Terms of Reference
1. Mission
To provide advice on collecting priorities and development priorities for
e-books through a process which identifies and responds to user needs and
supports the execution of the JISC Strategic Framework (incorporating the
JISC Collections Strategy and the JISC Development Strategy).
2. Core Aims (as defined in the JISC Collections Strategy)
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Provide leadership in establishing a strategy for the development of
e-books for the benefit of the academic community
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Secure access to a critical mass of electronic general reference books
across the spectrum of FE and HE disciplines
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Negotiate and facilitate the provision of other e-books in a range of
subject areas
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Explore issues for supporting UK academics in authoring electronic books
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Develop national activities that complement current book procurement
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Build positive and inclusive relationships with all major stakeholders
involved in the development ad adoption of e-books –publishers,
suppliers, librarians and the academic community.
3. Summary of Activities
3.1 To support the
JISC Collections Team in its key objective of acquiring and making
available a collection of high quality electronic resources of relevance to
learning, teaching and research in higher and further
education.
3.2 To contribute to
the development of economic models suitable for cost recovery of content
acquisition and delivery.
3.3 To provide
guidance in identifying community needs and priorities for
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The cost-effective acquisition of
e-books
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The development of tools to locate and access e-books content through the
evolving Information Environment
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The development of services for the delivery of e-books content
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The impact of new hardware and software, emerging e-book standards and
digital rights.
3.4 To develop and
advance strategy for cost effective content acquisition and delivery for
e-books which takes account of the dynamic nature of the e-books market
place and the changing and evolving.
3.5 To provide
guidance and support for the initial evaluation of possible new e-books
acquisitions and for the renewal of existing agreements.
3.6 In
partnership with other external stakeholders and the JISC Marketing and
Communications team, explore marketing opportunities for e-books.
3.7 To monitor
institutional e- environments and provide advice and guidance concerning
the utilisation of e-book content & standards
3.8 To provide
advice and input to the JISC Development Group concerning relevant JISC
Development programmes and projects.
3.9 Provide
guidance to the JISC Development Group in identifying priorities for new
projects and studies to enhance the creation, delivery, usage and
preservation of e-books.
3.10 To report to the JISC
Committee for Content Services (JCS) on content and service issues and the
JISC Committee for the Information Environment (JIE) on development issues.
4. Work
Programme
A work programme will be prepared annually by the working group covering
the year period. This will be submitted annually for endorsement to the
April/May JCS meeting. This work programme will form part of the Terms of
Reference for the Group.
5.
Meetings
The Working Group will normally meet three times per annum.
6.
Membership
The structure of the working group will be:
Chairman
4/5 HE Community representatives
4/5 FE Community representatives
1/2 External Agency representatives
Collections Manager
Development Group representative
Administrator