Library scoops another award
Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:11:00 BST
SINCE its launch in 2011, the University of Huddersfield’s tailor-made electronic reading list named MyReading has enjoyed success in several awards schemes. Now the team that has worked to ensure that students take full advantage of the system will receive a prize, after using techniques ranging from an animated film to printed booklets to “sell” MyReading.
The Press and Public Relations Group (PPRG) of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has announced that the MyReading promotional campaign will receive a Silver Award at this year’s Marketing Excellence Awards.
Ensuring maximum take-up of MyReading
The news has delighted Kate McGuinn, Alison Sharman, Penelope Dunn and Emily Davison, of the University’s Computing and Library Services. They masterminded the multimedia campaign to ensure maximum take-up of MyReading, an advanced system which enables students to have one-click online access to recommended reading for their courses, alongside comments and advice from their tutors and, in many cases, instant electronic access to full texts.
MyReading is a bespoke system for the University of Huddersfield – most other universities use “off the shelf” software - and it was developed by Library Systems Manager Dave Pattern, who has himself received an award for his work.
“It makes everything quicker and easier and as a result, student satisfaction with reading lists has clearly grown,” said Kate McGuinn, who added that almost all academic staff were now using the system to post and update the reading material for their courses.
Working with students and graduates
Judges of the Marketing Excellence Awards praised the University of Huddersfield team for several aspects of its campaign, including the use of student focus groups and hiring Fifth Planet Productions – an enterprise formed by ex-students of the University – to create animations and designs.
“The project was carefully planned to reflect student priorities and maximise impact and you used great designs and cross-channel promotions. You clearly showed how you had met your objectives and we were impressed that you came in under budget,” stated Karyn Meaden, who chairs the group that decided the CILIP awards.
Now the University of Huddersfield team has been invited to give a 35-minute presentation at the PPRG Marketing Excellence Event in Birmingham in November.
Commenting on the success of MyReading, Professor Tim Thornton, who is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the University, said: “The way we deliver Reading Lists to our students is a fundamental underpinning of the excellence of their learning experience, and these awards show just how innovative and impactful the MyReading system is here in Huddersfield.”
Most productive use of MyReading
Every year the University of Huddersfield Virtual Learning Environments Steering Group, in tandem with Professor Thornton, hands out an award to the University of Huddersfield academic who makes the most productive use of MyReading, using data furnished by Dave Pattern that helps them to select a winner. In 2015 it is Dr Pete Woodcock, Head of the Division of Criminology, Politics and Sociology.
He teaches a module named “Democracy and Democratisation” and the data shows that his regular online updates and annotations plus the frequency with which his recommended books were taken out on loan meant he made the best use of MyReading.
Each School has its own module winners which are:
Applied Sciences
Jane Bradbury for Sport Health Exercise and Nutrition http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/SHF4009
Art, Design and Architecture
Jane Ritchie for Context and Communication http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/TFD1122
Business
Julie Drake for Governing Risk: Ethics and Audit http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/BMA0070
Computing and Engineering
Colin Venters for Modern Database Applications http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/CHI2550
Education and Professional Development
Sonia Monro for Tesol and Young Learners http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/DMY2130
Human and Health Sciences
Pete Woodcock for Democracy and Democratisation http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/HIX2001
Music, Humanities and Media
Merrick Burrow for Extraordinary Gentlemen http://library.hud.ac.uk/my/AHE3210
To find out more about our Library services, visit http://www.hud.ac.uk/library
