Dr Hazel Hall has been appointed to provide strategic leadership
The remit of the Coalition is to facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to Library and Information Science (LIS) Research across the UK. It was founded in March this year by the British Library (BL), the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Research Information Network (RIN). Dr Hall is the Coalition’s first appointment.
The Coalition aims to bring together information about LIS research opportunities and results; encourage dialogue between research funders; promote LIS practitioner research and the translation of research outcomes into practice; articulate a strategic approach to LIS research; and promote the development of research capacity in LIS. The Coalition will provide a formal structure to improve access to LIS research, and maximise its relevance and impact. The Coalition is governed by a Board of Directors comprising a representative of each member organisation.
Dr Hall has been seconded to the Coalition for two days a week from her role as Reader in Social Informatics in the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University. A well-known researcher, active within both the LIS practitioner and academic communities in the UK and beyond, Dr Hall started her career in academic libraries in the 1980s at the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Polytechnic. Since 1989 she has held research and teaching roles at Queen Margaret and Edinburgh Napier Universities.
As well as holding academic qualifications in LIS, Dr Hall is a Fellow of CILIP. She currently serves on the editorial boards of two major LIS journals (Library and Information Science Research and the Journal of Information Science). She is also on the Executive Committee of the Online Information conference, the largest annual information industry conference and exhibition. She is an Associate Consultant at TFPL, a London-based specialist professional services company focusing on knowledge, information, library, records and web and content management.
Dr Michael Jubb, Chair of the Board of Directors of the LIS Research Coalition, said “We’re pleased that with this new appointment the Coalition’s Board of Directors will now be able to implement its plans to raise the profile and impact of LIS research in the UK.”
Dr Hazel Hall said “Since I first learnt of the proposals for a coalition I have shared the ambition of the LIS research community to come together to address issues that are of strategic importance to the subject domain. These impact the wider population as research outcomes are properly channelled to contribute to policy development and improvements in actual practice in library and information work. My appointment represents a strong commitment by the Coalition member bodies to LIS research in the UK.”
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Press contact:
Hazel Hall, Library and Information Science Research Coalition
Tel: +44 (0)7969 078181
E-mail: hazel.hall@lisresearch.org
Web: http://www.lisresearch.org
Twitter: @lisresearch
Additional contact:
Mark Taylor, Head of Corporate Marketing and Media Relations, CILIP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0650
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
Notes to editors:
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. www.bl.uk
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 36,000 people engaged in library and information work, of whom around 21,000 are CILIP members and around 15,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information.
JISC inspires UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies, helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in education and research. www.jisc.ac.uk .
The MLA is the government's agency for museums, libraries and archives. Leading strategically, the MLA promotes best practice to inspire innovative, integrated and sustainable services for all. www.mla.gov.uk
The Research Information Network has been established by the higher education funding councils, the research councils, and the national libraries in the UK. We investigate how efficient and effective the information services provided for the UK research community are, how they are changing, and how they might be improved for the future. We help to ensure that researchers in the UK benefit from world-leading information services, so that they can sustain their position as among the most successful and productive researchers in the world. www.rin.ac.uk
The following images are available on request:
Photograph of Dr Hazel Hall
Photograph of Michael Jubb
Logo of the Library and Information Science Research Coalition