Newcastle College adopted Talis Aspire, implementing their first online resource list management system. By introducing Talis Aspire, the College simplified student access to learning materials, streamlined acquisitions workflows and improved staff collaboration.
About Newcastle College
Newcastle College (part of the Newcastle College Group) is a further education college in North East England offering over 80 academic, creative and vocational courses, alongside higher education provision through Newcastle College University Centre. Overall, the college supports more than 16,000 students including young people, adult learners and apprentices.
The College consists of 10 specialist facilities, such as the Aviation Academy, the Energy Academy and the Automotive Academy. As a result, there are many students who seldom visit the main campus at Rye Hill and are based instead at one of these external sites.
Located in the centre of the main campus, the Library offers an extensive range of resources to support both students and staff. The print collection spans over 20,000 items on subjects ranging from art to automotive to sport. Online resources (such as eBooks, eJournals and databases) are available through the library catalogue and the library discovery tool.
Having available and accessible resources is really important to us’
Helen Harpin, Library Coordinator, Newcastle College
The need for a new approach
The College’s library team were struggling with an inefficient way of managing reading lists. Curriculum staff often submitted a static Word or PDF list, meaning the process was heavily reliant on library staff checking stock, sourcing alternatives and asking if outdated items were still required. This resulted in long email chains, delaying student access to resources.
Students – particularly those studying off-site – frequently struggled to access the resources they needed. With two library search tools (the catalogue and the discovery tool), students faced unnecessary barriers when locating learning materials. Curriculum staff also wanted more visibility of available library resources to help them better support students.
As a result, the College sought an easy-to-use platform that could integrate with existing systems, improve current workflows and provide better data insights. The solution should be a one-stop-shop for high quality, regularly reviewed reading lists that removed barriers to access, improved the student experience and strengthened collaboration with curriculum staff.
Why Newcastle College chose Talis Aspire
The College’s decision to adopt Talis Aspire was influenced by the product’s strong reputation across local higher education institutions, alongside the clear processes, realistic implementation timeline and proactive support offered by the Talis team.
Most of all, the Talis team’s practical experience of how libraries operate and a genuine interest in the College’s specific needs inspired confidence in the product and the people behind it.
One of the big benefits for me was the staff had knowledge of libraries. When I was talking about the issues we face with resources, there was a shared understanding.
Helen Harpin
Talis Aspire was introduced initially to support the College’s higher education programmes, piloting online reading lists with a defined group of staff and students, before possible wider rollout.
The process began mid-2024 with initial enquiries and demonstrations, followed by administrative setup and planning meetings. By early 2025, logistics and system configuration were completed, leading to a formal kick-off and website setup. Following extensive staff training over the summer, the College was ready to ‘soft launch’ Talis Aspire in September 2025.
Transforming reading lists for students and staff
Since Talis Aspire’s implementation, curriculum staff on higher education programmes have been building their own reading lists with support from the Library via workshops and drop-in sessions. These lists are then reviewed by library staff to ensure all resources are available.
The benefits for students are already clear. Rather than being buried in module guides, information about required reading is easily accessible from an online platform. Students can see straight away what’s available and how access it (whether print or online). Even better, students can access reading lists on their smartphones, supporting flexible learning.
Links to reading lists are shared via Teams Channels (the College’s primary method of communication) where students can search for lists linked to their course or modules.
The benefits for staff have also been compelling:
- Easy-to-use interface for list creation and editing
- Smoother collaboration between library and curriculum staff
- Up-to-date, concise lists reflecting current library holdings
- Improved data insights into resource usage
As well as curriculum-focused lists, Aspire has also given library staff the ability to curate reading lists to support wider student development (for example, practical skills like budgeting, driving theory, literacy and numeracy as well as broader topics like global issues).
A foundation for improved access across further education
All reading lists for higher education programmes will be available on Talis Aspire by August 2026. Next, the College plans to expand access to Talis Aspire across further education programmes. From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, it will be the default method of providing reading lists.
While reading list management software has traditionally been perceived as more relevant for higher education, the College is keen to change this perception – removing barriers to learning and offering all students an easier way to access their learning materials.
Webinar: Building Better Reading Experiences in FE Colleges
Watch the recorded webinar to hear how Newcastle College are improving access to learning materials and creating better reading experiences across further education.
Discover how Talis Aspire supports further education colleges with improved acquisition workflows and cross-team collaboration to deliver a better student experience.
Find out more or book a demo to explore how we can meet your institution’s needs
