Recruitment Role Profile Form (Department Overview)
Version 2.0
Last amended: July 2014
Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR): an overview of the
Department
The University of Nottingham Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR) Department
provides library, learning technology, and manuscripts, archives and special collections
services to University students, staff and visitors. As a Professional Service Department, LRLR
is the focal point for virtual and physical knowledge creation and dissemination; it is the
information manager for the University covering published collections, research outputs and elearning objects.
The Department has approximately 180 FTE staff distributed around the University’s campuses
in the UK, and grouped into six sections: Learning Technology, Manuscripts and Special
Collections, Research and Learning Services, Customer Services, Collections Management, and
Strategy and Planning (see organisation structure below). The LRLR annual operational budget
is around £11 million.
We currently provide resources and services to 40,000 students and staff in the UK. These
include: over one million books and journals in eight libraries; 100,000 electronic books; and
four million manuscripts including special collections of national importance. In addition,
services are provided for about 10,000 students and staff at our campuses in Asia.
Our services range from state-of-the-art learning facilities to frontline library and lending
services, support of the University’s print and electronic library resources and the provision of
learning technologies, including:
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frontline lending and enquiry services across eight libraries
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managing a variety of study spaces
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information skills teaching
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managing and promoting printed/electronic information resources for research, learning and
teaching
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delivering eLearning services and development of new technologies
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acquiring/managing digital and print library collections, including Manuscripts and Special
Collections
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hosting the Centre for Research Communications (CRC)
Context – The University of Nottingham
The next era of University development has been initiated. Recent activity has focused on
developing the University’s new ‘Strategy 2020’, outlining our vision and strategic ambitions,
building on previous achievements and recognising that the higher education environment is
evolving rapidly and the pace of change will only accelerate. We now need to focus on
consolidating and enhancing our position as a world-leading University and direct resources to:
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Strengthening and enriching our core activities of Education and Research
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Focusing on enhancing quality
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Addressing the changing expectations of our students
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Targeting investment in research strengths
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Continuing to differentiate from our competitors on the student experience and our
approach to internationalisation
Excellence in Education and Student Life is at our core. As part of our ambition to
strengthen and enrich education, we have embarked on a number of ambitious programmes
under the ‘umbrella’ of the Transforming Teaching Programme. A key component and
critical to this success is the need to redefine the services that we provide to staff and students
through libraries and online facilities. The Transformation of Libraries, Research and
Learning Resources (LRLR) Programme has therefore been established, as an exciting,
high profile and complex programme, to deliver the changes which will be paramount to this
overall success.
LRLR transformation programme
The LRLR transformation is an exciting and challenging programme of work to address issues
and opportunities to improve students’ experience of the library, and academics’ experience as
both teachers and researchers. The programme (comprising of over 20 projects) aims to put
students and academics at the heart of everything we do in libraries. Our working practices,
our culture and the way we engage with University stakeholders in Faculties and Schools will
change so that we: reflect teaching and research priorities and academic workflows in the
services offered; deliver interactive, connected and innovative environments (physical and
online) in support of teaching and learning and research; and provide consistently excellent
services aligned to University strategy.
As part of the LRLR transformation an organisation restructure has been implemented, the
Department now comprises the following six sections:
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Learning Technology (led by Andy Beggan);
Manuscripts and Special Collections (led by Mark Dorrington);
Research and Learning Services (vacant);
Customer Services (led by Sue Storey);
Collections Management (led by Chris Middleton);
Strategy and Planning (led by Valerie Housley).
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