NEWS
New funding for Cathedral project
A NEW stream of research funding at University of Leeds will include a project to examine manuscript fragments from Ripon Cathedral Library.
The fragments are held in Special Collec- tions at the University’s Brotherton Library and the project aims “to enhance research culture at the University in the field of Dig- ital Humanities”. The project is one of 13 to be funded by Research England, which awarded £267,000 to the university from its Enhancing Research culture funding.
Level 7 apprentice provider
THE first provider to run off-the-job training for Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeship will be Westmin- ster Adult Education Services (WAES). WAES will work with CILIP Pathways, the arms-length end-point assessment body, to ensure that apprentices are working towards recognised standards. Jo Cornish, Director of CILIP Pathways, said: “As the leading provider of apprenticeship assessment for the sector, CILIP Pathways is thrilled to see this apprenticeship added to the suite of standards available. There is a strong and growing appetite for tech- nical pathways into the profession.”
Committee opportunities
THERE are a number of committee and volunteer support roles on offer for CILIP Member Networks.
The roles offer a valuable opportunity for CILIP members to gain new knowl- edge and skills, build their professional network, and support the work of CILIP and its groups. All vacancies are on a volunteer basis, but may include out of pocket expenses. Training will be given to successful candidates.
For more details of all the latest Mem- ber Network and Special Interest Group opportunities and to apply, search “CILIP” at
www.informationprofessionaljobs.com.
12 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Equal futures? An imbalance of opportunities
THE number of school libraries has fallen over the last four years, lead- ing to a growing gap between library resources at independent schools compared to those with high levels of pupils on free-school meals. Research from the Great School Library’s campaign, led by CILIP’s School Libraries’ Group and the SLA, shows the disparity between school library provision is grow- ing. The findings came as the second phase of the SLA and CILIP’s Great School Librar- ies campaign was launched at a meeting of the CILIP-convened All Party Parliamen- tary Group for Libraries, Information and Knowledge.
Overall numbers of secondary schools with a school library has fallen from 96 per cent in 2019 to 86 per cent now. And the picture is exasperated by a lack of resourc- es, as many schools struggle to afford new materials to stock libraries. This is borne out in the average number of resources available to schools, with state schools com- ing off far worse than independent schools. According to the research the average local authority maintained school has just over 5,000 items, compared to more than 12,000 items at independent schools. And stock is refreshed far more regularly at independent schools, with higher library budgets available. Many state schools are supplementing their resources in other ways, through the use of School Library Services and reliance on public libraries.
While the report highlights inequalities in access to school libraries and resources, it is a reminder that where funds are avail- able, school libraries are clearly seen as an asset worth investing in. Primary schools have an even harder time than secondary schools in maintain- ing a well-run library – two thirds report that the library is open less than six hours per week; a similar number (62 per cent) say they have no designated library budget; and 40 per cent say that limited resources has a negative impact on reading. The report concludes with a number
of recommendations, including three at national level:
1. ensure every school has a library with a librarian;
2. encourage school leadership to make the best use of their library;
3. embed school libraries into the inspec- tion frameworks for schools and make it a part of the annual reporting system.
Library staff time has also dropped
in recent years, with the average time a member of staff is available in the library now down to below two days a week. There are also wide differences by region, with just 77 per cent of Welsh schools having access to a school library, while students in Northern Ireland are the least likely to have access to a school library. Read the full report at
www.greatschoollibrar-
ies.org.uk/2023research
Summer Reading Challenge gets physical
UNLEASHING the power of play, sport and physical activity are the themes of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. The Reading Agency has announced its ‘Ready, Set, Read!’ challenge and its partners in delivering it – the children’s charity, the Youth Sport Trust. This year its programme is designed to keep children’s minds and bodies active over the summer break and forge new connections with others. The Reading Agency said: “Children will be able to join a superstar team and their marvellous mascots as they navi-
gate a fictional summer obstacle course brought to life with illustrations by children’s illustrator Loretta Schauer, rewarded by free incentives including stickers.” It said The Youth Sport Trust has dev-
eloped family activity cards alongside the book collection to keep imaginations moving and will also be piloting active equipment packs in five libraries across the UK to support families to be active, irrespective of space and cost barriers. For more information, visit
www.sum-
merreadingchallenge.org.uk.
March 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
