Notes and action points from second workshop on 5th September 2007

1. Using the position statements drawn up after the first meeting, we discussed what we wanted to get out of the network.  This focused attention of what we felt were the important priorities, what was feasible/achievable and what we felt would be useful to us.

2. From that discussion we drew up the following aims for the future role and functioning of the network after our AHRC funding has ceased:

a. To meet 3 times a year to provide support, advice and updates to each other.

b. To identify endangered resources and lobby their hosting institutions and funders to safeguard their survival.

c. To identify and network with relevant communities of practice/stakeholders, such as researchers, curators, students, teachers, university IT departments, learned societies, archivists and wider audiences.

d. To develop a ‘kitemark’ in the form of a gif to flag up membership of the research network and promote its visibility.

e. To act as a clearing house for gathering evidence about available support or otherwise for e-resources in their host institutions.

f. To use the weblog to store and make available relevant information. (SB recommends members subscribe to RSS feed by going to futurehistories.wordpress.com/ and clicking on orange button on right hand side)

g. To set IT/research agendas within HEIs in order to raise awareness of the support required for digital resources. 

h. To act as a lobbying body to lobby JISC, HEFCE and any other institutions/organisations responsible for setting up institutional repositories

j. To review the workings of the network group annually.

3. We discussed how to make best use of the open workshop at the Sunderland conference.  After discussion it was decided to have a 2-hour slot, which would open with 4 short position statements (no more than 5 mins) addressing different aspects of the issue of sustainability.  Suggestion was to try and have (1) Lorna Hughes raising the issue of e-resources becoming an endangered species, (2) Inge Blackman on running LuxOnline with no funding/using freeware, (3) Gaby Wijers (Montevideo) highlighting some of the issues involved in being in receipt of state funding, and (4) someone from Google Video.  Session should be chaired, and have a respondent to pull together outcomes/conclusions etc from the discussion.  Agreed to title the session:  Have We Produced Unsustainable Resources?

4. We had a discussion about other people we could invite to attend the workshop.  Suggestions included:  Someone from Mute, Simon Bradshaw (FACT), someone from Rhizome, Lauren Cornell (New Media Dept of New Museum), Simon Robertshaw (University of Central Lancashire),  Steve Hawley (MMU), someone from BUFVC (Ann Fleming or Linda), Yoram Ten Brink, someone from FVU.  JK to publicise workshop to them. (Please send JK contact details where you have them)

5. It was agreed the network’s 4th meeting, ie the one after the Sunderland workshop, should review the outcomes of the workshop.  Date to be decided.

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