Keele University 10 - 12 April 2000
Notes for Delegates
Venue and location
The Conference will be held in the Chancellor's Building [no. 13 on the campus plan], Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK. Conference desk telephone no: 01782 584057 (09.00 - 17.30).
The University is located midway between Birmingham and Manchester in the Potteries, an area noted for producing fine china. It is a modern campus unversity built in the extensive grounds of Keele Hall.
Accommodation
Delegates attending as residents will be accommodated in ensuite rooms in one of three halls of residence: The Oaks, Holly Cross or Lindsay Court. All rooms have a private bathroom and tea/coffee-making facilities. Bed linen, towels, soap and coathangers are provided, but overseas visitors are reminded to bring electrical adaptor plugs. There are Ironing rooms on each floor of the halls of residence. The location of your accommodation will have been noted on your booking confirmation.
Keys will be distributed on Monday morning, 10 April, near to the registration desk in Chancellor's Building. At all other times they will be available at the 24-hour reception in Darwin Building [no. 1 on the campus plan]. Access to bedrooms will be from 12 noon on Monday, but arrangements have been made for luggage storage in the Chancellor's Building and transportation to the halls of residence between 11.00 and 13.00. Additional time has been set aside in the programme at lunchtime on Monday for settling in to your accommodation. Assistance will also be available in the halls of residence between 18.00 and 19.00 on Monday evening.
On Wednesday 10 April rooms must be vacated by 09.30. Luggage may be stored in the hall of residence or Chancellor's Building. Please remember to return room keys.
Travel
Delegates should make their own travel arrangements. A map is enclosed with the confirmation of booking giving the general location of the University and a plan of the campus.
Buses
A courtesy shuttle bus service will operate from Stoke on Trent railway station to the University from 09.00 to 10.30 on Monday 10 April. On Wednesday 12 April the service will return to Stoke station from the Chancellor' Building between 12.45 and 14.00.
Taxis
Taxis from the station take approximately 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions, at a cost of around £6.00. Roseville Taxis are on 01782 613245; Supreme Taxis, 01782 612112; Castle Cars, 01782 631119.
By air
Manchester is an international airport, with a frequent air shuttle service from London. There is a direct rail link to Manchester Piccadilly station from Terminal 1 every 15 minutes from 05.00 to 22.00 and once an hour during the night. From there, take a train to Stoke on Trent or Crewe station. There is also a direct Central Trains service to Stoke on Trent, leaving approximately once per hour. Please note that this service does not run at weekends. Taxis direct from the airport to Keele take approximately 50 minutes. Pre-booking these is less expensive (see Taxis above).
Birmingham International Airport has bus, taxi or a free monorail to Birmingham railway station, from where a train can be taken to Stoke on Trent station.
By rail
The nearest railway stations are Stoke on Trent (5 miles) and Crewe (11 miles). Courtesy buses run from Stoke station.
By car
Leave the M6 motorway at junction 15 and follow the A519 to Newcastle under Lyme, then take the A525 Whitchurch road to Keele. There is ample parking on campus, for which a parking permit is required. One will have been included with your confirmation of booking. However, there is no parking at Keele Hall.
Conference coach timetable
Sunday 9 April
| 19.00 | Keele University to the White Lion Inn, Weston and the Broughton Arms, Balterley |
| 22.00 | First coaches return to University |
| 23.00 | Remaining coaches return |
Monday 10 April
| 09.00 - 10.30 | Shuttle service from Stoke station to Chancellor's Building, Keele University |
| 21.00 - 23.00 | Shuttle service on campus, Keele Hall to halls of residence (Holly Cross, Lindsay Court and The Oaks) |
Tuesday 11 April
| 21.30 - 24.00 | Shuttle service on campus, Keele Hall to halls of residence (Holly Cross, Lindsay Court and The Oaks) |
Wednesday 12 April
| 09.00 - 10.30 | Shuttle service on campus, Keele Hall to halls of residence (Holly Cross, Lindsay Court and The Oaks) to Chancellor's Building, with luggage |
| 12.45 - 14.00 | Chancellor's Building to Stoke station |
Registration/Conference desk
The conference desk is located in the Atrium of the Chancellor's Building. Registration will take place from 10.00am on Monday and subsequently when the conference desk is open, which will be from 10.00 to 17.30 on Monday, 09.00 to 17.30 on Tuesday and 09.00 to 13.30 on Wednesday.A message board is located near the Desk; please check regularly for messages. This is used not only for incoming telephone messages but for delegates contacting one another during the Conference. No smoking is permitted in the Chancellor's Building.
Telephones
The conference desk can receive calls on 01782 584057. All bedrooms have telephones for which a Student Line phone card is required. These can be purchased to the value of £5, £3 or £1 from 24-hour reception in Darwin Building [no. 1 on the campus plan] or Chancellor's Building reception. The cards can be used from any telephone in the UK. Full instructions for use are on the reverse of the cards. Once an incoming caller knows your room extension number, incoming calls may be made to 01782 248200. These telephones may also be used for Internet and e-mail connections. There are BT public telephones in the foyers of the halls of residence, Chancellor's Building and elsewhere on campus, taking both card and coin.
Between 17.00 and 09.00 emergency calls should be made to Keele security: 01782 583004. The health centre is open from 09.00 to 17.00 on 01782 583189.
Faxes can be received at the conference desk on 01782 584056. Outgoing faxes may also be sent from there at reasonable rates.
Plenary sessions
All sessions will be held in the Westminster Lecture Theatre, with closed circuit TV links to lecture theatre 0.61 opposite for delegates arriving at the lecture theatre after the start of a session. Concurrent sessions on Monday 10 April will be in lecture theatre 0.61. There is an induction loop in place on the lower level of the Westminster Lecture Theatre; please contact the conference desk if you require this service.
Workshops
Workshops will take place on Monday 10 April at 14.30, repeated on Tuesday at 14.00, and again on Wednesday at 10.30. They will all be held in Chancellor's Building, and locations will be signposted. All workshops will have been selected at the time of booking; if changes are required please contact the conference desk.
Informal group meetings and receptions
We are offering a one hour session on Tuesday 11 April from 17.00 to 18.00 for any organisation or company to host a meeting or reception. Information about these sessions will be put on our Web site as they are arranged: http://www.uksg.org/events/informalmeetings00. For those wishing to attend, sign up boards will be available at registration.
If you would like to host a meeting or reception, please contact Alison Whitehorn (alison@uksg.org).
Exhibition
A trade exhibition will be held as an integral part of the Conference, located in the Chancellor's Building, and will be open as follows:
Monday: 10.00 to 18.00; Tuesday: 09.00 to 18.00; Wednesday: 09.00 to 13.00
Website: www.uksg.org
The UKSG Website will be updated with information as preparations for the Conference proceed. These notes can be found there, along with a direction map. News of exhibitors attending, and informal group meetings and receptions will be posted.
Badges
Badges will be provided for all delegates and should be worn throughout the Conference. Blue spots on badges denote a UKSG Committee member, red indicates a speaker. It would be appreciated if badges could be returned to the conference desk before departure.
Catering and bars
For delegates arriving on Sunday, the Vite & Eat and Le Café Bar in Chancellor's Building will be open from 12.00 to 18.00.
Breakfast for all residential delegates will be served in Keele Hall.
All lunches, tea and coffee breaks between sessions will be served in the exhibition areas. Monday dinner and the Conference Dinner on Tuesday will both be in Keele Hall restaurant.
Bars, which will accept credit cards, will be open as follows:
Sunday, 11.00 - 22.00 : Union Square bar
Weekdays, 11.00 - 23.00 : Union Square bar
During dinner until 02.00 : Keele Hall restaurant bar, which will also serve coffee
Entertainment
For those delegates arriving at Keele on Sunday 9 April, we have arranged an informal buffet dinner at two local pubs, The Broughton Arms at Balterley and The White Lion Inn at Weston. For coach times, please follow this link.
A reception for all delegates will be held in the exhibition areas from 18.00 on Monday.
Monday evening's dinner will be followed by the renowned UKSG Quiz, details of which will have been received with the booking confirmation. If you would like to participate, make sure your name is added to the entry lists at the conference desk before 17.30. After the intellectual interlude the evening will conclude with a disco in the Salvin Room at Keele Hall.
The setting for the Conference Dinner is again the delightful 19th century Keele Hall. Dinner will be preceded by a reception, and followed by a barn dance to Alf Alfa and the Wild Oats. For those with stamina, the evening will be rounded off with a disco in the Salvin Room.
UKSG Annual General Meeting
Delegates from member organisations of the UKSG are encouraged to attend the AGM which will take place at 13.30 on Tuesday 11 April in the Westminster Lecture Theatre. This is the members' opportunity to hear about the activities and policies of the UKSG, contribute their views and vote for Executive Officers and members of the Committee to run the Group for the year 2000/2001. Non-member observers are very welcome. To assist the vote count, we shall be introducing a new arrangement for voting ahead of the AGM. Details will have been notified to all members with their AGM papers and can also be found in the delegate packs. Membership of the UKSG is organisational, and only one vote per member organisation will be valid. Please decide which of your representatives will be voting to avoid duplication.
Visits
Stoke Tourist Information have a useful Web site at http://www.stoke.gov.uk/tourism/ Their telephone number is: 01782 236000, and e-mail address: stoke.tic@virgin.net
Keele University Library
The Librarian has kindly offered access to the Library at any time during the Conference. We would suggest that delegate badges are worn.
Newspapers, banks, shops, sports facilities
Lloyds and National Westminster banks have branches with cash dispensers on campus [building 38 on the campus map]. A Halifax cash dispenser, newsagent, campus store and bookshop are in the same location. There is a multidenominational chapel [building 35 on the campus map] with a Roman Catholic Mass at 12 noon and Anglican and Free Church Eucharist at 10.15 each Sunday. The Leisure Centre is open from 09.00 to 22.30 on weekdays and 09.00 to 18.00 at weekends, and offers, amongst other facilities, a fitness suite, squash, tennis and badminton courts: telephone 01782 583368.
Security and safety
In the halls of residence, it is important to lock your room. The University and the UKSG cannot accept responsibility for delegates' personal belongings.
Cancellations
It is recognised that unforeseen circumstances may make a cancellation necessary. Our policy is:
- cancellations received by 17 March 2000 - full refund
- cancellations received after 17 March 2000 - 50% refund
- cancellations received after 24 March 2000 - no refund