WHELF (Wales HE Libraries Forum) was established in 1993 and has undergone changes over time. It currently aims to promote collaboration between university libraries in Wales. Key activities include developing a shared library management system (LMS), implementing an information literacy framework for Wales, and organizing conferences and staff development opportunities. The shared LMS project involves jointly procuring and implementing the same system across multiple universities. The information literacy framework provides common standards and teaching resources to develop students' research skills. WHELF aims to increase cooperation and reduce costs through these shared initiatives.

1. Janet Peters
Director of Library Services and University Librarian,
Cardiff University

2. Outline: 3 plots
1. WHELF (Wales HE Libraries Forum)
2. Wales Information Literacy Framework
3. Shared LMS

4. Context. . .
 WHELF began in 1993, but has changed …
 Welsh Government: clear strategic intent for
higher education (employability, widening
participation; Digital Wales)
○ Open & online report: ‘Competitive threat to HE in
Wales’; ‘opportunities afforded by technological
development’; ‘economies of scale’; ‘constrained
public expenditure’; ‘is Wales working collectively?’
 HE: new student fees model
 Mergers: new relationships and challenges

5. WHELF: past & present
 2011
1. Aberystwyth
2. Bangor
3. Cardiff
4. Cardiff Met
5. Glamorgan
6. Glyndwr
7. Lampeter
8. National Library of
Wales
9. Newport
10. Open University in
Wales
11. Swansea
12. Swansea Met
13. Trinity
14. University of Wales
 2014
1. Aberystwyth
2. Bangor
3. Cardiff
4. Cardiff Met
5. Coleg Genedlaethol Cymru
6. Glyndwr
7. National Library of Wales
8. Open University in Wales
9. South Wales
10. Swansea
11. University of Wales Trinity St
Davids and Swansea Met

6. Conspiring to develop a new plot
 In 2012, WHELF collectively undertook:
 Appreciative enquiry session: what are we
good at?
 What can we - Wales - and us - academic
libraries - offer?
 Rich pictures: creative SWOT analysis and
prioritisation
 How are we going to get there?: strategies
and actions
 WHO can help us? WHOM can we help?

7. Co-conspirators

8. Plotting. . .
e-Learning rich picture – Professor Gilly Salmon

9. Mission
 WHELF’s mission is to promote
collaboration in library and information
services, seek cost benefits for shared
and consortial services, encourage the
exchange of ideas, provide a forum for
mutual support and help facilitate new
initiatives in library, archives and
information service provision.

10. Student
Experience
and
Employability
International
and
Globalised
University
Research
and
Enterprise
Workforce
Development
And Lifelong
Learning
Strategic themes
Welsh context
Quality & impact of service
Shared services
Sustainability & value for
money
Legal compliance

11. How?
 Members responsible for areas of
Strategy
 Sub-groups
 WHISD (Staff development – Libraries and
IT)
 Copyright
 Archives and Special Collections
 ALIS Wales (supporting disabilities)
 Reading lists

12. Key conspirator
 Rachael Whitfield
 WHELF Development Officer
 Email:
○ r.b.whitfield@swansea.ac.uk
 Web:
○ http://whelf.wordpress.com/
 Twitter:
○ https://twitter.com/WHELFed

13. Current outcomes
 Shared LMS
 Shared e-resource procurement
(WHEEL)
 Colloquium
 Walk-in Access
 HE in FE conference
 Shared repository for WW1
 Annual report/blog/Twitter
 Wales Information Literacy Framework

14. 2. Wales Information Literacy
Framework
 WHELF set up cross-sectoral workshop,
including Welsh Government in 2009
 Funding obtained from CyMAL
 Steering Group established and Project
Manager appointed
 Now in year 5; adopting sustainable
model
 Network of Academic Library Information
Literacy Champions established

15. Outcomes
 Framework
 Units
 Case studies

16. Unit Code Title Level Credits Unit ID
Last
Registration
HC73CY131
Information
Literacy
Llythrennedd
Gwybodaeth
Three 3 CCZ143 31/07/2015
HC74CY001
Information
Literacy
Llythrennedd
Gwybodaeth
Four 3 CCZ144 31/07/2015
HD3E1CY031
Information
Literacy
Llythrennedd
Gwybodaeth
Entry One 3 CCZ138 31/07/2016
HD3E2CY029
Information
Literacy
Llythrennedd
Gwybodaeth
Entry Two 3 CCZ139 31/07/2016
CQFW Units
Welsh Information Literacy Project
Units
Units are available at entry level 1, entry level 2, entry level 3, level 1, level 2, level 3 and level 4 of the
Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW).
The units are now all available in Welsh from the Agored website:

17. Wales Information Literacy
project: Case studies

18. 2. Shared LMS
 Phase 1a: Scoping study funded by CyMAL (2011)
 Phase 1b: Feasibility study funded by Jisc Digital
Infrastructure programme (2012)
 Agreed to adopt ‘consortium with governance’ model
 The approach requires all participating HE’s to jointly
procure the same LMS system, located in the cloud, but
with individual instances for each HEI rather than a single
instance.
 Phase 2: Procurement (2013/14)
 Appointed Programme Manager
 Procurement led by Cardiff University Purchasing
department
 Phase 3: Implementation (2015 – 17)

19. Governance
 Steering Group – all WHELF Directors
 Working Group – representatives from
all libraries, including NHS health
libraries
 Funding – project funding obtained for
Feasibility and Procurement Phases;
plus 50% of Programme Manager for
Implementation Phase; remainder to be
covered by HEIs.

20. Timescale

21. References
 WHELF web site. Available at: http://whelf.wordpress.com/
 Welsh Government (2014) Open and online: Wales, higher
education and emerging modes of learning. Available at:
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/publications/rep
orts/report-of-the-online-digital-learning-group/?lang=en
 Welsh Information Literacy Project (2011) Information
Literacy Framework for Wales. Available at:
http://welshlibraries.org/skills/information-literacy/
 Cardiff University (2013) Welsh Shared Service Library
Management System Report. Available at:
http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/sharedlms/wp-
content/uploads/sites/49/2013/03/JISC-Shared-LMS-
Report.pdf