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Information technology and the labour market With the help of a previous grant from BLR&DD, the Technical Change Centre carried out a detailed study of the impact of new technology on demands for information workers of various types. Data were collected to show employment trends over the past two decades but forward projections were also based on an assessment of the changes brought about by the new technologies. A full report on the project concluded that although ‘core’ information jobs will increase numerically they will decrease as a percentage of all jobs in information occupations. The present project, which runs through October and November 1985, will produce a summary of the full report, bringing out some of the qualitative data collected from the earlier questionnaire surveys. Issues discussed are likely to include the kinds of people, other than librarians, entering ‘core’ information jobs and the extent to which librarians and information scientists are beginning to enter peripheral or emerging employment sectors.

Margaret O'Hare left BLRDD on 30 June to take up an appointment as Secretary General to the World Confederation for Physical Therapy. She has been with BLRDD since it joined the British Library and prior to that she worked for the Office for Scientific and Technical Information. She was Section Head at BLRDD responsible for library research, information policy research, business information, user studies, humanities, life and social sciences, the Centre for Library and Information Management and the Office for Humanities Communication. She was also Policy and Planning Officer for BLRDD, dealing with international activities and liaison as part of this function.

Pamela Graddon recently left BLRDD, having been promoted to head of the Industrial Property Section in the British Library's Science Reference and Information Service (SRIS). Her responsibilities in BLRDD for information technology are now being dealt with by Derek Greenwood who previously workedin the SRIS. Dr Elizabeth Dron, who joined BLRDD earlier this year, has left the British Library on promotion to take up a post in the Department of Environment.

Professor Jean Rudduck will use a grant from BLRDD, over 18 months commencing in January 1987, to look at post‐graduate teacher training courses in six settings. The project will cover issues related to the retrieval, organisation, presentation and criticism of information and knowledge. Among topics investigated will be formal introductions to the library, students' use of books and libraries, their management of course work assignments, their perceptions of knowledge and information handling and their experiences of study skills teaching as part of teaching practice. Much useful background information can be found in LIR Report 24, The sixth form and libraries: problems of access to knowledge by Jean Rudduck and David Hopkins (£9.50 from the British Library Publications Sales Unit, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ). For additional information please contact Professor Jean Rudduck, University of Sheffield, Division of Education, Arts Tower (Floor 12), Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN (Tel: 0742–768555). BLRDD is hoping to support a parallel study which will look at similar issues in undergraduate teacher training courses.

While I agree with the broad theme of Jane Little's article in June NLW that there are not enough women in senior library posts, I feel that at least some of her points must be challenged.

Continuing education for library and information management Ealing College of Higher Education is using a grant from BLR&DD to examine two main areas: para‐professional education and the coordination of external course provision. The present project, which runs from October 1985 to March 1986, is building on past work at Ealing. Ealing has developed a substantial database of short courses in librarianship and information science with details of cost, duration, location and subject. The work on para‐professional education will assess staff needs and will note experience in other countries, including the United States. The study of coordination will involve surveying course providers to see how they decide what courses to arrange, and how to price and market them. Further details are available from Dr Stephen Roberts, Ealing College of Higher Education, School of Library and Information Studies, St Mary's Road, Ealing, London W5 5RF (Tel: 01–579 4111 ext.3337).

Since the concept of provision aimed to attract particular groups from the community to use libraries began, library staff at all levels have discussed whether these materials should have a separate section of their own or be integrated with other items in the main classification sequence.

John Saunders wrote ‘Why are we campaigning against cuts?’ (NLW July 1985). Cuts columnist Terry Hanstock criticised the article in September NLW and referred to a meeting in Rotherham addressed by John Saunders.

Two new members of staff are joining BLRDD in September: Lawrence Howells, who is at present working in the Science Reference and Information service, will become a project officer, and Ros Cotton, who is currently working in the Library Association Library, will be the new dissemination officer.

The idea for this hugely successful event at the Crucible Theatre on 7 June, came first from the pages of New Library World, believe it or not. Reading one of Jane Little's articles advertising Feminist Book Fortnight, I noticed that there was not going to be a feminist book fair in this country this year, and that the main fair was to be in Oslo. It seemed an ideal opportunity to alter Sheffield's image as the macho snooker playing capital of the North and the idea for the First Sheffield Women's Book Fair was born.