****APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING****

Following are 2 Press Releases from Resource which should be of interest to
all.

-The first concerning a review of National Training Organisations in all
sectors

-The second regards The Sharing Museum Skills Millennium Awards Schemes
revision to include applications from the library and archive sectors.

 
Resource to Review National Training Organisations

London, 31 August 2000 - Resource:  The Council for Museums, Archives and
Libraries has appointed a consortium, led by Information Management
Associates, to undertake a review of the two national training organisations
(NTO's) which represent the museum, archive and library sectors.

The Cultural Heritage National Training Organisation (CHNTO) and the
Information Services National Training Organisation (ISNTO) will play an
important role in helping Resource to identify training needs and develop
new skills programmes for the sector.  The main purpose of this review is to
identify how CHNTO and ISNTO might develop a closer working relationship and
contribute to a new national cross sectoral skills initiative. 

Karen Knight, Resource Board Member and Chair of the Review Steering Group,
said:  "Consultation with our stakeholders will be an important part of this
Review.  Given their extensive experience of the museum, library and archive
sectors the consortium is well placed to undertake this work and will use
new technology to complement more traditional methods of consultation across
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  We look forward to receiving
recommendations at the end of the year."

The consortium undertaking the review includes:  David Streatfield,
educational research consultant, David Haynes, information consultant,
Margaret Haines, library consultant and Heather Lomas, heritage consultant.
They will complete their initial report in December 2000 and the Review will
conclude early in 2001.

For further information or to interview Karen Knight please contact Emma
Wright, Press Officer, or Julie Taylor, Director of Communications, on 020
7233 4200. 

Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries is a new strategic
agency, which works with museums, libraries and archives across the UK. 
14/00

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New Criteria for SMSMA Scheme


London, 31 August 2000 - The Sharing Museum Skills Millennium Awards Scheme
has been revised to reflect the new role of Resource: The Council for
Museums, Archives and Libraries and to accommodate feedback from those who
have participated in the scheme.  The new criteria have been fully approved
by the Millennium Commission who fund the scheme.

Catherine Atkinson, Awards Administrator, commented:  "We are delighted that
the Millennium Commission has agreed to broaden the scope of the scheme to
accept applications from the library and archive sectors as well as the
museums' world.  It is now truly cross-sectoral.  In general we have
increased the overall flexibility of the scheme and we hope that this,
combined with an extension of the closing date, will encourage even more
applications in the future."

A brief summary of the changes to the scheme, approved by the Millennium
Commission, follows:

*	Two additional rounds have been added to the scheme.  The new
closing date is now 31 March 2002 by which time all secondments must be
completed.
*	Applicants are now required to have three, rather than four, years
of related experience.
*	From November of this year a more flexible approach will be adopted
towards the length of the secondment periods.  At the assessment panel's
discretion secondments can last from three to eight weeks, although the
six-week period will remain the norm.
*	The maximum value of the Awards has been increased to £6,000 to
reflect the cost implications of longer secondments.  

For more detailed information please contact the Awards Administrator,
Catherine Atkinson, on 020 7233 4200 or visit the scheme's website,
http://www.smsma.org.uk.

The Sharing Museum Skills Millennium Awards Scheme is funded by the
Millennium Commission, which awarded a grant of  £1.1million to a consortium
comprising:  Resource:  The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, the
Museums Association, the Association of Independent Museums, the Committee
of Area Museum Councils and the National Museum Directors' Conference. The
Millennium Commission is one of the six good causes supported by the
National Lottery.

Resource is a strategic agency, which works with museums, libraries and
archives across the UK.  It replaced the Museums & Galleries Commission and
the Library & Information Commission on 3 April 2000.  The Resource website
can be found at http://www.resource.gov.uk.

15/00

Sarah Woodward
Communications Assistant
Resource: The Council for Museums Archives and Libraries
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www.resource.gov.uk



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