Introducing the ALT CoOL SIG Communications Group
We have doubled the size of our ALT CoOL SIG Communications Group. Read on to learn more about the people behind the news bulletin and social media pages.
Hannah Crago – University of Essex –
Email | LinkedIn | Bluesky
Hi, I’m Hannah, and I work as the Open Research Development Librarian at the University of Essex. I am also a member of the Alt CoOL SIG committee, and am part of two subgroups: Education and Learning, and Communications.
As part of the Communications group, we send out the monthly news bulletins and run the Alt CoOL SIG social media pages. We’re always happy to hear new ideas for content, so get in touch if you have anything to share.
In my role at the University of Essex, I manage our Research Services Team, which includes training and support for researchers, open access publishing, our institutional Repository, the Essex Student Journal, and generally advocating for Open Research across the University of Essex and beyond. I’ve worked at Essex for 8 and a half years now in various different roles, and that time has flown by!
I got into copyright in a previous role within our reading lists team, where I coordinated our digitisation service. My involvement with copyright is now more around publishing, CC licences, and Rights Retention, but I am still regularly in conversation with the reading list team about CLA licences, copyright exceptions, etc. I also created a copyright game a few years ago alongside a previous colleague Katrine Sundsbø. The game is called Copyright Dough, and you can find it on Figshare, and read more about it in our article.
Deborah Ferns – University of Strathclyde
Hi I’m Deborah and I have been working at University of Strathclyde since 2018 where I currently work as Copyright & Licensing Compliance Manager responsible for producing copyright guidance and training for staff and students, answering copyright enquiries and managing the University’s CLA/NLA/ERA and PRS for Music licences. I also act as Data Protection/FOI and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion contact for the Information Services Directorate.
My biggest challenge is probably communicating the importance of copyright to staff and students in an accessible way and ensuring that copyright law doesn’t become a barrier to teaching, learning and research. In have been an Officer of the ALT CoOL SIG since its inception and being able to access this community of practice and share idea helps me meet this challenge.
I developed my interest in copyright while working for JISC Legal and have previously worked as Contracts Officer for the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) hosted at Heriot-Watt University and prior to working within Higher Education spent more than a decade working in commercial contracts in the biotechnology and telecoms software industries.
Nikisha Stanton – Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
Hey there! I’m Nikisha Stanton, and I work as a Copyright Officer and Marketing Lead at the Hobson Library, Joint Services and Command Staff College. I am new to Alt CoOL SIG, and I am very excited to be involved with this community and gain further insight into this profession. With a BA (hons) in drama, my start in the information profession may seem unconventional, but my degree and subsequent training have been incredibly beneficial.
In my current role, I focus on processing and raising awareness of copyright throughout the college, while also continuously developing our library marketing. Over the past three years, my training has given me the confidence to delve into topics within copyright that truly interest me. I am eager to expand my knowledge in copyright literacy and AI. I look forward to connecting with more of you in this community!
Shazia Arif – Brunel University of London – Email LinkedIn Bluesky
Hello, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the Academic Liaison Librarian for Health Sciences and Medicine at Brunel, University of London. I have recently joined the ALT COoL SIG Communications subgroup but have been a member of the committee since it was set up and previously contributed to the Events Planning subgroup. I am looking forward to working with the Communications team members to publicise and promote the work of the committee.
In my current role at Brunel, I am the lead liaison librarian for Health Sciences and Medicine. Brunel Medical School (BMS) was established in 2022 and it provided me with a fantastic opportunity to work in partnership with academic colleagues to ensure its success. BMS is using many innovative teaching methods such as Team-based Learning (TBL) and it has been great fun to develop the materials for these sessions for my information and digital literacy sessions.
I am also the lead for doctoral researcher development and run a range of workshops and webinars ranging from the use of social media for academic purposes, AI tools for literature searching, designing academic posters and presentation skills.
My interest in copyright matters developed over the past five years, as I became the copyright contact for BMS subject matter experts and content developers. As this became a more significant part of my role, I welcomed the opportunity to network with librarian peers and work with the committee to raise awareness of copyright issues and also my own knowledge.
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