LIRG Committee meeting 3 July 2003
Held at the Renold Building, UMIST, Sackville Street, Manchester

Present
Noeleen Cookman, Alan Cooper, J Eric Davies, Juliet Eve, Biddy Fisher (Chair), Jo Horsfall, Carolynn Rankin (Minutes), Isobel Thompson

1. Apologies
Apologies were received from Linda Banwell, Elizabeth Gadd, Eddie Halpin, Clare Nankivell, Philip Payne, Margaret Wallis

2. Chair's Announcements
Jo Horsfall, LIRG Administrator was welcomed to the meeting. Congratulations were extended to Elizabeth Gadd, the LIR editor, who is expecting a baby.

3. Minutes of the previous meeting held on 30 April 2003
The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as a true record with the following amendments:
Item 5.4 Clare Creasey should read Claire Creaser
Item 8.3 Research into Practise should read Research into Practice Action:CR

4. Matters arising

4.1 Seminar on Evidence based web design - it was agreed this would be considered at the autumn LIRG meeting.
4.2 LIR. There was discussion underway about the transfer of LIR to electronic format. There is an opportunity now that LIRG is part of CILIP to be in the vanguard of developing this area of electronic publishing. It was suggested we need to develop a Gantt chart style approach to what needs to be in place. There is potential for an event on publishing newsletters electronically.

AC informed the committee that the new CILIP website, using CMS, was due in February 2004. Additional services will then be added utilising the website, and a discussion in the autumn around the topic of electronic publishing could feed into this development work. It was noted that Cscape have the CILIP contract , and they have also been working with the CIPD website. BF proposed the following

• AC to report back at the next meeting on plans for developing epublishing on the CILIP website
• The committee need to discuss further the prerequisites for epublishing
• Planning an event on the topic of epublishing newsletters

Action AC

5.LIRG/CILIP assimilation - update and report

5.1LIRG Committee membership
Following successfully achieving SIG status we are in a limbo situation regarding committee membership. The committee members had previously agreed to continue in post until we have an election. BF referred to an email from Frances Collett at CILIP. The current committee membership with therefore remain until we need to run an election to catch up with the CILIP timetable. AC will confirm this is December 2003
Action AC

IT had circulated an email outlining the current situation. It was noted that NC, JED and PP are due for re-election in March next year. This would be brought forward to December 2003. We therefore have four committee vacancies.

Cooptees to the LIRG committee
We are still to hear who will be replacing Maxine Melling from SCONUL. There has been no contact from the SCL or HLG. It was noted that EH is the LIRG co-optee on BAILER

LIRG subscriptions
LIRG membership is an option on next year's CILIP subscription forms. JE is to meet Angela Norman at CILIP HQ to arrange receipt of capitation. Next year we will not seek subscriptions directly from CILIP members. CILIP will maintain records for CILIP members choosing LIRG as one of their SIGs. JH will maintain membership details for non-CILIP members and personal and institutional subscription for LIR . It was noted that we can no longer give a year's subscription to LIRG to the LIRG prize winners.
Action JE

5.2 Structure of LIRG meetings
BF proposed a change of format for the next committee meeting to allow for new areas on the agenda. There was a need to be able to consider substantive items and include new items such as the report from CILIP Group Councillor. It was agreed that BF and CR would discuss and implement the changes.
Action BF/CR

5.3 Proposal - Events sub committee
Following a proposal to reconvene the Events sub committee it was agreed not to reconvene at this time. The need for such a sub committee would be kept under review.

5.4 Nomination of CILIP Group Councillor
LIRG is required to elect a Group Councillor who will attend CILIP Council meetings and act as a trustee of CILIP. LIRG can send an observer to the next CILIP Council meeting if an elected Group Councillor is not available. The LIRG committee members need to be aware of the issues around the election of a group councillor and BF will outline a discussion via the mailing list.
Action BF

It was suggested that BF and JED should stand as the LIRG Group Councillor, but the successful election of one would then create another vacancy on the LIRG committee. The mailing lists and an advert in Update can be used to seek nominations. An election would be conducted by postal ballot and Jo Horsfall (JH) would be involved in the preparation of the ballot paper. We still do not know who the electorate are. JH will contact Angela Norman at CILIP to obtain details of the late subscription payers who chose LIRG as one of their special interest groups. AC advised that officers of committees and group councillors have to be CILIP members
Action JH

Report from JED as acting LIRG Group Councillor
JED attended the CILIP Council meeting on 2 July as an observer and reported back on a number of current issues

• A fundamental review of CILIP is underway looking at what it is trying to achieve and how much it costs. There are plans to have a deficit budget for 2004.
• Code of Professional Ethics. JED and EH were asked to respond to CILIP on behalf of LIRG
  Action JED/EH
• Rules for Groups
• CPD - a new framework is being developed for qualifications. There is an issue around re-accreditation of individuals. Credits will be acquired, but it is not yet clear what has to be done to gain credits. There are concerns if accreditation involved attendance at fee paying events

5.5 Communications
BF reported there was a mailing list for CILIP SIG chairs and officers. LIRG Committee members were invited to join.
Action All

5.6 Report from CILIP Liaison Officer (AC)
AC formally welcomed LIRG to CILIP as a SIG.
From January 2004 a new magazine will be produced for CILIP members. Edited by Debbie Raven, The Gazette will replace Library & Information Appointments. BF welcomed this initiative and suggested the publicity opportunities should be discussed at the next LIRG meeting. There was some concern that this might affect capitation to Groups if it replaced the need for a Group newsletter.

6. Events

6.1 Umbrella 2003 LIRG AGM and Panel sessions
Arrangements were discussed regarding the AGM and panel sessions

6.2 In PPs absence there was no report on the Research Methods courses

6.3 Impact assessment
In PPs absence NC reported that the Impact programme is progressing.

7. Report from LIR Editor
EG was not in attendance but had circulated a report for the committee to consider.

• Planning for LIR 86 was in hand and the issue would be published in August 2003.
• EG would be on maternity leave from November 2003 until May 2004. It was agreed that Stella Thebridge, Associate Editor, would provide editorial cover during this time. LIRs winter issue 2003 will be guest edited by John Crawford.

8. Treasurer's Report
JE reported that the LIRG bank accounts have not yet been moved. We are still receiving some good income from running events. JE has not yet been asked by CILIP to provide accounts. It was agreed good practice to submit a copy of the audited accounts for this year. JE is still to attend a CILIP Group Treasurer's course. The issue of VAT was discussed as this will need to be shown on future accounts.
Action JE
BF will send a note of thanks to the honorary auditors
Action BF

10. Awards and Prizes
NC reported that nominations for the postgraduate prize have been received and will be judged by BF and CN
Action BF/CN

11. Web pages
AC reported that the Research Register had been well received. There was still some updating to be done. CR would provide back copies of minutes of the committee meetings.
Action CR

NC offered to check the site and prompt officers where changes were required.
Action NC

12. Publicity
A revised LIRG leaflet and first issue of the LIRG newsletter Research into Practice had been produced in time for distribution at the Umbrella conference. Thanks were recorded to Alastair Wylie at the British Library, Boston Spa, for his efficient help in type setting and printing the material within a very tight timescale.

13. AOB
JED is attending the IFLA conference in Berlin and will keep a watching brief on future liaison potential regarding research issues.

LIRG annual lecture - this was not billed as such this year due to the circumstances relating to SIG status. The Chair will introduce this as an integral part of the LIRG calendar under SIG status
Action BF

There being no further business the meeting closed at 6pm

14. Date of future meeting
5th November 2003 SCONUL HQ London