1. RIDLs
a collective approach to IL in higher education
Stéphane Goldstein
Research Information Network
Geoff Walton
Staffordshire University
LILAC2013 – University of Manchester
25 March 2013

2. What is RIDLs?
 A coalition of partners working together to promote the value of
information and research data literacy for academic researchers
 A collectively-run programme to enable activities which help to advance
LIS knowledge and skills
 Grant-funded by HEFCE for one year initially (June 2012 – May 2013)
Important premise:
 Partners not limited to the academic library world: others players have a
stake!
 Important to build a network that provides that capitalises on different
outlooks
 Academic librarians, data management specialists, career & professional
development experts, information sciences researchers…

3. Who is involved in RIDLs?
Funded by: Managed by:

4. RIDLs programme
 Providing networking opportunities for partners
 Criteria for describing, reviewing & assessing training interventions
 Identifying & promoting cases of good practice in IL training
interventions
 Promoting RDF inasmuch as this applies to IL
 Thematic workshops
 Research project on training & skills in open data
 International engagement
 Contribution to FP7 bid on training in open access

5. The RIDLs approach
The RIDLs approach is based on an informal collaboration at national level,
reflecting the aspirations of its partners. Its programme is roughly on schedule, and
its practical outputs will be a measure of its success.
 What are your views of the collaborative RIDLs approach? Do you think that it
adds value?
 What is your experience of building relationships beyond the library world? What
can be learnt from them?
 What is your view of the sort of outputs that are emerging from the RIDLs
programme?
 Are they likely to be useful?
At the same time, there have been difficulties in achieving collective actions.
 What do you think these might be?
 How might these be overcome?

6. So what might prospects be for RIDLs?
RIDLs is nearing the end of its initial term, but its future is uncertain.
Questions need to be addressed now about its sustainability.
 Is there an ongoing role for such a collaboration?
 What future activities might it engage in?
 Reflect again on the outputs to date, and whether these are the right sort of
activities to consider in the future.
 How might RIDLs be viable?
 What can reasonably be expected of partner organisations?
 Time
 Practical support
 Networking and outreach
 Financial support
 Which other organisations might become partners?

7. And beyond UK HE?
 Are there prospects for extending the scope of RIDLs beyond HE?
 Particularly with the commercial sector, given the importance of IL as
transferable skills and knowledge
 What about international prospects?
 Developing international partnerships
 Serving as a precedent for similar initiatives in other countries

8. Thank you for taking part!
Stéphane Goldstein
stephane.goldstein@researchinfonet.org
Geoff Walton
G.L.Walton@staffs.ac.uk