e-books for FE Focus Group
Providing guidance and subject-knowledge expertise during the annual purchasing round of e-book titles from ProQuest and Pearson.
This group comprises library/LRC staff from FE colleges across the four nations. Membership is voluntary, and typically on a 2-3 year basis.
The first task of group members is to assess, independently, the many e-book titles on offer from publishers each year and identify what they consider to be the priorities in terms of subject, qualification and awarding body – not just for their own college, but within their nation-specific FE sector. These priority picks are then collated by the FE & Skills Content Team and further analysed for points of agreement.
An all-day meeting is then chaired by the FE & Skills Content Team in which the Focus Group members discuss the collated results with the aim of agreeing on a long-list of potential new titles. They also provide feedback on which existing high-use titles are worth renewing for a further year or three. The FE & Skills Content Team then makes the final decision on new titles to be purchased based on the available budget and on the balance of the collection as a whole.
The e-books Focus Group is an example of Jisc working in close partnership with its members in order to provide best value curriculum-based content for FE learners.
Members
- Katie Butler, LRC and ILT coordinator, EKC Group
- Jacqueline Clarke, group learning resources manager, Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College
- Kathleen Connor, library team leader, Perth College UHI
- Patrick Cox, learning zone manager, Coleg Cambria
- Beth Cutler, librarian, City of Wolverhampton College
- Angela Dynes, library manager/HE lecturer, Northern Regional College
- Andrew Eynon, learning resources manager, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai
- Leanne Joyce, library and digital resource manager, Peterborough & Stamford College
- Alison Kelsey, LRC manager, Bishop Auckland College
- Jill Leishman, information services manager, North East Scotland College
- Stephanie Locke, LRC manager, Heart of Worcestershire College
- Ross McDonald, learning resource centre manager, Belfast Metropolitan College
- Joe Norton, director of independent learning, Huddersfield New College
- Lois Vickers, learning resource centre assistant, the Education Training Collective
- Pete Collins, product manager - content and discovery (FE & skills), Jisc
- Andrew Jackson, service coordinator - content and discovery (FE & skills), Jisc
Terms of reference
Core aims
- To advise Jisc on preferred e-book titles offered by publishers, for the annual purchasing round of the e-books for FE collection
- To work independently in the assessment of titles on offer and also collaboratively during the annual group meeting
- To prioritise potential new e-book titles on the basis of FE curriculum requirements and students’ needs
- To maintain awareness of new publications throughout the year in order to identify potential titles for consideration
- To maintain awareness of changes in the FE & Skills curriculum which may impact on collection requirements and development
- To liaise with curriculum staff within their own organisations to identify subject areas or specific titles of most value to the e-books for FE collection
- To advise Jisc on preferred e-book titles offered by publishers, for the annual purchasing round of the e-books for FE collection
- To work independently in the assessment of titles on offer and also collaboratively during the annual group meeting
- To prioritise potential new e-book titles on the basis of FE curriculum requirements and students’ needs
- To maintain awareness of new publications throughout the year in order to identify potential titles for consideration
- To maintain awareness of changes in the FE & Skills curriculum which may impact on collection requirements and development
- To liaise with curriculum staff within their own organisations to identify subject areas or specific titles of most value to the e-books for FE collection
Governance and organisation
Jisc will act as the convenor of the group, and will manage group activities in relation to the timescales of the annual procurement round.
Jisc will give members sufficient guidance and time to complete the assessment tasks required.
Jisc will arrange the annual group meeting in response to members’ stated availability, and endeavour to accommodate members’ other commitments as far as possible.
The annual group meeting will be chaired by Jisc.
Jisc will act as the convenor of the group, and will manage group activities in relation to the timescales of the annual procurement round.
Jisc will give members sufficient guidance and time to complete the assessment tasks required.
Jisc will arrange the annual group meeting in response to members’ stated availability, and endeavour to accommodate members’ other commitments as far as possible.
The annual group meeting will be chaired by Jisc.
Membership structure
The group will comprise of library and learning centre professionals from within FE organisations that subscribe to e-books for FE. The aim is to have one individual from each of the nine Jisc-defined English regions and two individuals each from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, making fifteen in total. Given the time commitment involved, and unforeseen changes in workloads, Jisc recognises that there will be some years in which members feel they are unable to participate; in those instances, replacements from the same region or nation will be sought.
The group will comprise of library and learning centre professionals from within FE organisations that subscribe to e-books for FE. The aim is to have one individual from each of the nine Jisc-defined English regions and two individuals each from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, making fifteen in total. Given the time commitment involved, and unforeseen changes in workloads, Jisc recognises that there will be some years in which members feel they are unable to participate; in those instances, replacements from the same region or nation will be sought.
Term of membership
Term of membership will be offered initially for three years, on the basis of recommendations given to the FE & Skills team by Account Managers. If there are no volunteers to take on the regional/national representative positions at the end of the three years, then the same individual(s) will be invited to continue for a further term. Members are free to opt out of the group at any time during the procurement cycle, if they feel they are unable to commit their time fully.
Term of membership will be offered initially for three years, on the basis of recommendations given to the FE & Skills team by Account Managers. If there are no volunteers to take on the regional/national representative positions at the end of the three years, then the same individual(s) will be invited to continue for a further term. Members are free to opt out of the group at any time during the procurement cycle, if they feel they are unable to commit their time fully.
Responsibilities of members
All members must sign a Confidentiality Statement to confirm that they will not, without written authority from Jisc, divulge or communicate to any person, firm, company or organisation (other than those whose province it is to know the same) any of the confidential technical or commercial information that is made available to them in their role in the Focus Group. The Statement also includes a requirement not communicate with any of the suppliers concerning the evaluation of bids.
All members must sign a Confidentiality Statement to confirm that they will not, without written authority from Jisc, divulge or communicate to any person, firm, company or organisation (other than those whose province it is to know the same) any of the confidential technical or commercial information that is made available to them in their role in the Focus Group. The Statement also includes a requirement not communicate with any of the suppliers concerning the evaluation of bids.
Meetings and administration
There is one annual meeting, running the course of a single business day, at a date to be mutually agreed. Jisc will convene and chair the meeting. The outcome of that meeting and the final decision by Jisc regarding new titles and renewals will be communicated to the Focus Group before being communicated to the subscribing colleges as a whole.
Feedback will be sought from members every year, regarding the membership commitments and the purchasing process (eg methodology, timescales, meeting structure and approach), so that improvements may be made for the following year.
There is one annual meeting, running the course of a single business day, at a date to be mutually agreed. Jisc will convene and chair the meeting. The outcome of that meeting and the final decision by Jisc regarding new titles and renewals will be communicated to the Focus Group before being communicated to the subscribing colleges as a whole.
Feedback will be sought from members every year, regarding the membership commitments and the purchasing process (eg methodology, timescales, meeting structure and approach), so that improvements may be made for the following year.