Info Lit lens for the RDF and Seven Pillars- consultation

Another exciting addition to the resources which are building around the Seven Pillars:

Vitae have been working with RIN, SCONUL and members of the Working Group on Information-Handling to develop a lens on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework and the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy. This lens is now available for consultation and we would welcome your feedback on this. You can find it here. Jonathan Roberts, who has been developing the lens, would particularly welcome comments on:
•    Whether you think there are any areas of the framework that should or should not be highlighted?
•    Are there areas you would prioritise above others?
•    How do you think you would use the lens?
Feedback will be incorporated into the final version of the lens which will be made available later in April.
Please send your comments to Jonathan.roberts@vitae.ac.uk by Friday 13 April 2012

Collection management at Ngee Ann

At Newcastle we are currently looking to bring together many of our small collections into one sequence, to make finding materials simpler for students. I was interested, therefore to see how many specialised collections ar identified at Ngee Ann. For example, there is the wealth creation section, lifestyle collections on different topics, graphic novels and entrepreneurship linked to the "founding father" section. The photo shows this section, dedicated to Lien Ying Chow, after whom the Library is named. 

This photo shows Bee Ang demonstrating how the enterprise books are displayed in small attractive alcoves. Some collections are virtual, rather than physical and the Library uses Primo to tag the virtual collections so that they can be browsed online.

Ngee Ann Library - Wealth Creation section

Wealth creation in action!

The Wealth Creation InfoCentre in Ngee Ann Library aims to develop students’ financial literacy and investment skills.  This section of the Library contains books, periodicals and media covering personal finance, financial planning, portfolio management, stocks & shares and real estate investments. The facilities provide opportunities for hands-on practice on simulated investment programmes and other relevant databases.  Speakers from industry come in monthly to give talks on money management and investment.

Nanyang Library on the go

Nanyang Polytechnic Library (NYP) has a lot of different technological developments, all listed on their website but to see most of them working you need to be a member of NYP. I liked their Library on the go app for mobile library services. Using iFind, it's also possible for students to get a text message to tell them the location of a book and there's a neat interactive information booklet too.

Daniel Wee and Rosidah Awang are the staff specifically responsible for links with NUIS staff and students. Here they are next to the Food Science section of the library

Nanyang Polytechnic Library, Singapore

3D map

The other polytechnic in Singapore which hosts Newcastle students is Nanyang and I visited the Library there on Thursday. It has a similar size book stock to Ngee Ann, about 200k, but a smaller floor area.



I was very impressed with their 3D interactive guide. It displays on a large touch screen in the library entrance. Students can search for a book in the catalogue, click on Guide me and are shown a route from the screen to the bookshelf.

It's very clever and easy to use.

The Lifestyle Library

Bubble tea cafe

The whole of the entrance level of the Lien Ying Chow Library is devoted to the Lifestyle Library. This concept is aimed specifically at attracting students into the building and encouraging them to read. The exhibition area, which can be easily seen from a busy walkway, can be used by any of the Schools and is a popular way of bringing the Poly activities into the Library. There's even a small 12 seat theatre, which shows sports channels. The collections on this level are not academic materials but more like a public library, with books on hobbies, current fiction and a range of general interests. There's an impressive collection of audio and DVDs to support film and media (and current feature films) and lots of spaces to use the resources individually or in groups. The cafe is also located on this level (I wish I'd been able to try the bubble tea!), close to the newspapers, comic and graphic novels sections.

The board games room

Natalie in the board games room

I was fascinated by the board games room in Lien Ying Chow Library. There I met Natalie, a business student who is paid to staff the room. She is also part of an enterprise project in the Business School and was successful in being allowed to start an "enterprise" tuck shop in the room. Proceeds allow her team to go out for occasional evening meals as a team bonding exercise.
Board games are popular in Singapore and it seems many students enjoy playing them in gaps between lectures. The room holds most common board games, such as monopoly, cluedo etc and is apparently very busy in term time.

Lien Ying Chow Library, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Bee Ang and Rashna in the exhibition space

Today I visited the Lien Ying Chow Library. It's very different from Newcastle, partly because most of the students are younger, so one of their main concerns is attracting students into the library and encouraging them to read around their subject. The education system in Singapore doesn't seem to prepare students for the kind of independent learning that we are accustomed to in the UK. Students rely on their notes and on specific text books and don't have a habit of critical reading or questioning. Usually they buy the key textbook and work to that. They are therefore much less likely to visit the library for extra academic texts. This means the library rarely needs to obtain many multiple copies and this is one area which they have needed to address (very succesfully) for the NUIS students, who are expected to read more widely.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic

View from the Library

The NUIS courses in Singapore are hosted at two different Polytechnics. I'm currently visiting Ngee Ann Poly, which has 15,000 students, mainly aged 16-18. Students here do a 2 year A-level course, followed by a year diploma course. They may then enter into Stage 2 of a NUIS course - in marine or chemical engineering at Ngee Ann, or mechanical engineering or food science at Nan Yang Poly.

Newcastle University in Singapore

View of Singapore from "the boat in the sky"

As I'm currently in Singapore on university business, these posts are primarily for my colleagues back at home, but for anyone else interested, this is what I'm up to.

NUIS: Newcastle University in Singapore, runs 4 programmes in conjunction with Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). The programmes are hosted by 2 polytechnics, with Marine Engineering and Chemical Engineering at Ngee Ann and Mechanical Engineering and Food Science at Nan Yang. There are currently 23 full time staff and ~300 students based here, as well as several "adjunct" staff, local experts who contribute as guest lecturers. The poly libraries provide local support and access to print materials and Newcastle provides distance support and access to e-resources. You can see our library guide for NUIS students here

My brief is to learn more about how things work here so that we can ensure we are providing the best possible support for both staff and students. I've already spent a day meeting the Dean, chief administrator, SIT rep and Operations Director, which has helped clarify some of the systems and processes involved in a 3 way agreement such as this. I'm already realising the truth of Ehsan ( the Dean)'s comment that "once you have been here you won't be the same Moira". Is it the climate, the culture, different attitudes, different kinds of conversations? I'm not sure, but one certainly quickly slips into a different mind set.

Tomorrow, I'll be visiting one of the libraries, as well as giving talks to some of the student groups