A new national initiative - the Research Libraries Network (RLN) -  is set to transform the way research information is collected, organised, preserved and accessed across the UK. The RLN will bring together the UK's four higher education funding bodies, the British Library, the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales and the eight members of Research Councils UK to develop the UK's first national framework aimed at addressing the information needs of researchers.

The Wellcome Trust will become a Member of CURL with effect from 1 August 2004.

The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, will become a Member of CURL with effect from 1 August 2004.

At their Annual General Meeting on 25 March 04, the Members re-elected Clare Jenkins and elected Martin Lewis to the Board.  See Board for a full list of the CURL Board membership.

The British Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Jan Wilkinson to the post of Head of Higher Education.  In this post she will be responsible for ensuring that the BL develops the right services and products to support the needs of students, university teachers and researchers and that the Library continues to underpin research and higher education in the UK.  

E-DELIVERING THE WORLD'S KNOWLEDGE - THE BRITISH LIBRARY LAUNCHES NEW SECURE ELECTRONIC DELIVERY SERVICE AT ONLINE INFORMATION, 2003

£2 million investment in new technology brings faster desktop access to over one hundred million items for researchers worldwide.

The Legal Deposit Libraries Bill has just received Royal Assent and is now on the statute book.  Although its application to the deposit of specific non-print formats will be achieved through a subsequent series of Regulations, the Act itself represents an historic breakthrough for libraries and their users.  See the 

Full Disclosure (Call 2003) has awarded £12,000 to the CURL-led Revelation Plus project.