"My vision then of a future manuscript catalogue would be of something that links together a wide range of resources ... anchored by the record of the physical manuscript itself ..." This vision is outlined by Andrew Prescott, Professor of Digital Humanities at Kings College London, in The Function, Structure and Future of Catalogues, now … Continue reading Manuscripts Online! And in the Public Domain …
Category: Cataloguing, description, metadata
What’s new (and not so new) in cataloguing
Cataloguing methods and standards are in an exciting and uncertain state. RDA is coming! What does this mean? Like many librarians, I'm waiting to see what will happen. However, we shouldn't worry about the hybrid future in which RDA and AACR2 records will co-exist. It was ever thus, as this piece by Anne Welsh explains. … Continue reading What’s new (and not so new) in cataloguing
Make the Most of Your Maps
Maps often occupy a paradoxical position in special collections. On the one hand, they are star items. People love maps, responding with delight to their personal ("there's my house!"), historic or visual interest. However, maps are often underexploited. They can be difficult to store, catalogue and make available in helpful ways. In particular, enquirers tend … Continue reading Make the Most of Your Maps
Hidden Collections in the UK
One of the greatest problems facing Special Collections services is the legacy of historic collecting policies - or, rather, lack of them: hidden collections. Uncatalogued, sometimes wanted, sometimes not, taking up space and resources and causing all kinds of problems. As I quote in the Handbook, such collections really are our dirty little (big?) secret. … Continue reading Hidden Collections in the UK
British Armorial Bindings: Heraldry Online
Delighted to see the British Armorial Bindings database online, thanks to the Bibliographical Society of London and the University of Toronto. Building on the work of the late John Morris, continued by Philip Oldfield, the database aims to offer a "comprehensive catalogue of all the coats of arms, crests, and other heraldic devices that have … Continue reading British Armorial Bindings: Heraldry Online
Help for the Occasional Music Cataloguer
New on the Historic Libraries Forum website. Cataloguing Printed Music, especially of the Hand-Press period: notes for the occasional music cataloguer, by Elizabeth Quarmby-Lawrence.
The Special Collections Handbook 