Collaboration and Partnership Working Group - Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 15 January, 2009 at Middlesex University, Archway Campus

Present: Tim Cullen, Bill Downey, Dilys Hall, Ann Murphy (Chair), Ann Sainsbury, Christine Wise (Secretary)

By invitation: Tom Roper, Head of Learning Resources, South Thames College

1. Welcome and introductions

AM welcomed colleagues to the meeting.

2. Presentation by Tom Roper, Head of Learning Resources, South Thames College, on COFE and links with HE

Tom Roper introduced his presentation by outlining the disposition of the 54 FE college libraries in the London and South East area (as defined by the geographic areas of the RDAs).  He then described the work of COFE London and South East and issues relevant to HE and FE collaboration.  He noted the recent decision of the M25 Consortium to consider for membership only HE institutions and other specialist and research institutions who are eligible under current membership criteria.

He noted recent changes in the FE library sector, including changes in funding via the Learning and Skills Council, especially for the 11-14 age group; the potential impact of increasing the mandatory age for remaining in education to 18; and mergers between colleges.  There had been an historic emphasis on adult learning but there was currently more attention between paid to growth in the 14-19 age group.

Tom Roper described the work of the COFE London and South East Group.  It is a Special Interest Group (SIG) of CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, and offers a sector-specific training programme.  One forthcoming event is the London launch event for the Self-Assessment Toolkit for Learning Resources Services in FE Colleges in England, to take place at CILIP on Thursday 12 March 2009.

Areas for potential collaboration with the M25 Consortium included exploration and development of local arrangements between M25 Consortium members and neighbouring colleges, and it was agreed that AM would contact M25 Consortium members and send information about these arrangements to Tom Roper.
ACTION AM

Recent joint conferences across the HE and FE sectors were noted and it was suggested that future conferences could be held on topics of mutual interest.  A forthcoming event, run by the UK Serials Group, E-Resources for Further Education, http://uksg.org/event/ERFE250209, was noted.

AM thanked Tom Roper and asked him to maintain links with the Working Group by giving an annual presentation.

TR would forward a series of links to information on the sector to CW, who would circulate this to Working Group members.  [Secretary’s note: the link is http://delicious.com/tomroper/FEM25]
ACTION CW

3. Minutes of the meeting held 3 October 2008

These were accepted as a true record.  All matters arising were addressed during the course of discussion in the meeting.

4. Report back from M25 Consortium Steering Group Meeting

AM reported back on key points arising from the recent M25 Consortium Steering Group meeting.  These included:

• Approaches regarding membership of the M25 Consortium had been discussed
• Updates to the M25 Consortium Strategic Plan had been reviewed
• Several events for M25 Consortium Directors had been held, including two introducing the issues of career progression into senior University administration
• The funding application in respect of the WAM25 project had been submitted to HEFCE and feedback was awaited
• A report on the AIM25 project had been received
• A presentation had been received on Google Analytics and web statistics arising for the M25 Consortium’s website
• The agenda for the M25 Consortium Business Meeting to be held on 23 January 2009 was confirmed
• Working Groups were asked to review the content of their individual web pages to ensure that these were up-to-date.  TC would undertake this for this Working Group.
  
   ACTION TC

5. Inspire London: actions towards launch

AM reported that she had recently met with Philip Payne, Inspire Steering Group Co-Director, to discuss the launch of Inspire London.  The other Inspire Co-Director, Andrew Green, would shortly take up a post in the London area, and it was agreed that AM would meet again with Philip Payne, Andrew Green and David Brockhurst to discuss detailed arrangements. 

ACTION AM

6. London health libraries: M25 Consortium engagement and further developments

DH reported that the cpd25 event, “Celebrating the NHS/HE Partnership”,
http://www.cpd25.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=143&extmode=view&extid=315, had taken place on Wednesday 26 November 2008.  Amongst other speakers, Dr Paul Ayris, UCL, had given a paper entitled “Joint Procurement and Open Access – a shared agenda between NHS/HE”, a current issue of strategic importance.

7. M25 Consortium Strategic Plan: review and report back on actions

The content of the action plan was reviewed.  CW would revise the document to include information on recent contacts with the British Library.

ACTION CW

8. Any other business

TC circulated a report on a meeting he had recently had with David Smith, Chair of the Committee of Departmental Librarians.  The report summarised collections strategy in government libraries and indicated willingness to look favourably on access requests to consult material which is not otherwise available in digital format.

9. Date of next meeting

Monday 23 March 2009, 14h30, Senate House Library, University of London

3 June 2009 pm – University of Greenwich
16 July 2009 am – offers to host this meeting welcomed

Christine Wise
Minutes 15 January 2009
January 2009