News > October

New look website for JISC Legal

JISC Legal has produced a short YouTube video to highlight some of the changes and additional features in their new website. The changes aim to make accessing JISC guidance more straightforward, helping users to avoid legal barriers to the development and use of ICT in colleges and universities.

One of the important changes is from static pages to dynamic content generated from categorised items to create web pages which are specific to Roles, Themes and Legal Areas. As well as practical, relevant text guidance, there is also a range of audio-visual resources.

JISC Legal has a dedicated feedback webpage where you can contribute your thoughts on how we can best help you with compliance and legal issues. Added: 29 Oct

Linlithgow Book Festival

Linlithgow Book Festival takes place during the weekend of 30 Oct 30 - 1 Nov, as part of the wider Celebrate Linlithgow project, involving three weeks of arts events. West Lothian Libraries has organised three Sunday afternoon events to stimulate and entertain all ages.

A session on Linlithgow in Print will be offered by Local History Librarian Sybil Cavanagh, who has been burrowing into the burgh, dusting off some early writings and newspaper reporting about the town. With readings performed by Blackburn writer, Dennis O’Donnell (pictured), the session will bring to life some of the obscurer happenings in Linlithgow’s past, focusing on everyday life - the experiences of ordinary people, and particularly the sinners of Linlithgow.

Some of the best of published local poets will take part in Six Local poets: A West Lothian Poetry Showcase, highlighting: Douglas Watt, Andrew Philip, Jane McKie, Billy Watt, Alistair Findlay and Dennis O’Donnell. This showcase will feature a diversity of accessible writing to stimulate and entertain.

Finally, at Storytime for Young Children Anne McEwen, Bookstart Co-ordinator with West Lothian Libraries, will entertain and amuse in this session for the under fives.

All Book festival events take place in the Masonic Hall at the Cross, Linlithgow, and more details can be found on the website. Added: 29 Oct

Extended opening in Shetland

From the beginning of November Shetland Library and Learning Centre will be open for an additional three hours each week.

The new plan will see the Library open thirty minutes earlier each morning, at 9.00 a.m.

The extended hours have been made possible through the Single Status agreement, and the allied increased working time. Many Library staff are now in work well before 9.00 am, so the Library and Learning Centre can be set up and made ready for business by 9.00 a.m.

Chair of the Services Committee, Gussie Angus, has welcomed the move; “The Library provides excellent facilities, and earlier opening will extend the service to even more people”.

From Monday 2nd November the Library will be open for 54 hours every week, including late nights on Mondays and Thursdays and all day on Saturdays. Added: 27 Nov

JISC and SCONUL agreement

The Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) and JISC have signed a three year partnership agreement to bring together the knowledge of UK library professionals with JISC’s expertise in digital technologies.

The two organisations will work towards a vision of everyone having equal access to the widest range of resources supporting world class research, learning and teaching.

SCONUL represents higher education libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Professor Jane Core, Chair of SCONUL and Director of Library and Learning Resources at Northumbria University said: “Higher education has become globally competitive and universities need to demonstrate their worth. SCONUL’s expertise in strategy for library services, combined with JISC’s leadership in ICT for learning, teaching and research, will together provide innovative knowledge resources to maximise the offer of UK higher education." Added: 27 Oct

Telescope restored in library re-roofing

In its day it was Hubble’s double: a cutting-edge telescope at the forefront of space exploration. Now the 150-year-old Cooke telescope at Airdrie Public Observatory in Airdrie Library, one of just four in Scotland, is to get a new lease of life.

As part of North Lanarkshire Council’s GBP 500,000 re-roofing project at Airdrie Library the two-and-a-half ton dome was lifted into place on Tue 6 Oct.

The observatory is owned by the council and run on its behalf by the Airdrie Astronomical Association.

Joint curator Paul Clark said: “The instrument was designed for viewing the planets and it can see as far as Neptune. The clouds on Jupiter are quite spectacular, as are Saturn’s rings.”

The works on the dome and telescope are expected to give the instrument another 20 to 30 years of serviceable life. Added: 20 Oct

Shetland Library is an Investor in People

Shetland Library has been successful in retaining its Investor in People status.

In the report published this week, it is said that the assessor was impressed with the staff's "clarity of understanding regarding the role and purpose of the service". In particular, staff are commended on their "absolute commitment to the principle of community service and support".

Chairman of the Services Committee, Gussie Angus, commenting on the report said: “I am delighted that the Library has been recognised in this way. Although the resources in the library are important, it is the quality and commitment of the staff that makes the service what it is.”

Photo from flickr by Duncan Cumming. Added: 8 Oct

Information Scotland

Information Scotland is the journal of CILIPS, which is published six times a year. The online version is usually made available around three weeks after the printed publication.

June edition now online.

June issue contents

Read the main features from the last edition of Information Scotland:

Good practice in action

Margaret Forrest is seeing her presidential themes put into practice all over the UK.

Aiming Higher

Jill Evans ponders on some unfortunate repercussions of the economic climate – and what grabbed her at the CILIPS conference.

An event to inspire excellence

The variety of subjects covered at the CILIPS Annual Conference, 1-3 June at the Peebles Hydro, was as wide as ever this year. Three delegates report.

CILIPS Conference: Reports

A new national research base. Christine Rooney Browne reports from the CILIPS Annual Conference.

CILIPS Conference: Funding

Less is more. New initiatives need’t cost much, as Gill Swales demonstrates with a number of partnership projects she has been involved in.

CILIPS Conference: Schools

A glowing report. Glow, the Scottish Schools Digital Network, has great potential for librarians. Elspeth Scott outlines how it can be used in daily work

CILIPS Conference: Schools

Bright idea. Report on learning and Teaching Scotland's Glow service.

CILIPS Conference: Careers

Tips to get to grips. Joanna Ptolomey decided to stand back and take better control of her career. Here, she offers some top tips so you can do the same.

CILIPS Conference: Young people

YAPping in the library. Craig Green describes a successful partnership youth scheme involving library facilities in Glasgow’s Easterhouse which has contributed to decreasing youth disorder.

Coming soon: October 2009 edition

Advertise in Information Scotland

Information Scotland is published bi-monthly and distributed to over 2300 CILIPS members as well as an international subscription base. Download a copy of our media pack to find out more about advertising opportunities.