Library and Information Research Group

Agenda item

To be actioned by

1

Apologies for absence

2

Minutes of the meeting on  6 July 2006

Were accepted as an accurate record

3

Matters arising: 

World Summit – SS agreed to invite Debbie Shorley to do a Daphne Clarke seminar on WSIS in May 2007. Still on the agenda. 

David Baume talk. SS reported that the event had to be postponed due to lack of interest. It was agreed to try and re-schedule at some point in the future, most probably during 2008. SS agreed to organise.  The aim is to try and run this seminar in late March/April 2007.

Joint course with HLG

This meeting has occurred.

CILIP’s Research Policy and Strategy

JED reported that John Feather Chair of the ILM RAE Sub-Panel had agreed speak at a LIRG event on RAE2008 at some future point after the exercise has been conducted.

The issue of the Skills Audit was raised. It was agreed to wait for feedback from AP before taking the matter forward. The matter is still live.

Creating an alliance with UC&R . BF had agreed to explore the possibility of presenting to it and to ask Pauline Blagden to do similar re. HLG. This matter is still live.

LIS-CILIP

It was noted that CILIP had recently decided to wind this up. The meeting noted that the CoP had been successfully launched.

SS 
 
 
 

SS 
 
 
 

AP

PB, BF

4

Report from Chair 

BF reported that:

MLA was producing a research strategy (BF has a draft). This was viewed as an inward-looking document though BF raised the possibility that LIRG might be able to exert influence on the outcome of MLA’s internal deliberations. BF to report at next meeting.

The BL was also considering a research strategy, though its focus was at present unclear.

BF noted that she intended to resign from the LIRG Chair after the 2007 AGM. She would retain the post of Past-Chair for approximately a year after this to smooth the transition process.

BF

5

Report from the Group Councillor

JED presented a report to the committee.

Key points:

CILIP faces financial problems currently

CILIP membership is falling at 2% per annum

LIRG was urged to think creatively about its future in the light of these challenging circumstances: what are CILIP’s and LIRG’s core functions?

The full report is available for inspection.

6

Report from the Treasurer

JE (ex-Treasurer) reported that last years accounts needed to be audited. JE to send to BF/AP to allow this to occur.

Present state of finances were repoted as:

Current a/c: 16K

Small a/c: 247 pounds

K reserves: 6K

 
 
 
 
 JE
 
 
 
 

 
 

7

Report from the LIR Editorial Board

There was no report made.

8

9 (+ 12.3)

12.3

Report From Group Liaison Officer

There was no report made

Report on Awards and Prizes

JY circulated a document which is available for inspection

PB, JT and DB agreed to be judges for this year’s awards

JED and JY agreed to pursue the possibility of securing more money (2K) from Elsevier for this year’s award

Elsevier award: JE, BF and AC agreed to be judges.

The awards will be presented at Umbrella 2007

There was discussion about the possibility that practitioners are at an inherent disadvantage over academics in the competitions. It was agreed to give priority this year to joint bids from academics and practitioners for the Elsevier award only.

BF agreed to pass to JE a suggested re-wording of the call for proposals to reflect this.

The postgraduate award criteria would remain unaltered

There was some discussion of creating a form of words to cover the unlikely event that the successful recipient of the awards might not subsequently fulfill its criteria. It was agreed that a clause should be included that the money would have to be given back to LIRG should this occur and that this should be made clear in the criteria describing the award.

JY and JED

BF

BF and JE

10

Events

See matters arising.

JE agreed to try and move forward the proposed event with the SE branch

BF noted the importance of promoting these events as early in advance as possible.

JE

11

Web-site

AP noted that there were technical problems at present but that there would be little change in the foreseeable future

12

12.1

12.2

12.3

12.4

12.5

12.6

12.7

12.8

12.9

12.10

12.11

Discussion Items

Annual Report on Group Returns

AP circulated a paer which is available for inspection

BF noted that there was a need to revisit the Newdirections paper

JED noted that it would be useful to await the outcomes of the three CILIP reviews currently being undertaken before doing any further strategic thinking

Postgraduate prize

See item 9.

LIRG Research Award

See item 9

BL Seminar

LIRG will circulate a report on the event.

There was some discussion of the opportunity that the event might create for opening up further funding opportunities for funding practitioner based research in particular. It was noted that representatives from the key funding bodies would attend the seminar.

IFLA Library Theory and Research Section

A paper was circulated by BF which is available for inspection.

JED noted that the item on group merger was interesting. He also noted that the standard of papers delivered at the conference was variable.

LIR Editor

BF repoted that she had received three offers to take this job on from: David Ball, Miggy Pickton and Louise Glenn. BF agreed to discuss and agree specific roles with the three volunteers.

AP agreed agreed to bring the group together to examine the structure of LIR

Ebesco and LIR

A request from the above had been received for LIRG to authorize it to promote the work of LIR. There was some discussion of this. BF agreed to respond after a discussion among the LIR board which would then make a recommendation to the LIRG committee.

LIRG journal ‘futures’ meeting

Will be done in the context of meeting to take place re. item 12.7. AP agreed to move this forward

Library research database

AC and AP to liaise on this matter. The aim would be to pitch the initiative at a global level.

DB suggested that it might be possible for subject repositories and institutional repositories around the UK to link to the database.

AP agreed to look for any analogues which might currently be in existence and which might prove instructive in pursuing the initiative.

LIRG contribution to Umbrella 2007

Carolyn Rankin provided a paper for the meeting.

BF noted that it would be useful to have some LIRG presence at the joint HLG/LIRG event. PB agreed to provide this.

There was some discussion of possible speakers for a LIRG event at Umbrella: BF noted that she had two speakers from SHU in mind.

There was some discussion of possible topics. JED suggested ‘measuring the quality of research’. JE suggested ‘the assessment of practitioner research in the RAE’. SS agreed to check at MMU on the possible role which the library’s initiative to create an institutional repository might play in the RAE

In the end it was agreed to approach MLA to provide a speaker. BF agreed to do this.

AP agreed to liaise with Carolynn to ensure that this can be accommodated in the Umbrella programme

JE noted that prize-giving will occur at the awards dinner. JY will follow this up

AGM will occur at Umbrella. It was noted that as many committee members as possible should attend.

There was some discussion of a LIRG input to the poster session at Umbrella. It might showcase student work on practice-based research and could be linked to the guidelines on submission of proposal to the award. Members could perhaps mentor each other through using LIS-LIRG. However, BF noted that this might raise expectations too high. It was agreed that JED would move this forward by putting an appropriately worded message together.

There was some discussion of payment of fees, etc.. for LIRG speakers at Umbrella. It was agreed to pay for their travel and registration but not accommodation expenses.

BF agreed to discuss this matter re. the joint event with HLG with AC

HLG enquired if LIRG wished to share the costs of having a stand at Umbrella. Given the current fiscal climate, it was decided not to pursue this.

SLG Request for research /course guide

It was reported that there had been no progress on this matter.

BF

              
 
 AP

 
 
 
 
 
BF 
 

AP

AP

PB

SS

BF

AP

JY

JED

AC

13

AOB

Newsletter.

JE showed the meeting a draft copy of the above. JE indicated that she would attend a workshop on producing a newsletter.

JE made a request for copy for the newsletter whose future publication dates were scheduled for Jan 12 2007, April 6 2007, Sept/Oct 2007.

Research Information Network

JED noted that the above undertakes activities germane to LIRG’s interests. JE agreed to follow up for inclusion in the newsletter; JEC agreed to make introductions

BF agreed to invite an observer from RIN to future LIRG meetings

All

JE and JED

BF

Date of next meetings

Feb 07

Mid June 07

November 07

Dates to be confirmed.