Dear all
Here is a summary of the first elearning group meeting: Using library networks to create learning opportunities for adults and young people
Monday 29 April 2002 at Buckinghamshire Libraries and Heritage, Aylesbury www.buckscc.gov.uk/libraries
Nine people attended from a variety of learning organisations, including museums, libraries, adult learning, Learndirect and the wider ICT sector.
The afternoon began with a short tour, taking in the Peoples Network installations in the Lending Library and the County Reference Library, the highly successful Learn Direct suite, clearly visible from the high street through an enormous window, and the 'strong room' archives in the newly opened Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.
Over tea and biscuits, our discussion then focused on some of the big issues around the Peoples Network, the potential for partnerships between libraries, museums and archives, and the changing roles of libraries and librarians.
For example, Mike Ryan said he would like his library service to be involved in the production of learning resources, as well providing access to existing ones. Julian Hunt mentioned a project to make available online the records of the local prison, which would offer, amongst other things, a fascinating insight into working class dress.
Some discussion followed on whether the priority for this digitisation project should be to put as much material online as possible, or to sacrifice completeness in favour of providing interpreted learning opportunities aimed at specific audiences, such as teachers and family historians.
A more detailed description of this inaugural meeting follows, as well as more of the questions that it raised.
Attendees
Martin Bazley: Internet Projects Manager, Learning Unit, Science Museum
(elearning group Chair)
Trish Botten : Warwickshire Library and Information Service
Kevin Carrick: Executive Manager: ICT & Business Training, Adult Learning, Buckinghamshire County Council
Penny Garrod: Public Library Networking Focus, UKOLN
Julian Hunt: Heritage Manager, Buckinghamshire Libraries and Heritage
Jo Morris: Princes Risborough Library, Buckinghamshire Libraries and Heritage
Maureen Patton: Operations Manager, Learndirect - Buckinghamshire
Mike Ryan: Learning Development Librarian, Buckinghamshire Libraries and Heritage
(Principal host for this meeting)
Emma Wilson: National Grid for Learning Content Officer Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency)
(elearning group Secretary)
Meeting report
This inaugural meeting took the form of a series of short visits to a number of public access ICT facilities in Aylesbury town centre. All of these facilities are either located in or operated as part of the library service. The group was shown:
The Peoples Network suite in Aylesbury Lending Library, which consists of 7 PCs providing free access to the Internet (including use of email) along with access to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. People are also able to copy and download files and also print hardcopies. Although use of the Peoples Network is free the library charges for printing and is also willing to sell floppy disks and writable CDs to users.
Members of the public (adults and children) can become either Registered Users, which takes a few minutes, or can simply log on to a machine as an Unregistered User. Unregistered Users have access to the Internet and Email while Registered Users acquire a password; have access to the MS Office applications and are also able to create and use Favorites.
The Lending Library also provides accommodation for an extremely successful Learndirect suite. This makes full use of its location adjacent to the library's large picture windows to promote the wide range of ICT courses on offer to the public.
The Peoples Network suite in the adjacent County Reference Library has 21 PCs offering the same facilities as the Lending Library. The Reference Library also has a specially designed VIP suite, which is an ICT facility for people with visual disabilities. This was developed in collaboration with Aylesbury and District Access for All Group and Buckinghamshire Association for the Blind and received generous financial support from The Ulverscroft Foundation. This facility provides visually impaired people with access to the Internet, word processing and the library's CD-ROM network. Books and other documents can also be scanned and read back. All staff have had disability awareness training and in addition, a small team of people have had more specialised training in the use of the VIP software. Various alterations, such as colour-contrasted signing and carpeting, have been made at the entrance to County Reference Library to make us more accessible to people with visual impairment.
The recently opened Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies has made use of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to bring together in one place the previously dispersed facilities of the Local Studies Library, County Archives and the County Record Office. Modern ICT facilities, including a number of Peoples Network PCs and several standalone machines with specialised database packages, sit alongside older technologies such as microfilm and microfiche.
Following the tour the group discussed a number of issues and questions that arose during the various presentations. Particular points raised included:
· How national is the Peoples Network - would it be possible for there to be a national links page for example? The current implementation has been very much in the hands of local library services and driven by their ideas and requirements.
· What will happen when the current (New Opportunities Fund) funding for the Peoples Network ceases (free internet access is guaranteed until March 2003.)
· The role of libraries and librarians is changing rapidly - the traditional role of the librarian as organiser and keeper of resources is being overtaken not only by the Net Navigator role, but also by the need for librarians to become creators and publishers of digital and specifically learning content.
· An aspect of the above point is the opportunity for public libraries to work with heritage services to create and promote specifically local content - an example is a database of 19th Century prison records from Aylesbury prison - currently being developed for publication on the County Council Web site.
· There is a clear need for librarians to define their learner support role and to develop/ deploy the necessary skills. There is a risk of e-inventing the wheel - library authorities could be concentrating more on creating local content if a more strategic approach was taken to the general content of PN (Public Libraries UK kind of approach)
· Library and Heritage services cannot undertake their enhanced role, especially in relation to learning alone. There is considerable scope for partnerships - recent examples in Bucks are the Learndirect suite in Aylesbury Lending Library and also a successful series of short Introduction to the Internet courses currently being organised and run by Continuing Education tutors in various Bucks libraries, using their Peoples Network suites (usually when the libraries are closed - thus maximising community use.)
· There is a need to move away from the technological/implementation phase and think about how to develop the peoples Network for the e-learner - To "change
information into knowledge" (Bob Strong: Head of Libraries and Heritage, Bucks)
· Museums have also experienced an enhancement of their educational role - Buckinghamshire County Museum with its interactive, science based Roald Dahl Children's Gallery is very heavily used by schools and individual children and families.
· There is a need for a national library television advert/promotional campaign to promote the People's Network ( could this be commissioned by CILIP?)
· There is a need to develop consistent ways of evaluating how learners use PN across all library authorities
· Confusion remains as to how all libraries will suddenly become UK ON Line
Centres and which is the main brand. At the same time there is a need for consistent branding across all library authorities.
Michael Ryan
Learning Development Librarian
Buckinghamshire Libraries and Heritage
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Martin Bazley
Internet Projects Manager
Learning Unit
Science Museum
Exhibition Road
London SW7 2DD
Tel +44 20 7942 4766
Fax +44 20 7942 4712
Web www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
Science Museum
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