Ben gives us an overview of where reading lists fit into the University's overall strategy.

1. www.le.ac.uk/library
A university view – our strategic
context & Talis Aspire
Ben Wynne
Deputy University Librarian
University of Leicester

2. Overview
• A
bit
about
us
• Strategic
context
• Where
do
reading/resource
lists
(Talis
Aspire)
fit?

3. About us
• 22,000
students,
of
which
…
• 8,276
PGT
and
almost
2,000
PGR
(46%)
• 8,000
Distance
learning
students
• 14th
in
the
Times
Higher
Educa0on
Table
of
tables
• TuiOon
fees
are
43%
of
income
• Over
2,600
modules/module
runs

4. What
maQers
• Mission
– The
University
of
Leicester
is
a
leading
UK
university
commiQed
to
internaOonal
excellence
through
the
creaOon
of
world
changing
research
and
high
quality,
inspiraOonal
teaching
within
an
inclusive
academic
culture.

5. Learning
&
teaching
strategy
• Includes
…
• be
recognised
naOonally
and
internaOonally
for
providing
a
student
learning
experience
of
the
highest
quality
• provide
our
graduates
with
the
skill-­‐sets
and
ethos
to
make
them
a
stand-­‐out
choice
for
employers

6. Some
influences
on
strategy
• Very
compeOOve
jobs
market
for
students
• Changes
to
government
funding
• Student
as
customer
–
who
is
under
financial
pressure
• CompeOOon
–
for
students,
for
research
income
• Digital
environment
–
opportuniOes
&
costs
• AmbiOon

7. Some
responses
• On-­‐going
investment
in
faciliOes
• Finding
new
markets
–
more
diverse
course
offerings,
more
internaOonal
students,
more
professional
development
• Changes
to
curricula,
course
design
&
approaches
to
teaching
• Increasing
operaOonal
efficiency
• Greater
collaboraOon
between
academics,
librarians,
other
professional
services
to
enhance
and
manage
the
learning
environment
for
students

9. A
key
Library
responsibility
…
• To
enhance
students’
and
researchers’
capacity
to
use
informaOon
effecOvely
for
scholarship
and
employment

10. Reading/resource
list
and
…
• Student
experience
• Learning
&
aQainment
• Value
for
money
…
• InsOtuOonal
asset

11. Student
experience
• A
student
who
had
a
readinglists@Leicester
list
for
one
module
was
finding
it
useful
as
it
allowed
her
easy
access
to
resources
such
as
eBooks
and
an
at
a
glance
check
to
see
if
books
were
in
the
Library.
• Two
students
urged
that
academic
staff
start
to
use
Readinglists@leicester
which
they
had
seen
elsewhere
in
other
modules.

12. Learning
&
aQainment
• “We
have
..
found
that
there
has
been
a
dramaOc
reducOon
in
the
number
of
emails
from
students
struggling
to
find
readings,
we
can
monitor
what
they
are
reading,
the
library
knows
what
is
in
demand,
and
staff
are
confident
that
students
have
no
excuses
…
From
what
we
can
tell
in
their
assessments
students
appear
to
be
reading
more.”

15. Reading
list
as
acOvely
managed
asset
• Visibility
• Flexibility
• Accessibility
• Accountability