Inspire's purpose is to create a seamless pathway to support learning and access to information for all across libraries from many of the different sectors. At this stage Inspire is focusing particularly on academic, national and public libraries.
Inspire is leading collaboration across the whole of the UK to support lifelong learning, widening participation and social inclusion. It focuses on encouraging and facilitating managed access for learners and aspiring learners and aims to provide the infrastructure to enable the achievement of key aspects of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) public library strategy 'Framework for the Future'. Another key focus is to encourage participation in post-compulsory education by those currently under-represented, in keeping with government’s widening participation and social inclusion priorities and the Department for Education and Skill's (DfES) National Skills Strategy.
The Inspire initiative is led by SCONUL (the Society of College, National and University Libraries), and the Society of Chief Librarians (public librarians in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) in partnership with the British Library, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), both nationally and regionally.
How to get involved with Inspire
LIS_INSPIRE is an email discussion list intended for library staff and others who are involved with Inspire - and also for those who are considering joining.
The list will keep people up to date with developments of general interest. Participants will be able to post questions and information about events and developments in their region to the list.
To join the discussion list, please contact:
Sally Curry, National Partnerships Manager,
Inspire
c/o Robinson Library
University of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HQ
Tel: 0191 222 8655
Mobile: 07917 232720
Fax: 0191 222 6235
