Minutes of the
LIRG meeting 114 - 28/06/07 – Umbrella 2007, University of Hertfordshire, Room N205, 12-13:30.
Present: Pauline Blagden , Alan Cooper, Juliet Eve, Biddy Fisher (Chair), Alan Poulter, Pete Smith
AB, JH, SS
1. Apologies
DB, AB, JED, SS sent their apologies.
2. Minutes
BF welcomed Pete Smith to the LIRG Committee
These were passed with no amendments.
3. Matters arising
12.1 LIRG Strategy/Action plans
[This item was taken out of order as it was deemed important]
Bearing in mind the proposed new structure for CILIP and its groups, would we still be here this time next year? The Committee could identify strands for strategy from the LIRG Research Strategy document. But everything hinged on the Governance review. Our overarching strategy should be to continue to work to get research spectrum embedded in CPD and professional qualifications.
Action: AP and BF to look at refreshing earlier Research Strategy document.
12.2 Working Group on IM for Accounting/Finance
It was proposed that we record thanks to CO for this initiative. BF asked if anyone would volunteer to support CO. AP replied that a position of meeting organiser had been mooted at a previous meeting. Perhaps it could be an item for the LIRG Strategy plan?
4. Report from Chair
BF noted this was her last meeting. It was felt that LIRG should keep a practitioner as Chair but still link with academics. AP suggested Deputy Chair should be an academic. At this point BF left to allow the Committee to decide on a successor Chair. The Committee decided that BF should ask JY to be her successor.
Action: BF to approach JY.
BF asked if JED was continuing? AC said that JED would stay as a Councillor as he was in the first year of a two-year office. It was asked whether JED would remain as to as Vice Chair for two more years.
Action: JED to confirm role as Vice Chair for two years.
CILIP’s Policy Forum proposal had received and circulated but no comments on it had been received so a nil return was made. AC reported that the Forum will decide how we operate. BF outlined the structure of the proposal and suggested that there should be a Task Group for linking research with CPD. Discussion followed on the topic of the importance of research to the profession. Professionalism should be seen as a strong element of librarianship. An event to bring this out might be useful
Action: SS to consider this topic for seminar?
BF reported on the BL sponsored event to energise and coordinate ILS research. One desired outcome was to expand the range of funders and to ‘join up’ funding efforts. Martin Wade was especially active in this area at the NLS.
5. Report from Group Councillor
In lieu of the Councillor the report was presented and considered. The liaison officer role will go. Its aim was to reduce the deficit reduction. AC1 noted that a flat rate subscription had not been brought in but market research had been commissioned, to see what rates comparable bodies used. PS noted that fees to CILIP needed to be balanced by benefits of membership. BF summarised that the profession needed to support CILIP and vice versa.
6. Treasurers report
BF reported AC had resigned. BF will ask CO to take over. Since LIR had gone digital, capitation and events would be the only source of income. PB said that HLG had to cancel events. Successful events needed popular topics. Events that tied in with CPD also ought to be popular. Local events could rolled out as copies of one event. LIR could be the focus of conference events. There was a need for coordination of events because of their role in generating income.
8. Report from Group Liaison Officer
AC reported on the restructuring and refocusing achieved. The Membership Support Unit (MSU) had been formed to replace Liaison Officers. It was note intended to provide a person to attend meetings. BF said that the Group Secretary should feed questions in from LIRG and present responses. This presumably could be done online via CILIP Communities. AC said LIRG will be approached by the MSU.
A decision had been made that qualifications awarded within the FOQ should break even. ICT changes were also mooted as a way of saving money. The outcome was that financial stability in sight. CILIP were trying to keep members longer against demographics trend. CILIP was not alone in being a professional association with problems.
Since he had been replaced by the MSU, BF wished AC well and thanked him for his efforts.
9. Prizes and Awards
It was proposed t extend the student awards to include Undergraduate dissertations.
AP and JE to sort out criteria
10 Events
Already addressed – see 6 above.
12.1 LIRG Strategy/Action plans (BF)
See above.
12.2 Working Group on IM for Accounting/Finance (CO)
It was agreed to contact CO to determine progress.
BF to contact CO
12.3 Library research database (AP)
BF suggested that parties like BL, MLA etc might propose money.
BF to investigate
12.4 Research skills audit (AP)
This was felt suitable for a student dissertation project
AP, JE and SS to investigate
12.5 Use of CILIP ‘Blogs+Communities’ (AP)
AP suggested that LIRG should have a blog on Comunities. PS offered to do this. There was discussion of how it related to the Newsletter. JE could feed Newsletter from blog. AC raised the question of restricting (or not) to CILIP members?
PS to investigate
AOB
Report from LIR Team (Louise Cook, Miggie Pickton) of Board meeting
Their Board meeting had not seen many Board members attend.
Brian Gambles had resigned from the Board.
They wanted to encourage people from the Museum and Archives sectors to join.
They had produced the current Brian Perry issue of LIR successfully using OS publishing.
Comments on the online LIR:
It was online but in columns thus tricky to read. It was recognised columns not needed but used for compatibility with old model.
Would it be possible to add comments to papers? If so, it should be added to author guidelines for future.
The next issue would use papers from the Umbrella Research Track.