IUISC and the evolution of policy and strategic direction

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IUISC and the evolution of policy and strategic
direction

• Sean Phillips
• IUISC 7 March 2008

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UISCE and the evolution of policy and strategic
direction

• Sean Phillips
• IUISC 7 March 2008

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Public policy objectives

• National agenda
• Drive towards a knowledge-based society and
  economy
• International agenda
• EU the Lisbon strategy

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Lisbon strategy

• Adopted in 2000 to make the EU "the most
  competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy
  by 2010".
• Framework FP7 (2007-2013) affirms that
• knowledge lies at the heart of the EU Lisbon
  Strategy.. .and that
• the 'knowledge triangle' - research, education
  and innovation - is a core factor in meeting the
  ambitious Lisbon goals.
• FP7 includes humanities

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National strategy economic initiatives

• 2000-2006 Technology Foresight fund - Science
  Foundation Ireland
• 2006-2013 Strategy for Science, Technology and
  Innovation

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National strategy educational initiatives

• PRTLI - funding research capacity
• IRCHSS and IRCSET (funding research degrees)
• HEA/Forfas Review of Research Infrastructure
  (2007)
• RIA Advancing Humanities and Social Sciences
  Research in Ireland (2007)
• Doubling of PhD numbers by 2013

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National reviews

• OECD Review of Higher Education in Ireland (2004)
• IUA Reform of 3rd level and creation of 4th level
  Ireland securing competitive advantage in the
  21st century (2005)

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and the response

• Institutional restructuring and reform
• Teaching and learning reforms
• Quality improvement initiatives
• Inter-institutional collaboration
• Improved performance management systems
• Management information systems
• Supported by
• HEA Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) 2005-2010

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From the public policy perspective...

• Research will be the dominant feature of the
  educational/economic environment
• Comparative low importance of teaching and
  learning
• Collaboration, between institutions, across
  sectors, across national boundaries will be
  encouraged
• There will be many more researchers

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The technology context

• Digital formats
• New publication and distribution models
• The primacy of the web for locating, retrieval
  and delivery

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Digitisation

• ISOS (Irish Script on Screen)
• IVRLA (Irish Virtual Library and Archive)
• CDDA (Centre for Data Digitisation and Analysis,
  QUB)
• Google books
• Million book project (Carnegie Mellon)
• Project Gutenberg
• Open content alliance
• EU i2010 Towards the European Digital Library

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New publication/distribution models

• Open access publishing and e-repositories
• Print on demand (e.g. EBM)

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Espresso Book Machine Model 1.5
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Espresso Book Machine Small Footprint Model
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From the technology perspective

• The web is now the primary medium of academic and
  research communication
• Much material is free and available at point of
  use
• New ways of discovering and exploiting digital
  content
• Discovery and delivery are mobile

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Libraries and IT moving centre-stage?

• Virtual learning environments
• Information literacy skills
• IReL
• E-repositories
• Bibliometrics
• TCD Long Room Hub
• RIA Digital Humanities Observatory
• UCD Irish Virtual Research Library Archive

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The opportunity

• Fundamental shift in the nature of our engagement
  with the academic community
• Support service and partner
• Process and purpose
• Input and outcome

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and the challenges

• Make partnerships effective
• Recognise and use others strategic interests
• Rethink the role of libraries
• as repositories of recorded information
• as the trusted mediators
• as places of study and research
• as the providers of added value
• Develop the professional library/information
  function