Collaboration and liaison: the importance of developing working partnerships in the provision of networked hybrid services to lifelong learners in rural areas
| Date | 01 December 2001 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120110406354 |
| Published date | 01 December 2001 |
| Pages | 411-416 |
| Author | Mary Mackay |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Collaboration and
liaison: the importance
of developing working
partnerships in the
provision of networked
hybrid services to
lifelong learners in
rural areas
Mary Mackay
Introduction
One of the main objectives of lifelong learning
is said to be the provision of ``lifelong learning
opportunities as close to learners as possible,
in their own communities and supported
through ICT-based facilities, wherever
appropriate'' (Waddington, 2000).
The University of the Highlands and
Islands Millennium Institute (UHIMI) is a
distributed institution, made up of 13 colleges
and research institutions and covering a land
area which extends for 400 miles from its
most northern to its most southern campuses.
Some parts of this area are made up of small
island communities, separated from main
campus bases, and making it impractical for
students to travel to the campus library to
access resources.
UHIMI sees:
...the establishment of high quality Library and
Learning Resource services as critical to the
ongoing development and support of new
learning environments (University of the
Highlands and Islands, 1998).
UHIMI academic partners and others have
established a network of some 50 learning
centres throughout the area. These include
the Western Isles, where both Benbecula and
Barra learning centres have been designated
as Flagship centres by Learn Direct Scotland.
Previously the Scottish University for
Industry, Learn Direct Scotland aims to
revolutionise the face of learning, making high
quality learning and upgrading of skills
available, at a time, place and pace to suit the
learner. This initiative has government
backing.
The main campus library is in Stornoway,
the capital of the largest island in the Western
Isles chain. The learning centres provide
students with access to training rooms,
videoconferencing, PCs and the Internet.
They have access, via a Web interface, to
library and learning resource materials
including the UHIMI library catalogue, other
catalogues, subscribed database and journal
services and Web-based information such as
subject gateways.
This article will reflect on the findings of a
project which undertook to provide access to
networked hybrid resources to these students
and the role which increased interaction and
partnerships play in the successful
implementation of networked learning
resources in a distributed environment.
The author
Mary Mackay is Cisco Research Associate, based at the
Scottish Centre for Information Research, University of the
Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute, Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis. E-mail: mary.mackay@lews.uhi.ac.uk
Keywords
Academic libraries, Public Libraries, Distance learning,
Learning materials, Computer networks, Partnering
Abstract
The concept of lifelonglearning is one of inclusiveness and
flexibility and the emerging idea is that education will
come to the people in their own communities, no matter
where they are located. Reviews the implications and
challenges for management and staff as they strive to
implement changes which will support students studying
courses in remote, rural communities who previously had
little or no library supportprovision. In particular, it focuses
on the need for increased interaction between all sites and
staff involved in the implementation and provision of
networked resources ± senior management, academic
staff, lecturers,technical and library staff and theincreased
use of technology to facilitate this. It examines their
changing roles and t he implications for staf f development
and training in a distributed networked environment such
as the UHI Millennium Institute. In addition, the potential
benefits of formingpartnerships with outside public bodies
such as the local authority public library are considered.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
http://www.mcbup.com/research_registers
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com/ft
411
Library Management
Volume 22 .Number 8/9 .2001 .pp. 411±415
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0143-5124
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