LIRG committee meeting (No 99) 6 November 2002
Held at Birmingham Central Library

In attendance
Alan Cooper, J.Eric Davies, Juliet Eve, Biddy Fisher (Chair), Elizabeth Gadd, Stella Thebridge, Maxine Melling, Clare Nankivell, Carolynn Rankin (Minutes Secretary)

1. Apologies
Linda Banwell , Eddie Halpin, Philip Payne, Isobel Thompson, John Sumsion, Emma Turner, Margaret Wallace. ( Noeleen Cookman is still on extended absence.)

Chair's Announcements

The Chair welcomed Stella Thebridge, joining the committee as an observer, and to work with EG as editor of the LIRG Research Directory.

BF had attended a CILIP seminar on the LIS research landscape as chair of LIRG. LIRG needs to respond to the report; what can we do to work with CILIP and what support would LIRG need? This could be discussed at the next LIRG committee meeting. CN will circulate a copy of the report to all LIRG members. EG requested a summary for LIR.
Action: CN

BF had also spoken with Elspeth Hyams (EH) the editor of CILIP Update about the promotion of research information. It was accepted there would be some overlap. Further discussion would take place between BF, JED, ED and EH as a new year venture .

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
Minutes of the previous meeting no 98 held on 26 June 2002 were agreed with the following amendments:
Item 7. LIRN. The guest editor should read Adrienne Muir.
Action point should read EG not ED

3. Matters arising from the previous minutes of 26 June 2002
There were no matters arising.

4. LIRG and CILIP - SIG
About 33 signatures are still required for the SIG forms. Committee members agreed to seek signatures at events and meetings they would be attending in the near future. BF and JED had a very positive meeting with Sue Brown (CILIP) in August 2002 regarding SIG status
Action: all committee members

5. Events
a) EGM
EJD has contacted the Online organisers regarding costs, but still awaiting a response. JED and JE will liaise with Online. The preferred time and date is the evening of 4 December 2002. If Online is not viable a fall back location will be the CILIP headquarters. AC will book the Ewart Room for 5pm on 4 December and will arrange the refreshments.

This is a ratification meeting and proxy votes should be encouraged via the vice chair. (BF has presented her apologies). The vote is on having received the prerequisite number of supporting signatures the committee is authorised to pursue CILIP SIG status. The details will be circulated to LIRG members w/c 11 November 2002
Action: JED and JE; AC

b) AGM 2003 and Umbrella 2003
It was noted that the next Umbrella planning meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 13/11/02 in Manchester. As will not be possible to send a LIRG representative to this meeting, JE will contact the organisers regarding our requirements. There was some discussion regarding UMIST as the venue for the conference. JED will contact Bob McKee to raise concern on a personal level.
Action: JED

The outline programme was discussed and the preferred dates of 3rd July pm (day 1) and 4th July am (day 2) selected. CN would ask Bob McKee if he would be available to do the keynote presentation on 3rd July. BAILER would be asked to contribute by taking the 4th chair in the discussion panel on day 2.
A number of potential contributors were proposed:
Linda Ashcroft and Veronica Fraser - BF to invite.
David Lightfoot - JED to invite.

It was agreed that LIRG should not take up the invitation to book a specific stand in the exhibition as there may be problems with manning the stand for the full event.

c) Research Methods Course
Update on numbers and costing had been provided by PP.

Following a suggestion from YMLAC, the committee discussed the potential for extending the Research Methods courses to the Museums and Archives Sector. This would help to develop partnerships and could be developed with Yorkshire prior to selling to other regions. It was important that the practitioner base was not lost. It was agreed that this venture could be strategically important for LIRG in terms of profile. BF and PP would continue discussions with Jane Walton of YMLAC.
Action: BF & PP

d) Do libraries aid learning
This conference on 9-10 December 2002 is being jointly organised by SCONUL and LIRG. It is intended that it will lead to the development of a 'tool kit' which will be of general application in libraries. BF will provide a write up for LIRN.

e) Evidence-based web design
This event may possibly be scheduled for April 2003. A useful contact has been made with those responsible for web development at the BL. AC will check CILIP guidelines on when workshops can be held either side of the Umbrella conference

7. LIRN
The LIRN editor reported an approach from SAGE who were interested in publishing LIRN. This was discussed with BF and JED and it was agreed the idea should be put on hold for the present time.

LIRN 84 (guest editor) was shortly to go to the BL for publication.
Issue 85 will be published under the new title of Library and Information Research (LIR) and the deadline for copy is 28 February 2003.

The LIRG committee discussed the paper presented by EG A proposal to improve the accessibility, practitioner focus and quality of Library and Information Research News.

The recommendations were presented as a short term list and a long term list.
Recommendation 1.1 AC has already established the domain name.
Recommendation 1.2 It should be fairly straightforward to put back issues on the website. The copyright statement for authors would need to be reworded.
Recommendation 1.3 ST has discussed the Research Directory with CILIP web staff. Research records could be submitted via the web, ST would be contact and/or moderator.
Recommendations 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 were therefore Agreed
Recommendation 1.4 Agreed
Recommendation 1.5 There was considerable discussion on the issue of LIRN potentially becoming an electronic only journal. As LIRG is still in a transitional stage this is an issue that needs to be discussed with the constituency. BF proposal a debate on the LIRG membership list to generate member interest, although this cannot begin before the AGM . The majority of the LIRN Editorial Board supported this proposal. It would be discussed at the next Editorial Board meeting in January 2003.

Recommendation 2.1 and Recommendation 2.2 Agreed
There was a consensus that this was a good way forward though may be practical problems. ST and EG would create a template for authors to use for their executive summary, thought his would not be mandatory.

Recommendation 3.1
It was agreed the issue of peer review should be referred to the LIRN Editorial Board for comments and practical advice.

In summary all the short term recommendations were Agreed by the LIRG committee. The long term recommendations are holding.

ED was thanked for her work in preparing and presenting the proposal document.

8. Treasurer's Report
JE reported that the accounts are healthy at the present time; there is a solid financial base. Some administration issues have been identified with handing income from a number of events. JE will liaise with BF and Jo Horsfall to discuss improvements. JE will contact Rowena Wells at CILIP as there are CILIP guidelines on the presentation of events. It was noted there is also a treasurers training course run by CILIP.

9. Web pages report
AC reported that material about the workshops has been added to the website. Margaret Wallace needs to be added to the committee list on the website. BF will add her to the JISC LIRG committee mailing list.

10. Awards and Prizes
EJD has contacted Elsevier regarding the prize money, but has still has had no response from Michael Mabe. LIRG are now owed two years worth of awards. There was concern that we are still presenting awards in a sponsors name. JE and EJD will contact Elsevier again regarding this matter.
Calls have gone out with a deadline of 31st December for Elsevier and the Daphne Clark award.

Following some discussion it was agreed that these awards need to be UK focussed as some applications have come from overseas. The promotional details need to be updated to reflect this.

The postgraduate call will not go out for a while. EJD and IT are still currently judging those received; all are of a good standard. AC suggested that the awards could become part of the annual CILIP Gala Awards.

11. Publicity
LB not present but is liasing with EJD regarding publicity matters.

12. AOB
There was no other business

13. Dates of future meetings
Monday 3rd February 2003 SCONUL
Wednesday 30th April 2003 SCONUL