Minutes of the meeting held at Kirkley Hall,
Northumberland College
14th November 2000
Present
Helen Ashton, Bishop Auckland College, Jen Black, Gateshead
College, Pat Gannon-Leary, Northumbria University, Fiona Middlemist,
Northumberland College
(1) Apologies: Jane Aitken, Hartlepool College, Carol Allison,
Redcar and East Cleveland, Christine Goult, Cleveland College of Art and
Design, Richard Harvey, New College Durham, Paula Kilburn,
Middlesbrough College, Annette Knowlson, City of Sunderland College, Cath
Proud, Middlesbrough College, Pam Robinson, South Tyneside College, Gillian
Rutherford, North Tyneside College, Jane Spellman, QEVI Form
(2) Minutes of the last meeting held at Middlesbrough College on 21st
June 2000 were agreed as a true record.
(3) Matters arising
None
(4) Feedback from National Committee - HA
(5) Feedback from UC&R committee
No meeting had been held to report back on. Next event - 15th November at Durham University. Christmas Quiz to be held on 12th January at Collingwood College. It was hoped that CoFHE would be able to organise a team this year. Anyone interested
please get in touch with Helen. Details will be in Northern Librarian.
(6) Treasurer's report
Jane had asked if the Circle would agree that she opens a bank account that
operates with only one signatory and that she has cash books/receipts etc. All
were happy with this suggestion.
(7) News from the Colleges
Northumberland College - Fiona manages both the main site at Ashington and Kirkley
Hall. Kirkley Hall Resources Centre had recently opened after major
refurbishment with 1.5 staff. Open 4 nights a week - mainly land-based courses
with some residential students.
Bishop Auckland - New male member of staff appointed in September. All
running reasonably smoothly. Books bar-coded and reclassified over the summer.
Northumbria - Pat is working on a JISC research project looking
into the sharing of electronic resources. Hopeful that a similar project with a
FE emphasis will get funding with the steering group led by Maureen Jackson.
Gateshead College - Formation of the Tyne & Wear G6
consortium including a Libraries group - TWIRL - led by Sunderland University and including the colleges in the area. Once operating students will be able to use
facilities in any of the member organisation on production of their ID card.
Hopefully purchasing arrangements will operate. Andrew MacDonald is chair of
the group.
(8) Induction
Discussion took place on induction procedures. It was clear that every College
operates differently but overall it was thought that there was less emphasis on
formal induction session than in the past. Students do seem to be lacking basic
skills including IT - even school leavers - but not much is done to address
these issues. Initial induction early in the term should not go into too much
detail - this should follow when the students actually know what is required of
them. Feedback on the process is also important. At Bishop Auckland all full
time students have limited induction that includes the production of their
College card/library card. A PowerPoint presentation runs on the PC's for all
to watch. Gateshead College has user guides and a CD-ROM and carries out lots
of 1 to 1 sessions but little in the way of induction sessions for groups. Northumberland College does do formal induction sessions when required and also more in
depth research sessions.
(9) AOB
None
(10) Date of next meeting
Hopefully to be held at North Tyneside College in February - Helen to invite
Kathy Ennis (LA Professional Adviser) to speak.
Summer term meeting to be held at QE VI Form in Darlington - to invite all VI
Form librarians and school librarians along with FE.
(11) Tour of Kirkley Hall