Year in View - Annual review 2008
August 
Former President of Universities UK Professor Drummond Bone gives strong backing to JISC’s work to support the development of institutional repositories in the UK, saying that repositories are an issue of national economic importance.
A new JISC e-learning publication is launched.
In Their Own Words looks at e-learning, its benefits, possibilities and challenges, from the perspective of the learner.
September
The results of research into the attitudes to ICT of 16-18 year university hopefuls are published. Commissioned by JISC and conducted by Ipsos MORI, the survey looks at the expectations of students.
A collection of 36 taught course texts is made freely available to all HE institutions as part of JISC’s national e-books observatory project.
Tens of thousands of students, staff and researchers at universities and colleges gain free online access to Ordnance Survey Mastermap, the country’s most advanced digital mapping, thanks to an agreement secured by JISC Collections.
October
JISC infoNet launches the Information Management infoKit, a resource to support the management of all types of internal institutional information.
The six shortlisted entries for the JISC Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year Award are announced by the Times Higher Education.
November
JISC announces the renewal of funding for the Regional Support Centres (RSCs). A special report published in the Times Educational Supplement praises the work of JISC’s RSCs, saying that their establishment in 2000 marked a ‘turning point’ for the sector.
The UK’s e-Science programme is showcased at a major international conference in Reno, Nevada, attended by over 6000 delegates from around the world.
JISC and the British Library launch 19th century British Library Newspapers, giving UK FE and HE free online access to a cross section of 19th century national and regional titles.
Two JISC reports are published which identify the need for greater understanding of some of the key issues involved in identity management in higher education.
JISC’s
Information Governance Gateway (JIGG) is launched, offering a comprehensive resource on all matters relating to information governance legislation and the
HE sector.
December
The e-course team at the School of Dentistry, University of Birmingham, wins the JISC-sponsored Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year’ award at a prestigious awards ceremony in central London.
Netskills begins a UK-wide programme of training events to help institutions as they join the UK Access Management Federation, part of JISC’s plans to develop and implement next-generation access management technologies on behalf of UK education and research.
January
The Google Generation report, commissioned by JISC and the British Library, attracts widespread press coverage. The report claims that, although young people demonstrate an ease and familiarity with computers, they do not possess the critical and analytical skills to asses the information they find on the web.
The JISC-funded JANET network is presented with the Shared Services award at the eGovernment award ceremony by John Suffolk, Government Chief Information Officer.
A major new online resource – Marine Digimap - which makes available marine and coastal zone digital data is launched by JISC Collections.
February
It is announced that membership of the UK Access Management Federation has more than doubled in under six months when Abingdon and Witney College becomes the federation’s 200th member.
An independent UK-wide inquiry into the implications of the widespread use of new technologies by university and college students begins its work, chaired by Professor Sir David Melville CBE, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent.
March
It is announced that one of the richest and most detailed primary sources for the history of the 20th century - the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers 1901-2004 - is to be made freely available to all colleges and universities in the UK through funding from JISC Collections.
Funding of around £600,000 ($1,150,000) is announced for five digitisation projects under a transatlantic collaboration between JISC and the US’s National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Part of a JISC-funded digitisation project, Oxford University launches a website to allow members of the public to submit digital photographs or transcripts of items they personally hold which are related to the First World War.
April
Representing an investment of nearly £4m, JISC announces the successful bids under the latest round of funding of its capital programme.
More than 700 delegates gather at the Birmingham ICC for the annual JISC conference. For the first time hundreds more follow proceedings through live video streaming, blogging, image-sharing, ‘micro-blogging’ and other Web 2.0 technologies.
JISC’s
Libraries of the Future campaign begins with a sponsored supplement in the Guardian exploring the achievements of the UK’s academic libraries.
May
The Knowledge Exchange - a partnership of four national ICT bodies - announces the publishers that will take part in a project which for the first time will see online resources licensed for use across national borders.
A JISC-funded project investigating how ICT within universities and colleges can be made more environmentally sustainable begins a series of national workshops.
June
JISC Collections partners with Becta to give UK schools access to a range of resources for a fraction of the original cost.
New research commissioned by JISC and carried out by Ipsos MORI suggests that students are starting to mix their social networking sites with their academic studies and inviting tutors and lecturers into their virtual spaces.
A series of forums aimed at addressing regional challenges in the area of digital content are initiated by the Strategic Content Alliance, a cross-sectoral alliance of national information organisations.
JISC TechDis joins forces with the Publishers Association, RNIB and several major publishers to deliver resources to transform the delivery of learning materials to disabled students and staff.
July
A report published by JISC and SCONUL explores the role of the library management system in academic libraries. The report is seen as a starting point for joint work between vendors and librarians.
More than 300 delegates gather in Keele for the Innovation Forum which brings together representatives of more than 150 JISC innovation projects, funders, JISC staff, services and committee members. Read the final report.
As part of the government’s consultation to gain opinions and views on its higher education debate, JISC hosts the DIUS blog on its JISC Involve platform.