Seminars & Training

Please refer to the Diary of Events for example programmes.

The UKSG regularly runs seminars on hot topics in the serials industry but it also stages a range of events which offer coverage of the more basic issues:

Serials Resource Management
These one-day seminars aim to provide expert and fully focused coverage of the fundamental issues relating to serials for those involved in their day-to-day handling.

Designed particularly for staff who are new to working with serials, whether from a publisher, an intermediary or a library, these seminars can also benefit those looking to consolidate and update their serials knowledge. The emphasis is on developing a sound basic understanding of the details of serials handling in order to promote efficient and informed working practices. A wide range of day-to-day issues is covered, with time devoted to recognising and resolving the problems that can arise at the boundaries between publishers, agents and libraries. The seminars also consider current developments in electronic journals, which could have a profound effect on serials management and usage in the future. Delegates are invited to raise topics for the Open Forum.

E-Journal Technical Update
These new, practical one-day courses have been introduced to cover the basic technology of working directly with e-journals and will be invaluable for anyone with a non-technical background - librarian, publisher or intermediary - in gaining a more confident understanding of the technical environment in which they now have to operate. Managing e-journals and making them available to end-users is quite different from dealing with print, but many of those working with e-journals have moved from one to the other, picking up expertise only informally.

The format of the course is a mix of taught, demonstration and discussion sessions and the content will be continually updated to cover developments in this fast-moving area of serials. The core content of the taught sessions will cover the development of e-journals, access control and user authentication, navigating users to content, link resolvers and SFX, and search engines and other initiatives.

A Day in the Life of a Librarian
These one-day seminars are aimed at publishers, subscription agents, librarians and those working elsewhere in the serials world seeking to learn more about the wide range of library operations in academic, research and business environments.

Four librarians provide a practical insight into the opportunities and challenges confronting them and their organisations in providing access to serials information in the 21st century. One of the key dilemmas for serials librarians today is how to get started with e-journals and then how to deal with the complexity of managing virtual collections. This is a pivotal theme of the seminars which also cover related areas in serials management such as budgetary control, purchasing decisions, collection administration and cataloguing, as well as looking at serials information from the user perspective and the relationship between publishers, agents and librarians.

Time is allocated for informal group discussion in which to share experiences of the topics raised in the presentations, together with a tour of the library at which each seminar is staged.

A Day in the Life of a Journal Publisher
These one-day seminars are aimed at librarians, information specialists, intermediaries and other players in the electronic journal supply chain seeking to find out more about journal publishing in the electronic world.

The seminars are hosted by well-known publishers whose representatives aim to chart the progress of a journal from editorial board to library subscriber with the objective of improving understanding of the journal publishing process, particularly within the context of a digital environment. Each speaker adds the knowledge that their own individual experiences have provided, giving a comprehensive view of journal publishing in the electronic age. A subscription agent completes the picture by describing the link between publisher and library.

InForums
The InForum is a morning discussion group for special librarians, at which participants can brainstorm topics of mutual concern and interest. These sessions offer the opportunity to exchange ideas and experience and to extend personal and professional networks.

Roadshows
The UKSG maintains links with those universities offering library and information science courses and is always pleased to organise a half-day presentation for students on the various facets of the serials industry, covering the initial publishing process, the range of services offered by the subscription agent and other intermediaries, and the role of serials in the library, including the management of e-journals.

For further information on Roadshows and how to book a presentation please contact Karen Sadler, UKSG Administrator karen@uksg.org