Leading edge New programme to develop library and information leaders of the future

SCONUL, UCISA and the British Library are supporting a new and ambitious programme to help experienced professional Information Services staff to develop their potential. The Future Leaders Programme, developed with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, is aimed at offering those with proven management experience the opportunity to enhance their leadership potential and to lead on a range of new and exciting projects.

"The Future Leaders Programme will offer participants the chance to create and implement continual leadership development plans," stated Toby Bainton, Secretary at SCONUL. "In doing so, the information services sector will have available a well-trained body of staff, ready to assume the leadership roles required to take forward the many exciting projects in which it is involved".

Jan Wilkinson, Head of Higher Education at the British Library, stated: "The programme will offer those who have the potential and determination the opportunity to be more visionary and strategic in their outlook, and to learn from the leading authorities in their fields and benefit from peer coaching and feedback".

"The programme will help increase the pool of potential recruits for heads of service posts" added Peter Tinson, Executive Secretary of UCISA. "It will benefit the individuals taking part, their institutions and, ultimately, the sector as a whole".

For further information please contact: Lawrence Christensen (telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7114, email: lawrence.christensen@bl.uk)

Toby Bainton (telephone +44 (0)20 7387 0317, email: toby.bainton@sconul.ac.uk)

Peter Tinson (telephone +44 (0)1865 283425, email: execsec@ucisa.ac.uk)

Notes for editors

1. SCONUL - promotes excellence in library services in higher education and national libraries across the UK and Ireland. All universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland are SCONUL members: so too are many of the UK 's colleges of higher education. Also members are the major national libraries both sides of the Irish Sea.
www.sconul.ac.uk

2. The British Library - is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection.
www.bl.uk

3. UCISA - the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association, is the key membership organisation representing those responsible for delivering information systems and technology services in universities, colleges and related institutions. One of UCISA's fundamental aims is to identify and disseminate best practice in the promotion and use of information systems, services and technologies in UK Higher and Further Education. The support of the Future Leaders programme represents one strand of this activity.
www.ucisa.ac.uk

4. For more information about the Future Leaders Programme, visit: http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/news/futureleaders.html