There have been numerous expressions of support for LISC since the announcement that our core funding will cease from April 2012 and is being reduced by 50% in 2011-12. (See 11 March blog post.)

In addition to the emails I have received from member organisations, two important letters of protest have been sent to DCAL. In her letter, Course Director for the University of Ulster Library and Information Management Course, Dr Jessica Bates, stressed the vital role LISC has played in planning, developing and delivering the course as well the support it has given to research in awarding the Master’s Bursary and the LISC Prize for the best dissertation. She went on to say, “All of these initiatives taken together reflect very strongly the key role that LISC has in building the library and information profession, and stimulating the research base in Northern Ireland”.

At its March meeting, CILIP Council also discussed the issue and agreed to write to DCAL. Their letter included the following points:

As the professional body for library and information workers in the UK, CILIP values the contribution which LISC makes to improving access to services locally, through its stewardship of the Northern Ireland Publications Resource (NIPR), the LISC Inspire scheme, Newsplan in Northern Ireland, its ongoing intellectual input to the development of the professional library and information qualification offered by the University of Ulster, which received CILIP recognition in 2009, and many other initiatives. LISC also makes a significant contribution to collaboration across the British Isles.

This includes, for example, feeding into the development of National Occupational Standards for the library, archives and information sector, Its participation as Northern Ireland’s representative on the British Library Advisory Panel, its involvement in the Library and Information Science Research Coalition which aims to facilitate a co-ordinated and strategic approach to LIS research across the UK, and as a lead partner in COLICO, the Committee on Library Co-operation in Ireland.

CILIP is also concerned that the potential disappearance of LISC after the withdrawal of funding will deprive DCAL of a key source of local, independent advice on library and information matters which can provide a valuable counterbalance to the dominance of the public library service, now under the management of a single authority.

We are concerned that there is a full understanding of the consequences of the loss of these benefits which clearly outweigh the tiny costs that LISC places on the public purse. We wonder about the rationale which led to this decision and we urge DCAL to reconsider the matter and reinstate the modest funding it has made available up until now.

LISC greatly appreciates this support.

In the meantime we await the response from DCAL to our FOI request for information on how the decision to reduce our funding was reached. We expect to receive this later in April and the Executive Committee will be meeting again in early May to  consider what action we take as a result of that response and to take decisions on how we deploy our limited resources this year.

We will keep our member organisations and partners informed of developments and would welcome any further expressions of support.