Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal December 2008 Volume 6(6)

Aiming Higher

Observing dynamic behaviour

Jill Evans sums up recent events in education and looks back on a year full of opportunities.

The Further Education College Librarians’ annual event on 28 November in the Edinburgh Storytelling Centre included a superb programme of high-quality speakers presenting innovative and exciting content. Although the event was free for the FE sector, the fielded speakers could easily have attracted a high delegate attendance fee. Richard Wallis of Talis opened the conference challenging us to think imaginatively about the next array of library management systems while Phil Bradley suggested some practical uses for Web 2.0 in our libraries – some of which were, attractively, free of charge.
Continuing with the theme of the FE sector I have had the privilege of working with many FE librarians examining the benefits and challenges of participation in the SCURL Scottish Consortium for Academic Books Supply (SCABS) procurement process. While the SCABS procedure benefits from more than 10 years experience, the invitation was formally extended to our FE college librarians in 2008. Representatives from the Advanced Procurement for Colleges and Universities (APUC), the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU), the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), the Librarians’ Network (Libnet) and SCURL have all participated in meetings recently to share information and concerns, respond to questions, and offer support to assist in the decision-making process and I look forward to the outcome after 19 December – the date by which expressions of interest to participate in the tender must be received.
 
I have witnessed some of the most challenging meetings with dynamic behaviour, idiosyncratic ideas, and collaborative participants during the lifetime of the IRIScotland (Institutional Repository Infrastructure for Scotland) Project Board. Since January 2006 I have had the pleasure of watching and observing our senior colleagues debate astutely very complex subjects for the benefit of the delivery of a future service for our researchers and academic partners, calmly chaired by the Project Director, Sheila Cannell of Edinburgh University.

In complete contrast to the surroundings and personalities of the previous meetings referred to above, the SCURL Health Group was invited by Iain Milne, Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians, to hold their meeting in the RCP’s building in Queen Street, Edinburgh. Iain gave us a tour of the building with awe-inspiring libraries in which one could observe the historical richness of the collection of books and the pride with which the physicians regarded their libraries. The Health Group benefited from funding from SCURL to hold a training event on systematic reviewing hosted in Napier University, Edinburgh. This event attracted an audience extending beyond the HE sector with a number of participants from the NHS and it was encouraging to note cross-sectoral interest in a shared activity.

What have been the successes of 2008? We have seen the concept of the Scottish Higher Education Digital Library (SHEDL) emerge with impressive and remarkable progress. The negotiations were conducted on our behalf by JISC Collections through Content Complete Ltd and we expect to receive access to e-content from 1 January 2009 from three publishers for the wider benefit of our academic users. Two short sentences on SHEDL are completely inadequate to convey the complex negotiations, the worry, anguish, responsibility, delight, and astonishment of the SHEDL Steering Group’s membership as we met each new challenge. The final angst? Realising that the Chancellor had announced a reduction in VAT which had an immediate impact on our contracts!

The SCONUL conference in Edinburgh was memorable where amidst a superb programme of speakers I and my Planning Team colleagues encountered a flood in the reception room I had hired in Edinburgh Castle, a (small) fire on entering the Edinburgh Castle, and a mouse running around the seminar room of the hotel in which the conference was held – this was immediately after we had to vacate the seminar room because the room had been double-booked and the bride was waiting to start her reception!

I have enjoyed meeting challenges throughout 2008 with my wide portfolio of activities and am assured that 2009 will herald more opportunities to make me feel proud to be a librarian working for SCURL in Scotland.

Jill Evans

Information Scotland Vol. 6(6) December 2008

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