Harvey (UWTSD:Swansea) , Sue Hodges (Bangor University), Mark Hughes (Swansea University), Janet Peters (Cardiff University), Nicola Watkinson (Glyndwr University) Rachael Whitfield (WDO), Nicky Whitsed (OU)
We were pleased to welcome back to WHELF, Bronwen Blatchford from the University of Wales. Ann Davies from the Open University is currently on secondment and we welcomed attendance from Nicky Whitsed Director of Library Services, OU.
Customer Services Group UK (CSGUK)
Guest attendee Libby Homer Associate Director, Library and Learning Services at the University of East London and Vice-Chair of the Customer Services Group UK attended the meeting to talk to WHELF about the role of the CSGUK and to invite WHELF participation. CSGUK was previously part of the M25 consortium but they have been independent since 2014. The group’s focus is the professionalization of customer services in HE libraries and to discuss and share knowledge and techniques across libraries. The group operates four task groups: Benchmarking, Knowledge and Discovery, Quality in Customer Service and Service Improvement. The group runs training events and an annual conference. More details can be found here: www.customerservicesgroup.co.uk
WHELF Shared LMS
Gareth Owen, Programme Manager for the WHELF Shared LMS attended to update WHELF on project progress. All key milestones have been achieved and work continues apace in Phase 3 –Implementation. It has been great to see the large amount of interest across the UK, Europe and in fact worldwide that has been generated by the project. Gareth and other members of the Working Group have been invited to speak at forthcoming conferences and seminars, and there are a number of articles for library journals and a book chapter in progress. There will be a day focussing on the LMS at the Gregynog Colloquium in June which will provide an opportunity to discuss consortium and collaboration opportunities. The group discussed and agreed a Governance paper prepared by Gareth that steers the project through the next stages.
WHELF Action Plan
The new 2014-15 WHELF Action Plan has been updated and is available on the website: https://whelf.ac.uk/action-plan-2/. Progress updates were provided by the Action Aim Leads.
Open access publishing
Sue Hodges (Vice-Chair of WHELF) recently attended an event at the University of Huddersfield on open access publishing. The group discussed the main issues surrounding open access publishing with regard to the use of own in-house publishing methods, or open source systems such as OJS, or a commercial company and how to market and brand open access publishing. WHELF institutions are all at different stages with this issue so it was suggested that events be organized in the North and South of Wales to share knowledge and progress.
Updates from WHELF sub-groups
Thanks were expressed to Lorna Hughes for Chairing the WHELF Archives and Special Collections sub-groups and we wish Lorna well in her new role as Chair in Digital Humanities at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. The group are in the process of appointing a new Chair.
The WHISD sub-group are busily preparing for the 2015 Gregynog Colloquium (15th-19th June), jointly organized this year by Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff University. This year the Colloquium has been extended to include a day focussing on the WHELF Shared LMS. The theme of the conference this year is collaboration and partnership. A call for papers has been issued and further details can be found on the Gregynog Colloquium website http://www.gregynog-lis.org/
Members of the Copyright Group had attended a training day organized by the Sconul ACCSG Copyright sub-group at the University of South Wales Atrium in Cardiff. Jonathan Davies (Chair of the WHELF Copyright sub-group) contributed a report from the day to the WHELF blog. The group had the opportunity to hold an informal meeting during the day and had agreed that the role of Chair for the forthcoming year will be shared between Jonathan Davies (Data Protection and Copyright Manager, Aberystwyth University) and Andrew McVay (Copyright and Licensing Team at Cardiff University).
The ALIS Wales (Accessible Libraries and Information Services) sub-group had met on the 20th October and the group are coordinating with the WHELF Development Officer to add content to the WHELF website.
The WHEEL (Wales Higher Education Electronic Library) sub-group continues to explore and secure shared deals for WHELF institutions. The group is looking to expand its membership for 2015-16.
For further information please contact:
Rachael Whitfield
WHELF Development Officer | Swyddog Datblygu WHELF
(Part-time: All day Monday & Tuesday, Weds morning)
(Rhan amser: Drwy’r dydd ar ddydd Llun a dydd Mawrth, ac ar foreau Mercher)
Phone | Ffôn 01792 513386
Email | Ebost r.b.whitfield@swansea.ac.uk
http://whelf.ac.uk/Twitter: @WHELFed
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