Inaugural Meeting of the
Cardiff EDC Forum
Guest BuildingWednesday 19 January 2011 @ 14:30
Ian ThomsonDirector, Cardiff EDC
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Cardiff EDC Forum
19 January 2011
• What is an EDC?
• What do we do at the Cardiff EDC?
• The future
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
What is an EDC?
EDCs look two ways…• They are usually part of the library services of
universities in EU Member States • They are part of an official EU Information Network
called the Europe Direct Information Network
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Europe Direct Information Network
• Call Centre in Brussels• Europe Direct Information Centres in all 27
EU Member States: 400+ in total• European Documentation Centres in all 27
EU Member States: 400+ in total
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
What is an EDC?
Objective:EDCs are intended to encourage the study of, and research into, the European integration process and the increasing European dimension in other academic disciplines in higher education by providing access to, and developing expertise in, information sources of and about the EU
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
What is an EDC?
Objectives:• Help universities and research institutes
promote and develop education and research on European integration, encouraging them to take part in the debate on Europe
• Help the public learn about EU policies in more depth
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
The EDC at Cardiff University
• Established in 1973• EU publications and documents + books and
academic journals on Europe, plus much more – the most comprehensive source of European information in Wales
• Source of expertise to help students and researchers find printed and electronic information on Europe: neutral and professional service
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
EDCs in the Digital Age
Are EDCs useful in the 21st Century?
What does the Cardiff EDC do today to justify its continued existence?
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
The Cardiff EDC today…
• Enquiries• Training / Information Literacy• Events
– ERASMUS Reception / European film evening / Europe Day Quiz / Participation in external activities
• Internships
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
The Cardiff EDC today…
• Cardiff EDC website• European Sources Online• Wales and Europe• External training and consultancy• Working with the wider EDC Network and
other EU information networks• Pan-European Working Group on Electronic
Repositories
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
The future…
• New location• What should we be doing?• Over to you…
Cardiff EDC Forum
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
The future location of the Cardiff EDC
Existing building New location from Summer 2011
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Existing EDC inGuest Building
Proposed setting for EDC inGuest Extension
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Draft plan for the Aberconway Guest Study Centre (including EDC)
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Future activities of EDCs…
• EDC Network• Pan-European Working Group on Electronic
repositories• Create a European information repository (or portal to
link existing repositories)• ESO to evolve into an EDC Network information service
• Ask an EDC Librarian information service
Cardiff EDC Forum Inaugural Meeting19 January 2011
Future activities of Cardiff EDC
• More of the same in our new setting• Do you have suggestions?...
Cardiff EDC Forum