Action Plan 2015-16 Summary: WHELF Project: A Shared Library Management System Strategic Aim 1: Student Experience Strategic Aim 2: Research and Enterprise Strategic Aim 3: International and Globalised University Strategic Aim 4: Workforce Development Strategic Aim 5: Promotion and Marketing WHELF Project: A Shared Library Management System: This project is the primary aim of the WHELF Action Plan and underpins and overlaps with all the Strategic Aims listed 1-5. The project is led by the WHELF Shared LMS Steering Group, with operational work carried out by the WHELF LMS Programme Manager and the WHELF Shared LMS Working Group. The WHELF Shared LMS project will implement the procured cloud hosted next generation library management system as part of a consortium of institutions including all higher education institutions in Wales, the National Library of Wales and the NHS libraries in Wales. The project will deliver financial benefits to all participating institutions through the cost savings of shared procurement and non-financial benefits through an improved user experience, collaboration and sharing of experience and resources. Activities Responsibility/Partners Phase 3: Implementation of Shared Shared LMS Project LMS in Cohorts 1,2&3 institutions Steering Group and Programme Manager Timescale 2015-16 Progress Date completed As per WHELF Shared LMS project plan Strategic Aim 1: Student Experience - Strategic Lead: Emma Adamson Support from: Alison Harding, Mark Hughes and Megan Wiley WHELF aims to support all students enrolled at Welsh universities and provide a breadth of library services to Welsh learners, to inform their knowledge, professional skills, employability and lifelong learning. WHELF will seek to work with cross-sector organisations such as JISC, SCONUL and HEA Wales to investigate and understand the expectations incoming students have of library services and technology provision in higher education, to better meet their learning and digital literacy requirements for an improved student experience. Action 1.1 Develop Information and Digital Skills for Life Activities Responsibility/Partners Timescale 1.1.1. Establish a Community of Practice (CoP) of HEI Digital literacy and information literacy resources and best practice. 1.1.2. Promote. MALD, CILIP IL Group, WDO April 2016 Progress 2 Date completed Action 1.2 Retention, Success and Employability Activities Responsibility/Partners Timescale 1.2.1. Examine how WHELF can work with Careers & Employability to build on SCONUL lit review of contribution of libraries to employability and development of graduate attributes. EA, AH, MW & RW July 2016 1.2.2.Consider options for student volunteer work and placements Archives and Special Collections sub-group April 2016 Progress Date completed Action 1.3 Open up our collections and e-resources and, where possible, extend access to members of the public to enhance the cultural agenda Activities Responsibility/Partners Timescale 1.3.1. Purchase library resources as a consortia, where viable, to obtain best value and increase access to information in Wales. WHEEL July 2016 1.3.2. Ensure accessibility to collections: implement CyMAL access templates across all HEIs. ALIS Wales July 2016 Progress 3 Date completed 1.3.3. Collaborate with the NLW on the Conservation and Preservation Strategy for improving access to material which may be hard to obtain, fragile or in high demand and investigate methods to improve the health of collections. 1.3.4. Improve signposting for access to Heritage collections and research services utilising librarywales.org and WHELF website MALD, Archives and Special Collections subgroup. July 2016 MALD, Archives and Special Collections subgroup, WDO April 2016 1.3.5. Improve gateway and access to the collections through the digitisation of selected “Treasures of Wales” Archives and Special Collections sub-group July 2016 Note overlap with 2.1.4 Funding dependent Action 1.4 Further develop partnerships within and beyond Wales to further the student experience Activities Responsibility/Partners Timescale 1.4.1. Engage with MALD on the Libraries Inspire campaign and CILIP Cymru for HE service user gain and benefit, to raise awareness of accessibility to collections. MALD / WDO / CILIP Cymru April 2016 Progress 4 Date completed 1.4.2 Develop existing relationship with NUS Wales/Cymru to increase student driven and developed services and agree targets. WHELF Officers / NUS Wales July 2016 1.4.3 Utilise NSS survey results to benchmark and review against WHELF institutions. EA, AH, MW & RW February 2016 Analyse q. 16 and q. 17 for WHELF members Strategic Aim 2: Research and Enterprise - Strategic Lead: Janet Peters Support from: Sue Hodges, Steve Williams and the WHELF Research sub-group WHELF aims to examine and enhance the changing role of libraries in supporting research and the research process via support for a potential digital repository for Wales, open access publishing, research data and research skills. Action 2.1 Develop a Digital Repository for Wales Activities Responsibility/Partners Timescale 2.1.1. Scope a digital repository for Wales which may include all types of research, heritage collections, open educational resources, learning objects and other teaching and learning materials. WHELF Research Group June 2015 Progress Date completed July 2015 Nov 2015 – Feb 2016 5 2.1.2. Audit WHELF policies on curation and management of research data, and consider development of a toolkit. WHELF Research Group June 2015 Audit completed. Outcomes to be reviewed. Noted that most WHELF members do not have policies, so a toolkit could be useful. Nov 2015 – Dec 2015 Discuss at November meeting. More training events to be organised. 2.1.3. Seek funding for the implementation of a Digital Repository for Wales to support research and also teaching and learning collections. WHELF Research Group Nov 2015 Dependent on outcome of discussions in 2.1.1 2.1.4. Work with the NLW on the National Conservation and Preservation Strategy for Wales. WHELF Research Group/Archives and Special Collections subgroup Nov 2015 – Note overlap with 1.3.3. Jul 2016 July 2015 Action 2.2 Develop a Research Support Strategy Activities Responsibility/Partners 2.2.1. Identify priority areas as to how WHELF libraries support researchers based on RLUK Powering Scholarship http://tinyurl.com/on6b4mx. 2.2.2. Identify scope for future research support roles. 2.2.3. Produce a WHELF Research Support strategy. Research Group/Jisc Collections (EIRWG) Research Group Research Group/RLUK/SCONUL Timescale Progress Nov 2015 – Dec 2015 Jul 2015 – Jul 2016 Nov 2015 – May 6 Date completed 2016 2.2.4 Consider carrying out a customer journey mapping exercise to access research and to investigate access to heritage collections. 2.2.5. Continue to seek funding for preserving and digitising our heritage collections. Research Group/SCL Wales?/ Archives and Special Collections subgroup Feb 2016 – July 2016 Archives & Special Collections sub-group. Jun 2015 – Jul 2016 2.2.6. Examine collaborative library support for Postgraduate Research and Postgraduate Taught students. Research Group/LMS Management Group Feb 2016 – Jul 2016 Strategic Aim 3: International and Globalised University - Strategic Lead: Paul Jeorrett Support from: Emma Adamson Internationalisation and globalisation will remain critical for the business and mission of all HEIs in Wales for the foreseeable future. The key areas of concern for WHELF are supporting international students studying with us in the UK, providing a service to remote campuses or partners globally, and introducing the concept of the globalised university. Action 3.1 Share best practice in supporting international students and the internationalisation of the curriculum Activities Responsibility/Partners Timescale 3.1.1.Organize an event to PJ & EA summarize and share best practice in this area on how WHELF supports international students. April 2016 3.1.2.Work together to address complexities of identity management and licensing in July 2016 JISC / WHELF reps / WHEEL (?) Progress Host staff conference event at Cardiff Met, at Easter 2016 on theme of internationalisation. 7 Date completed terms of access to resources for international students Strategic Aim 4: Workforce Development - Strategic Lead: Julie Hart Support from: Steve Williams A skilled and responsive workforce is critical to meet the challenges and opportunities brought by transformative changes in the HE sector and wider information landscape. Staff are our most valuable resource and WHELF collaborates to enable continuing professional development and succession planning. Action 4.1 Investigate how to improve succession planning and leadership skills. Activities Responsibility/Partners 4.1.1. Convene working group to consult and consider career development for Welsh sector librarians. 4.1.2. Investigate bilingual succession planning particularly with regard to heritage collections. MALD, CILIP 4.1.3 Provide mentoring to support members applying for the Archive Accreditation Standard Archives & Special Collections group Timescale Progress Date completed Archives & Special Collections group, MALD Action 4.2. Work in partnership with MALD, CILIP Wales and other key organisations to deliver training and development programmes and provide opportunities to develop our staff. Activities Responsibility/Partners Progress 4.2.1. Share professional expertise WHISD and hold exchange of experience events. 4.2.2. Investigate alternate 8 Date completed models for the delivery of training and development programmes appropriate to the geography of Wales Strategic Aim 5: Promotion and Marketing - Strategic Lead: WHELF Development Officer working with the WHELF Officers The overarching need to promote WHELF and its role and strategic objectives to stakeholders Activities 5.1.1. Use WHELF website, Jisc email lists and social media to promote the work of WHELF to stakeholders. 5.1.2. Seek opportunities to promote progress of WHELF Shared LMS. 5.1.3. Seek opportunities to engage with WAG via consultations Responsibility/Partners Timescale Progress Ongoing WHELF Shared LMS Programme Manager Ongoing Ongoing 9 Date completed