Fid Bleasdale | Richard Brine | Sheron Burton | Kwasi Darko-Ampem | Moira Johnson | Margaret Phillips | Joanne Rees |
Organisation/College: Aquinas College
Current areas of responsibility: Learning Resources Manager / ILT Manager
Previous areas of responsibility: Previously a Governor at Aquinas College (Finance & Buildings Committee); Have held Assistant Librarian and Librarian posts in 3 other FE/Sixth Form colleges
Cross college/academic responsibilities: In my current post I am a member of the college management group; an ILT Manager; a member of various groups including Quality Group, Curriculum Group, Accommodation Group, Support Staff Advisory Group. In current and previous posts I have been involved with quality assurance and the provision of staff development opportunities for support staff areas as well as trade union activities via Unison
Professional areas of specialism: Learning Resources in Sixth Form Colleges; Learning Resources and ILT
Professional areas of interest: JISC RSC NW Steering Group (one of the Sixth Form Colleges’ representatives); North West Sixth Form Colleges Librarians Group; South Manchester ILT Group; Northern Autolib User Group; Learnwise User Group; I have held the position of Minutes Secretary for CoFHE Southern Circle
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form: 17 years
Project management experience/expertise: Within my current post there are 2 key areas I am involved in: introducing an VLE/MLE and reviewing future college accommodation needs
Role in CoLRiC: Deputy Chair
Due for re-election: May 2012
Current professional challenges in their situation: Trying to expand staffing in a time of financial constraint; linking e-learning and learning resources
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision? Develop management/leadership skills; seek out all opportunities – participate in college priorities such as e-learning; develop strong emotional intelligence and communication skills
Outside interests: Keen watcher of football – Southampton is my team but due to distance I hold a season ticket at Preston NE; “trundling” around England and Wales during holidays; renovating a cottage in North Wales; theatre and cinema goer
Comment box: Edwina Salmon encouraged me to observe a CoLRiC meeting and by the end of it I was organising the next conference! Working with committed, supportive colleagues has opened my eyes to challenges affecting the sector and re-enforced the need to be proactive as individuals and as a profession.
Organisation/College: Exeter College
Current areas of responsibility: Head of Information and Learning Services. The Department operates a set of integrated services comprising Learning Centres and Library functions, specialist curriculum support services, ICT infrastructure and user-support, VLE, web, digital media, design and print services.
Previous areas of responsibility: Head of ICT (16-19 Comprehensive Schoo); Producer of corporate media and training materials (commercial sector)
Cross college/academic responsibilities: College Leadership Team member; Accommodation Strategy Group member; e-Strategy Group member; Responsible for Data Protection and FoI compliance across the college
Professional areas of specialism: Chartered professional member of the British Computer Society ; ICT management and information security; e-learning development and support; Media production
Professional areas of interest: FE community representative on the JISC RSCs National Board; Member of the SW RSC Advisory Group; Member of the BCS Information Security Special Interest Group
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form: Appointed to present role in September 2003
Project management experience/expertise: Five new Learning Centres in two years; College-wide ICT infrastructure redevelopment including IP telephony; Virtual environment development; Major systems development projects
Role in CoLRiC: Website project leader
Due for re-election: May 2012
Current professional challenges in their situation: Ensuring that the department is sufficiently agile to allow its services to evolve at a rate which matches, or exceeds, that of the College and the FE sector.
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision?
Align their service with the Institution’s strategic goals and curriculum delivery
Promote their service as adding value to teaching and learning in the Institution
Organisation/College: City and Islington College
Current areas of responsibility: Learning Centres; E-Learning; Careers
Previous areas of responsibility: Customer Services; Learning Centres
Cross college/ academic responsibilities: Learner Support, Copyright
Professional areas of specialism: Management of Change; Staff management; training; copyright
Professional areas of interest: FE development generally; e-learning
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form: 20 years
Project management experience/expertise: Development of new LC; management of refurbishment of Learning Centre; introduction of new Library System
Role in CoLRiC: Committee member
Due for re-election: May 2011
Current professional challenges in their situation: Time management!
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision? Customer focus; Qualitative measurement of service provision; Focussed staff
Outside interests: Travel, reading, good food, art
Comment box: I was coerced into joining CoLRiC on my return to FE! The benefits are: Working with a group of committed professionals; keeping up to date professionally; sharing, discussing and debating common concerns.
Organisation/College: South Thames College (Incorporating Merton College)
Current areas of responsibility: Head, Library & Learning Centre
Cross college/academic responsibilities: Academic Board, College Management Committee, Quality Improvement Group
Professional areas of specialism: Information Literacy Teaching, Cataloguing & Classification
Professional areas of interest: Institutional Repository
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form: 14 months
Project management experience/expertise: 5years- managed retrospective conversion project (1999-2003); managed Milton Keynes Inspire Project (2005); currently managing a small project on Library Cataloguing at Merton College
Role in CoLRiC: Executive member- Conference
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision? Add value to student learning by providing training in the access and use of electronic resources; good customer care;
Outside interests: Lawn tennis, Chess, Football (supporter not player)
Organisation/College: Treloar College
Current areas of responsibility: Manager of LRC
Cross college/academic responsibilities: College Management Committee, Quality Board, IT Development group, 14-19 Curriculum Task Force
Professional areas of specialism: Information Literacy, assistive technologies.
Professional areas of interest: Adult literacy
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form: 12 years
Project management experience/expertise: transferred library collection to specialist college LRC and installed library management system (2000); grew inclusive LR services and staffing (2000-09); closed HE nurse education site library (1998)
Role in CoLRiC: Committee member
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision? Deliver user-centred services and resources; grow a confident team; keep strategic priorities visible
Outside interests: visiting libraries (yes, really!), cinema, theatre, music, travel.
Organisation/College: Runshaw College
Current areas of responsibility: Beacon Awards and Peer Assessment
Previous areas of responsibility: Conference organiser with Fid
Cross college/academic responsibilities: Middle Manager for Library and ILT including the internet, intranet and VLE plus resource conversion.
Professional areas of interest: ILT
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form 20 years
Project management experience/expertise: Setting up new libraries. Coordinating the move from one VLE to another.
Role in CoLRiC: Beacon Award Leader
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision?
Creating/maintaining a committed and proactive team and allowing them to bring and develop new ideas.
Staff development to keep up to date with new technologies, new resources and new ideas.
Listening to the customer
Outside interests: Camping, dogs and other animals,
Organisation/College: Coleg Morgannwg, Nantgarw Campus
Current areas of responsibility: Learning Centre Coordinator
Previous areas of responsibility: Learning Adviser Pontypridd Campus
Length of time in FE/Sixth Form5 Years
Role in CoLRiC: Committee Member
Due for re-election: 2010
What are the top three issues all librarians need to address in order to provide proactive responsive provision?: Quality, Service and Training
Outside interests: Reading, Theatre, Film, Music, Cycling, Walking