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What is this website and who is it for?

This website is an overview of the JISC projects currently taking place in the jiscLMS programme. "jiscLMS" represents two things: (1) the "Joint Information Systems Committee" (JISC) which is the funding organisation behind this set of projects, and (2) "Library Management Systems" (LMS) which is the generic term for the overall systems with which these projects are working on to improve. Please see the sidebar links for the history and context on these set of projects.

DISCLAIMER: This site is not an official JISC site but rather the notebook for the jiscLMS Programme Manager to keep track of the various projects taking place within this programme.

Problem areas that have been identified which jiscLMS projects are addressing

There are five strands of activity in this programme:

  • Strand A: Usability Case Studies in Libraries Systems (embedding "UXers" in the library)
  • Strand B: Enhancing existing interfaces and the visibility of library resources & services on the Web
  • Strand C: Case studies on the problem area of Electronic Resource Management (ERM) in libraries
  • Strand D: Case studies to explore how Open Source systems in the library are effectively used
    • Creating case studies which demonstrate the value of open source systems and their effective use in libraries
    • Per project cost >£5k
  • Strand E: Synthesis and dissemination of case studies (strands A, B, C and D) into a coherent picture
    • Peer review of case studies and endorsement of findings to other UK HE/FEs, library vendors and community organisations
    • [http:// List of all projects working in this area]
    • Per project cost >£25k

Map of jiscLMS Projects (see interactive map here)

What is happening with these set of projects right now

List of jiscLMS project blog posts and other commentary from around the Web below (please subscribe to the RSS Feed here):

FAQ

These set of questions help define how the collection of these projects (funded under the "jiscLMS" strand of work) are defined and more widely disseminated.

  • Q1. How are the jiscLMS projects (as a collective) changing the sector?
    • "jiscLMS" as a collection of NN projects are jointly attempting to change the library sector in higher and further education by addressing the following key innovation areas: usability of library systems for end users (UX), advantages of open source library systems (OSS), management of electronic resources (ERM), and prototypes for surfacing library resources on the Web.
  • Q2. If the jiscLMS projects are going to change the sector and how will we notice when change occurs?
    • The primary method for noticing changes in the sector will be via each of the project blogs all projects are required to have, this includes the set of tags they have been assigned to use while documenting the project's progress which categorises content across all blogs into a common 'table of contents', e.g. technical standards used, methodology, risks, etc. The project blog process that all projects are required to utilise is listed in the ProjectDocumentationInstructions. To help summarise all of the work, there is a project dedicated to "synthesise" information, i.e. this project will read over all of the blogs posted by the jiscLMS projects and report back. Each fortnight the synthesis project will write their own blog post listing the themes that have emerged from the projects, this will be listed in the ChangeLog. There will also be a gathering of all projects at a common event to network with one another. The synthesis proeject will also be responsible for gathering as much of the information talked about during this event and reporting back common issues. Finally projects themselves will produce final project blog posts that will list the final outputs they have produced, i.e. "their project products". These products will then be brought to a peer review panel where the products will be discussed and commented upon with suggested courses of action. Again the synthesis project will be gathering evidence from these theme specific peer review panels. Finally, the project will fill out a "Sign-off project survey" which will feedback all the skills and lessons learned, aka "soft project products" which will again be collected and analysed by the synthesis project. Again for further details please see the ProjectDocumentationInstructions .
  • Q3. Who will read the things produced by jiscLMS projects and help explain them to the powers that be?
    • The synthesis project will produce blog posts (on a fortnightly basis) whereby qualitative summaries of themes emerging will be listed. There will be a feed available for these posts and notes regarding emerging themes between the JISC Programme Manager and Synthesis project will be listed in the ChangeLog. Also a report from the "Peer Review Panels" will be produced by the synthesis project which will be a selection of quotes and reviews of specific project products in CSV form. Finally, the data collected from the "Sign-off project survey" will be analysed by the synthesis project and delivered as part of the final report from the synthesis project.
  • Q4. Who are the most significant stakeholders (audiences) who will be affected by the change that comes out of the jiscLMS projects as a collective?
    • Head Librarians of Higher and Further Education "University" libraries, Library IT staff who are responsible for the day to day maitenance of library systems, subject librarians who are responsible for digital resources and their effective use by end users, overall heads of University library and information resource departments with overall budget reponsibility, and last but not least are heads of schools and academic departments who liaise with the library to assure resources for teaching, learning and research are in place.
  • Q5. How will JISC gather information from the projects to help promote them and advertise them to the wider world?
    • The JISC Programme Manager writes a quarterly "strand update" on the overall value emerging from the sector (including an initial baseline document that defines the collective projects, i.e. this FAQ is a part of that initial baseline report). These quarterly 'strand updates' are based on the work of the synthesis project (or more specifically the work of the "Synthesis Liaison" as defined in the ChangeLog). Once all the jiscLMS projects have produced both their 'hard project products' (reusable project outputs) and their 'soft project products' (lesson and skills learned) a final communications report will be produced that will be for wider dissemination to key stakeholders (listed above).

Timeline

  • Proposals were due for this Call on Friday February 5th 2010.
  • Funded projects were selected and should begin starting the 19th of April 2010.
  • Project should run for 6 months.
  • All projects must be completed by 15 October 2010.
  • The final reusable project output (aka 'hard project product') will be evaluated in a peer review panel sometime after November 1st 2010.
  • Evaluation peers will decide what further actions should take place based on the peer review panel by 1st December 2010.

What is the eligibility for being JISC funded?

  • Project proposals may be submitted by HE institutions funded via HEFCE, SFC, HEFCW and DEL Northern Ireland, and by FE institutions funded via SFC, DCELLS Wales and DEL Northern Ireland.
  • FE institutions in England that teach HE to more than 400 FTEs are also eligible to bid provided proposals demonstrate how the work supports the HE in FE agenda.
  • Universities can partner with other organisation to achieve the project outputs (subject to agreement by JISC).

Why is the "Programme Manager" using a "Project" Code Repository?

This "project" website can be thought of as a meta-project or (in management speak) a "programme" (aka collective view of a collection of projects). But nevermind about that. The real point is that Google Code is a good way to organise a project as it develops. By using Google Code I am hoping you will be interested in using it yourself for your project as you get started. Or more to the point, that you will do your best to develop your project in the OPEN throughout its duration. I would also recommend Git Hub, Sourceforge and any other system that allows for quick editing and updating of the project as it is starting to be turned into something real that can then be officially advertised on marketing website, e.g. this site is for getting the project up to a place that can then be launched to the wider world. Point being: start now and get your ideas down, or more importantly get your code down; stop worrying about what it looks like and just get it out there. Plug your IDE into a code repository right now and start versioning every line of code you write (and don't forget to put human understandable inline comments in as well)!

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