Latest News
Government Consultation on informal adult learning
Publish date: Friday, 1st February 2008
On 15th January 2008, John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, launched a consultation on informal adult learning, which will be open until 15th May 2008.
In launching the consultation, Mr Denham recognised the importance of both ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ learning to the shaping of the country. Mr Denham said:
“Some courses are still taught in a classroom at a fixed time - an approach that would have been clearly recognised 100 years ago. But adult learning may be as easily stimulated by a TV programme that prompts a trip to a local museum, or an internet search that leads to a group of like-minded learners”
Mr Denham is seeking to outline a compellng future of innovative new approaches, which have the potential to secure a significant increase in investment in informal adult learning in the next Coproate Spending Review.
The consultation will be spearheaded by a working group of key organisations, and will ask key questions such as:
· How Government can best support people's desire to organise and define their own activities;
· Where should learning take place?
· Should Government consider giving 'virtual' vouchers to groups so they can buy their own learning?
· What is the best way of using technology to support learning and to make it more widely available?
· How do we protect provision for the disadvantaged and make the same options available to them as computer-literate students?
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to ensure that museums, libraries and archives are seen as central in delivering quality informal learning opportunities for adults. MLA is working hard to respond to this consultation to put our sector at the forefront of future planning”. Justine Reilly, Regional Learning Adviser, MLA Yorkshire.
For more information, or to get involved in the consultation, visit http://www.adultlearningconsultation.org.uk/.
Every object tells a story: A family learning project on objects and narratives from the Pakistani communities in Rotherham
Publish date: Wednesday, 23rd January 2008
Between January and April 2008, MLA Yorkshire will be working in partnership with University of Sheffield on a family learning project ‘Every object tells a story’, building on research already carried out on the meaning families place on narratives and objects in their homes, and a website inspired by this research: www.ferhamfamilies.com. This project will work with family learning tutors to use the website as a starting point for a range of family learning activities and resources, which can be used by family learning practitioners and museum, library and archive staff.
A free event aimed at family learning tutors and museum, library and archive practitioners involved in working with families will take place on 17th March from 10am until 1pm in Burngreave, Sheffield. The event will be an opportunity to hear about the project, share good practice, and take away learning resources and ideas. More details about the event and how to reserve a place will be available nearer the time.
For more information about this project, or the event on 17th March, please contact us.
National Year of Reading
Publish date: Thursday, 10th January 2008
2008 is the National Year of Reading, a ‘celebration of words in every form’. The aims of this campaign are to promote reading for pleasure in the family and beyond, and to help build a nation of readers.
The National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency are leading a consortium of organisations who will be involved in developing the campaign, and delivery of activities will begin in April 2008.
A regional National Year of Reading steering group has now been set up for Yorkshire and Humber. For further information, or to get involved in the campaign, you can visit the website www.yearofreading.org.uk or contact Justine Reilly at Justine.reilly@mlayorkshire.org.uk.
Why do families learn in museums, libraries and archives?
Publish date: Wednesday, 19th September 2007
Over the summer, MLA Yorkshire commissioned a piece of consultation to find out;
· Why families do or don’t currently use/visit museums or libraries
· Investigate the triggers and barriers to using museums and libraries for family learning
· What do families who use museums, libraries and/or archives (mlas) regularly value about the experience and what do they perceive as the unique selling points of mlas (which other families could benefit from)
Click here to read a full copy of the report, Why do families visit museums and libraries? [98.6kb].
The Vital Link In Yorkshire Implementation Project
Publish date: Monday, 10th September 2007
Library staff from across Yorkshire shared case studies of their work in support of the Skills for Life agenda at a lively event in Leeds Central Library on 4 July. This was the fourth and final session of the Vital Link implementation project in Yorkshire, which has been welcomed by those involved.
‘It has focused our attention more upon this target group and helped establish this area of work as part of our service planning.’ Julie Hird, Rotherham Libraries
‘Spurred us on to actually get projects off the ground. Gave us a focus.’ Sue Taylor, Sheffield
It is hoped that all library authorities can now keep up the momentum in this important area of work, especially with a National Year of Reading for 2008 on the near horizon. Please contact genevieve.clarke@readingagency.org.uk if you have any enquiries or comments.
Libraries explore ways to work with Union Learning reps
Publish date: Wednesday, 7th February 2007
A second event for the Vital Link implementation project in Yorkshire was held on 7 February in Leeds Town Hall, providing an opportunity for reader development and lifelong learning library staff to meet a wide range of union learning representatives from across the region.
A ‘libraries only’ session at the start of the day featured useful case studies from Britta Heyworth (Leeds) and Anne Brown (Bradford) about the essential ingredients of successful partnership working, focused particularly on family learning activity in libraries. Library staff then discussed the potential for partnership with workplace colleagues in preparation for the arrival of over 30 reps from unions such as GMB, Unison, USDAW and CWU for the remainder of the event.
Judith Robinson (Kirklees) outlined the offer from libraries, supplemented by input from Claire Stanley (Hull) and Abigail Hackett (MLA Yorkshire) on the ongoing Six-Book Challenge. Peter Amphlett (unionlearn) and John Blevins (CWU) described the role of a union learning rep (ULR) and how they have already been promoting Quick Reads to their colleagues. Animated discussion in sub-regional groups led to a host of ideas for working together and an exchange of contact details. Suggestions included use of library space for learning sessions, visits by library staff to workplaces to promote book stock and mobile stops at workplaces. It was felt that Learning at Work Day on 24 May would provide an ideal opportunity for collaboration.
For details of ULRs operating near you, please contact Peter Amphlett (pamphlett@tu c.org.uk). Two further Vital Link events for Yorkshire will be held in late April and late June/early July – dates to be confirmed shortly. Please contact Genevieve Clarke on 0871 750 2104 or genevieve.clarke@readingagency.org.uk for more information. .
New links with 'My Learning' website
Publish date: Monday, 5th February 2007
My Learning is a website for teachers, tutors and learners, containing learning activities and resources inspired by museums, libraries and archives.
A new section on the website now allows users to seach for Skills for Life or ESOL resources, and a number of the resources are now available to download from the website.
Visit www.mylearning.org and click on either 'subjects' or 'age group' to search for the resources.
If you have Skills for Life resources or activities which you would like to make available on the web, please contact us.
More ideas for measuring learning in museums, libraries and archives
Publish date: Wednesday, 31st January 2007
A new toolkit has been produced by MLA Yorkshire and NIACE, to help people evaluate mla learning from an adult education point of view. It maps RARPA (the adult education approach to evaluation) with Inspiring Learning for All (the mla toolkit), and gives suggestions for different activities you can use to measure learning in museums, libraries and archives.
To view the toolkit, click here.
City and Guilds 9295 Unit 1 materials now available to download
Publish date: Monday, 27th November 2006
The City and Guilds 9295 Unit 1 course has been contextualised for museum, library and archive staff. These course materials have now been pilotted, and are available to download from this website.
For more details, click here.
David Lammy praises Yorkshire and Humberside libraries for their work with Skills for Life
Publish date: Monday, 20th November 2006
David Lammy, Minister for Culture and MP for Tottenham, praised Yorkshire and Humberside’s libraries for their work with Skills for Life and RaW campaign at the annual MLA Yorkshire Big Day last week.
He said,
“With excellent facilitation from MLA Yorkshire, you have forged significant partnerships with other service providers to engage the diverse communities you serve in a number of innovative ways.
For me, one of the unique things about public libraries is that they can touch the everyday lives of people in a huge number of ways. For example, when I was in Hull last June, I was delighted to hear that service’s enthusiastic participation – amongst all the region’s authorities – in the Skills for Life and Raw Campaign. I’ve learned since then that your approach to this work has been particularly commended by the Reading Agency. To gain the approbation of the Agency is a real blue ribbon, so well done!
When 7m adults in England have literacy skills below the level of an average 11 year old, I can’t imagine a more important undertaking.”
MLA Yorkshire’s Big Day, which brought together museum, library and archive (mla) professionals and MLA Yorkshire members and partners from across the region, was a chance to celebrate the excellent and dynamic work mlas are undertaking to ensure social cohesion, inspiring learning for all and investing in knowledge.