National Occupational Standards for Publishing

Skillset is updating the National Occupational Standards for Publishing to include journals and the latest digital developments and they want to know what you think.

This important project comes at a critical time for the industry, when digital developments provide both threats and opportunities. As a result, ALPSP is fully supporting the project and we urge all members to take part.

Skillset are organising a series of focus groups for publishing professionals to discuss and develop the standards:

• London, Tuesday 13th September, 10:00 - 12:00
• London, Wednesday 21st September, 14:00 - 16:00
• Edinburgh, Wednesday 21st September, 13:00 - 15:00
• Belfast, Thursday 22nd September, 10:00 - 12:00
• Cardiff, Wednesday 28th September, 11:00 - 13:00
• Oxford, Thursday 29th September, 10:30 - 12:30

Visit the Skillset blog to register.

If you can't get to one of the focus groups, you can also contribute through telephone interview or by completing a questionnaire please contact Debbie Warren (email) no later than Wednesday 7 September.

If you know someone else who may be interested please let them know about this. Each focus group lasts up to 2 hrs and refreshments will be provided. Skillset can also assist with travel expenses.

PLS 30th Anniversary

The Publishers Licensing Society (PLS) is 30 years old and will be celebrating at its Open Day on Tuesday 12 July. The Open Day will take place at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA, Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD) from 2pm and a full programme can be found on the PLS website. The Open Day will be followed by a drinks reception.

To confirm your free place, contact Imogen Forbes at PLS (020 7299 7732 or email).

ALPSP seeks part time Events & Database Administrator

The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) has a vacancy for a part-time Events and Database Administrator (30 hours/4 days per week), to assist with the organisation of its UK events programme and management of its information services. (Full details: http://bit.ly/k6Wmok)

Reporting to the Senior Coordinator, Events and Information Systems, you will assist in the organisation of UK events, management of our database and website systems, coordinate ALPSP presence at exhibitions and other conferences and administer the supply and storage of publicity materials.

ALPSP staff are home-workers so you will be expected to work under minimal supervision, but in close liaison with other members of the team. This is a customer-facing role, therefore you will need exceptional communication skills combined with good time management and organisational skills. Experience of event/exhibition organisation is essential. Good computer skills are highly desirable and familiarity with database administration would be advantageous.

ALPSP UK events are primarily organised in and around the London area, so the ability to travel easily to London is essential. The ALPSP International Conference will also involve overnight stays.

The salary for this position is circa £25,000, pro rata, depending on experience.

If you would like to find out more, contact Lesley Ogg (email events@alpsp.org; telephone 01245 260571). To be considered for this post, please send a CV with covering letter outlining your suitability for this position by email to events@alpsp.org.

The closing date for applications is Thursday 30 June 2011 and interviews will be held on Wednesday 20 July (in central London).

SAGE announces library travel grant for ALPSP International Conference

SAGE has supported the ALPSP International Conference as silver sponsor since the first meeting in 2008. This new travel grant will offer a free place at the conference for a librarian or information professional, including entry to the ALPSP awards dinner, travel within the UK and accommodation for one person. This year's conference will be held at Heythrop Park near Oxford UK from 14-16 September.

SAGE will be running a competition to win the sponsored place, with entries submitted either via Twitter or email. To enter, librarians must answer the following question in 140 characters or less:

Question: Why should librarians be talking to publishers in 2011?

Completed answers should be sent to @SAGElibraryNews tagged with #SAGEALPSP or email to events@sagepub.co.uk by 27 May 2011. Further terms and conditions can be found at www.sagepub.co.uk/alpsp2011.

ALPSP Seminars - tell us what you think

As part of its professional development activities, ALPSP organises seminars for its members and others in the scholarly publishing and information world. We endeavour to make these as relevant and useful as we can but would value your feedback. Please let us know how we're doing and how you think we might improve the seminars by completing this short survey.

If you complete the survey before 21 April you'll have the chance to win one of two places on an ALPSP seminar, webinar, training course or eLearning course of your choice.

Please encourage your colleagues to complete the survey too - it will only take a few minutes.

HERE AND NOW: The Digital and Ebook Market 2011

Half day seminar organised by the Publishers Association on the current ebook market
Wednesday 9th February

Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London

8.30am for registration and breakfast
9.00am – 12.30pm : Seminar

Chaired by David Roth-Ey, Digital Director at HarperCollins, the seminar will reveal the very latest research on device and ebook buying habits in the UK. Speakers will include from the US Michael Tamblyn, Kobo, Peter Balis, John Wiley & Sons, and Theresa Horner, Barnes & Noble. Richard Mollet, CEO of the Publishers Association will give the keynote, followed by an overview of the UK and US markets by Jo Henry, BML. We then see 2 expert panels led by Sara Lloyd, Digital Director, Pan Macmillan and Fionnuala Duggan, Digital Director of Random House profiling the US ebook market and looking ahead at the international and UK ebook markets.

This is a very this low cost and content rich seminar over a half a day, and one not to be missed if you are involved or interested in the ebook market.

To register please go to www.publishers.org.uk/events

Renew Training

Technology has removed the barriers between production, editorial, marketing, sales, customer services and most importantly – the customers. Renew Training’s Understanding E-Journal Technology course is aimed at anyone in working in these departments and will help them connect with their customers and better understand their requirements.

Many publishing companies routinely send all their customer facing staff on Renew Training’s courses and 100% of course delegates have said they would recommend this course to others in their organisations.

Delegates will gain a business-level grounding in e-journal delivery technologies, gain greater insight into customers' technical and business requirements and better understand the role technology plays in e-journal deployment and discoverability. The course will educate attendees about key issues affecting the delivery of e-journals and how these affect licensing, customer service and even pricing. Participants will also learn what necessitated technological change in libraries and publishers and how to solve some of the key problems posed by library technologies such as link servers, A-Z lists, federated search, web scale discovery, DOIs, OpenURL, Athens and Shibboleth

Courses will be held in London on Tuesday 15^th February, 2011, Washington DC on 14^th March and Philadelphia on 16^th March.

Visit http://www.renewtraining.com/schedule.htm for more information and to book a place. Members of ALPSP, ASA, and SSP are eligible for affiliate discounts.