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Between 1760 and 1820 Paisley in the west of Scotland was a pioneering industrial community based on the textile industry. Most of the labour force consisted of well-paid, highly skilled handloom weavers who were able to support both reading societies and a subscription library. Associational activity was widespread among both the working and middle classes, and libraries formed part of this movement. Additionally, the town was a major centre of provincial publishing, and the town's printers were pioneers of provincial serial publication. There were several circulating libraries and a middle-class subscription library, the Paisley Library Society, founded by the town's civic leaders in 1802. It formed an administrative model which was copied by the Trades Library, founded in 1806, and the church libraries founded soon after. Paisley, fuelled by the Evangelical Revival, was one of the first towns in Scotland to develop church libraries and also libraries aimed primarily at children. Libraries attracted the support of local community activists, who were often involved in more than one type of library. After 1820 activity declined as handloom weaving was replaced by machinery and attention turned to mechanics' institutes and eventually to a rate-supported solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is an evaluation of an employability training programme provided by Inverclyde Libraries in West Central Scotland and the role of information literacy within the training programme. Inverclyde is an area with high unemployment and pockets of multiple deprivation. Modern, applicable skills are also lacking. The findings are based on interviews with five learners and also one with an adult literacies tutor. The interviews were conducted in August 2009 and a Learning Life Histories methodology was used. Interviewees had mainly previously worked in the service industries and none had post-school qualifications, despite which all the interviewees were highly motivated. Information literacy was found to between 30% and 60% of course content depending on learner needs. Family influence was found to be the main motivation to enrol on the course and the learners sought personal social development as well as employability skills. There was found to be a lack of appropriate, relevant training materials and a lack of collaboration between the LIS sector and Community Learning and Development in developing them. The article concludes with a number of recommendations including the need to improve recruitment and course scheduling and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Traces the establishment, operation and purpose of two contrasting community 'social' libraries in Fenwick, Scotland in the early nineteenth century. Through an examination of book stock, declared library aims and members' occupations and interests, demonstrates that library activity was not a socially isolated phenomenon but reflected contemporary religious and political issues and controversies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on teaching information literacy in secondary schools, libraries, tertiary sectors and in the work place. The Scotland-based project hopes to develop a curriculum based framework for information literacy including digital media in order to link secondary and tertiary education to life long learning and increased career skills. Some of the Scottish national government organizations involved in the project include Learning and Teaching Scotland, learndirect scotland, and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

The article reports on a study concerning the use of electronic information services and information literacy in Scotland. The study was undertaken by the Library and Information Research Group/Society of College, National and University Libraries to establish direct evidence of the impact of electronic information services on the students of Glasgow Caledonian University. The researchers sought evidence of the spread of information literacy among students and alumni. Different kinds of questionnaires were given to current students and alumni.

The article focuses on the use and awareness of Electronic Information Services (EIS) by the students of Glasgow University. Interest in the usage of EIS by students at Glasgow University developed out of an earlier project, which focused specifically on the use of library and information services by staff and researchers. This led to contacts with the School of Information Management at Leeds Metropolitan University where similar work had been done and to a joint interest in student usage of EIS. It reports on two surveys conducted in March 2002 and October 2002-February 2003 respectively and thus offers a longitudinal perspective. The questionnaires were administered both on paper and electronically and the results compared but no differences in data collected could be detected. The results showed a growth in usage in the relatively short period between the two surveys and subject area studied proved to be the main determinant of EIS usage, followed by integration into the program.

The article discusses the use of electronic information services by students at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in Glasgow, Scotland. Students at GCU could register with Athens so that they can have access to a large number of databases by only having to identify themselves once. In total only 232 out of the 638 participants surveyed said they were registered with Athens. The author John Crawford states that Athens registration does not necessarily represent usage of Athens databases, as many students are registered at the beginning of the year, but then do not make use of any Athens databases. In order to investigate whether students did actually use regularly any Athens databases they were asked to name up to three Athens databases. A very large percentage of those students who were registered with Athens were unable to name any Athens databases. The author concludes that electronic only administered questionnaires can no longer be viewed as discriminatory. Users understanding of what constitutes electronic information services is still poor and this has important implications for evaluation as data collection may be unreliable.

Glasgow Caledonian University has had a Scottish Office pre-registration nursing and midwifery contract since 1996. Nursing studies students seemed dissatisfied with the library service and there were frequent complaints. A major study was undertaken during 2000 consisting of: an initial lis-link enquiry, separate analysis of returns from nursing studies students of the Library's annual general satisfaction survey (conducted every February), separate analysis of returns from nursing studies students of the Library's opening hours planning survey, and four focus groups held in October 2000. These studies showed the concerns of nursing studies students to be similar to other students but more strongly felt. The four main issues were textbook availability, journal availability, opening hours and staff helpfulness. Working conditions, placement requirements, study requirements and domestic circumstances were all found to be important factors. IT skill levels tended to be low but there is a growing appreciation of the need for training in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a survey on the use of electronic information services at Glasgow Caledonian University's Caledonian Library and Information Centre. Information on the university; Differences between staff and students; Implications of the results.

Presents information on a study that evaluated the use of electronic services and the qualitative level of use which they receive at the Caledonian Library and Information Center of the Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. Methodologies; Procedures and outcomes; Conclusions.

Examines the development of working class subscription libraries in Scotland. Origin of subscription library movement; Promotion of education and reading in several mining companies; Implementation of library policies; Development and importance of mutual improvement.

The article focuses on the Scottish Information Literacy Project. Since it establishment in 2004, the project has expanded to include several objectives that focus on lifelong learning and workplace issues, including the development of an information literary (IL) framework, linking primary, secondary and tertiary education to lifelong learning, and advocacy on behalf of IL for education and wider community. A partnership was also formed by the project with the National Health Service (NHS) Health Education Board for Scotland which is working on its own NHS Information Literacy competency framework.

Describes the Drumchapel Project, a study of the information and communication technologies sector (ICT) skills of school pupils, conducted by Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland in 2004. Partners in the project; Discussion of a study carried out by the Research, Economic and Corporate Strategy Unit of the Scottish Executive Education Department; Results of the study; Role of the school in teaching ICT skills.

Reports on a research project investigating the Edzell Library in Angus, Scotland. Amount of fund granted to four students from the Robert Gordon University to carry out research into the library; Scope of the research project; Purpose of the creation of an interactive Web site; Implications of the research for library and information history in Great Britain.

Abstract: Objectives: To describe the discovery and development of the Aberdeen 1921 and 1936 birth cohort studies. Study Design: The Aberdeen birth cohort studies were started in 1998 when the Scottish Mental Survey archives of the Scottish Council for Research in Education were re-discovered and permissions granted to follow-up survivors born in 1921 or 1936 and then aged about 77 or 64 years and who had entered (or were about to enter) the age of greatest risk for Alzheimer''s disease (AD). Main outcome measures: Sources of attrition from the study, exposures to childhood adversity, nutritional, genetic and life style factors of possible relevance to extent of age-related cognitive decline and the timing of onset of dementia. Results: By 2010, the feasibility of following up more than 75% of Scottish Mental Survey survivors living in the Aberdeen area without dementia was well-established, dementia ascertainment to age about 88 years was completed in the 1921 birth cohort and was underway in the 1936 born cohort. Conclusion: These databases are available to other bone fide research groups wishing to test specific hypotheses that may either replicate their own findings or make best use of the data collected in the Aberdeen studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]