Confirmed minutes of the meeting held on Monday 26 July 2010, University of Greenwich

Present: Bethan Adams, Tim Cullen, Ann Murphy (Chair), Gurdish Sandhu, Christine Wise (Secretary), April Yasamee

Apologies: Bill Downey, John Gilby, Dilys Hall, Jeremy Shilliton

1. Welcomes:

AM welcomed colleagues to the meeting.  She noted that this would be the last Working Group meeting that Bethan Adams would attend, as Bethan was stepping down to chair the Digital Developments Working Group.  AM thanked Bethan for her contributions to this Working Group.


2. Minutes of the meeting held 25 May 2010 and matters arising:

These were confirmed as an accurate record, with matters arising dealt with under the agenda items below.


3. Report back from M25 Consortium Steering Group Meeting:

AM noted that there had recently been meetings of the Steering Group and that she would report back fully when minutes of these meetings were available.  The meetings schedule for the Steering Group during the academic session 2010-2011 was currently being confirmed, as was the date for the annual M25 Networking event.


4. Current issues of interest to M25 Consortium members not funded by HEFCE:

AY reported that she was investigating informal affiliations for her own institution of mutual benefit for access to collections.  She noted that the London Museums Libraries and Archives Group (LMLAG) (http://lmlag.wordpress.com/) was currently investigating access to bundles of e-resources via JISC.  The Working Group noted that this was an area where an M25 consortial purchasing scheme might be helpful, and as a development to be explored.

5. Inspire London: update and launch:

AM reported that there had not been any recent meetings of the Inspire London Steering Group and that she would contact the Chair, David Brockenhurst, to progress issues.  Work to migrate and to update data from the existing Inspire London website was planned.

6. British Library Reading Rooms Working Group:

As Jeremy Shillito had been unable to this meeting, a report would be received at a future Working Group meeting about recent activities.

7. Update on UK library consortia:

AM reported that a representative from NoWAL, the North West Academic Libraries Consortium, would be invited to attend the forthcoming M25 networking event.

AM reported on a recent meeting she had attended, which had been convened by Suzanne Enright, Director of ISIS at the University of Westminster, and Robert Hall, Director, Centre for Learning Support and Development at London South Bank University.  The purpose had been to discuss issues relating to the access to library services of students from privately-funded universities and colleges.  The discussion had widened to more general issues relating to licenses for access to e-resources.  Arising from this discussion, AM would review the approach taken by other library consortia to joint procurement of and purchasing access to e-resources, and report back.

ACTION AM

8. London health libraries: M25 Consortium engagement and current developments:

BA noted that, bearing in mind the review of the Library Charter for students using NHS libraries, she would bring this to the attention of Richard Osborn, Strategic Library Services Development Manager in the London Deanery.

ACTION BA

9. Review of Working Group’s web pages on M25 Consortium website – http://www.m25lib.ac.uk/collaboration and partnership working group/index.php

AM would raise matters of content and updates at the next Steering Group meeting and this item would be discussed again at the Working Group meeting.

ACTION CW for agenda

10. Updates for the M25 Consortium Action Plan:

The M25 Strategic Plan 2009-2014 had already been circulated in draft to Working Group members and would be reviewed at the next meeting.  AM tabled a copy of the M25 Consortium Marketing Strategy 2010-11 – 2013-14 for information and to note connections with the Working Group’s activities.

ACTION CW for agenda

11. A.O.B:

AM noted that there had recently been an approach to the M25 Consortium from London Higher regarding a collaborative funding application for walk-in access to library resources.  It was agreed that it would be helpful to discuss issues of mutual interest with London Higher.  CW would approach Dr Michael Reynier, Deputy Chief Executive, London Higher, regarding an invitation to a speaker to attend the next Working Group meeting.

ACTION CW

GS reported on a collaborative initiative from the University of East London with an overseas institution, including widening participation and increasing staff diversity.

12. Date of next meeting:

The next meeting would be held in autumn 2010 to tie in with the M25 Steering Group meetings dates once confirmed.

ACTION CW