The University of Hull, along with three US universities, produced a white paper outlining practical and achievable ways forward in tackling the problems of collecting and managing born-digital archives: "AIMS Born-Digital Collections:An Inter-Institutional Model for Stewardship". There's also a blog, Born Digital Archives, featuring insights from those working on the project. Both have plenty to … Continue reading Stewards of the Born-Digital
“Exotic … Exhaustive”
This interesting review from a perspective outside Special Collections by Elena Maceviciute of Vilnius University describes the subject matter as exotic (which I like very much!) and the book as straightforward and exhaustive (which is what I hoped it would be). I'll be adding more reviews to this site as they come my way. Talking … Continue reading “Exotic … Exhaustive”
The Missing Materials Experiment
The Missing materials.org experiment in working together on stolen material, which I cited in the Handbook, has now finished. It didn't achieve huge takeup, but helped publicise the issue of theft, encourage more openness and assisted OCLC Research in developing light touch resources and experimental software. Find out more in this article: Turning out the … Continue reading The Missing Materials Experiment
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.
Handbook and Friends
Books about Books Reviewed
The latest issue of Rare Books Newsletter (91, January 2012) is entirely devoted to reviews of recent books of interest to Special Collections. Find out what librarians, academics and other experts made of publications about manuscripts, early printed books, the historic book trade, bookbindings, a private press and a national library: Alston, R.C.. Inventory of … Continue reading Books about Books Reviewed
Conference-going: advice from a US librarian
The Handbook is of course written from a UK perspective, but I did my best to incorporate material which would help librarians in other English-speaking countries. Many examples and best practice come from the USA in particular, home to so many Special Collections and their librarians. We have much in common, but there are of … Continue reading Conference-going: advice from a US librarian
52 Weeks of Fantastic Bindings
For images and helpful information about historic bindings, I highly recommend the 52 Weeks of Fantastic Bindings series of blogs from Special Collections at the University of St Andrews. Masses of beautiful and intriguing books, check out their biggest incunable or this lovely Tennyson edition. A great resource, and a weekly treat!
Care for Collections – Online
Here's a nice Christmas present from the British Library's Preservation Advisory Centre and my Research Libraries UK colleagues: a new online resource introducing collections care. I haven't been through it yet in detail but it looks promising. I've found the BLPAC's leaflets incredibly useful over the years (as I mention in the Handbook) and it's … Continue reading Care for Collections – Online
Conserving Photos with the Chantry Library
The Institute of Conservation's Chantry Library created two splendid bibliographies on Conservation of Photographs and of Japanese prints, selected and annotated by experts. The bibliographies are freely available online and the resources can be accessed via the Chantry Library. Further titles are promised!
The Special Collections Handbook 