What do we mean by a learning resources service?

A learning resources service can be defined as a discrete service that is recognised by the college to contain any or all of the following elements (listed in order of importance): library or learning resources centre (or similar name), resource-based learning, flexible learning and similar learning workshops, information technology and computer centres, study centres, audio-visual and reprographic facilities, and similar cross-college centres to enable learning.

Our work

• Contacting and influencing people and organisations that are influential to the future of college learning resources services, such as further education inspectorates, funding councils, Members of Parliament and parliamentary committees, the Association of Colleges, and the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP).
• Accreditation and certification of college learning resources services and libraries.
• Giving a Beacon Award to encourage innovation and excellence..
• Publishing guidelines and policies to help raise the profile and quality of learning resources service provision.
• Initiating research and development into areas related to the aims of CoLRiC, and taking forward plans from the research.
• Electing an Executive Committee from the membership of CoLRiC, who plan and implement future developments and initiatives.
• Providing these Internet pages and publishing a Newsletter four times a year to keep members in touch with developments.
• Having an Annual Meeting of Council each year, where all members can contribute directly to the future of CoLRiC.

What have we achieved?

• We published Guidelines for inspections of college libraries/learning resource services in 1993. This has been updated and is available to members as the Guidelines for self-assessment
• We lobbied Members of Parliament, and as a consequence parliamentary questions were asked and the inspectorates approached on our behalf..
• We lobbied the funding councils to consider learning resources services as an important element in the success of colleges. As a consequence the inspectors have used a number of CoLRiC documents during inspections.
• We have twice published a guide for all college principals and governing bodies on how to evaluate their college learning resources services. Copies were sent to every college in the United Kingdom.
• We operate a self assessment and peer accreditation scheme for college learning resources services, which contribute to accreditation profiles of colleges.
• We sponsor a Beacon Award every two years to encourage innovation and excellence, on the integration of libraries/learning resources centres in curriculum delivery.