Delighted to share news of a report which should help anyone trying to make the case for investment in special collections. Or indeed considering whether they should invest in them ... Unique and distinctive collections: opportunities for research libraries is freely available online from the Research Libraries UK website. It's based on fieldwork I carried … Continue reading How can unique and distinctive collections support University mission?
Tag: Special Collections
Cataloguing Made Simpler: key rare book standards freely available online
Cataloguers rejoice! DCRM(B) and DCRM(S) are now freely available online. Here: Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) http://rbms.info/dcrm/dcrmb/index.html Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Serials) http://rbms.info/dcrm/dcrms/index.html Print copies of these standards have been tricky to get hold of in recent years. This welcome initiative from the Library of Congress will save money, time and effort for … Continue reading Cataloguing Made Simpler: key rare book standards freely available online
Accredited!
Thrilled to announce that Special Collections at the University of Bradford has achieved Archive Accreditation! We are the first English university to reach this new standard. I'll blog about the experience for professional colleagues soon: why we applied, what we made of the process, and how we think it will help improve our service. And … Continue reading Accredited!
An Alien Territory? Local Studies versus Special Collections
Here's an interesting blog post by Tony Pilmer, a Local Studies librarian sharing what he learned from a year working in a library based in a think-tank/learned society. I agree: local studies and special collections work have masses in common. This is especially true of university special collections. I think I'm right in saying that … Continue reading An Alien Territory? Local Studies versus Special Collections
Special Collections in CILIP Update
Very pleased that the latest issue of CILIP Update features a section all about the latest in Special Collections. Special Collections is an incredibly dynamic and exciting area of library work, and it is good to see this feature in a title aimed at all librarians. There's a piece by Karen Attar about the new … Continue reading Special Collections in CILIP Update
Updating The Special Collections Directory
A Directory of Rare Book and Special Collections in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, a definitive reference book, was last updated in 1997. The world of special collections has changed a bit since then. Many new collections have come to light (including ours at Bradford University - we don't even have an entry … Continue reading Updating The Special Collections Directory
BLPAC to close
Bad news: the British Library's Preservation Advisory Centre is to close at the end of March. See the statement on their website. If you've read the Handbook, you'll know how much I value BLPAC's work, especially the really useful free booklets and training courses. They've also been an important cross-sector advocate for thinking strategically about … Continue reading BLPAC to close
To Have and To Hold: Historic Libraries Forum Annual Conference 2013
Managers of special collections face difficult decisions: what to collect, what not to collect, how to accept new material etc, how to identify and deal with irrelevant material ... This year's Historic Libraries Forum conference in London on 19 November will share best practice in collection management. I'm speaking, along with Katie Flanagan from Brunel … Continue reading To Have and To Hold: Historic Libraries Forum Annual Conference 2013
Tiers for Fears: inter-library loans and Special Collections
Special Collections on inter-library loan? Surely not? But wait ... A new report from OCLC Research, Tiers for Fears: sensible, streamlined sharing of Special Collections*, shares the results of a 2010 survey on interlending of Special Collections. Historically such lending was mainly for exhibitions; now there is growing demand from researchers, thanks to increased visibility … Continue reading Tiers for Fears: inter-library loans and Special Collections
A Tumblr full of Gems
Delighted to reveal A Cabinet of Gems! It's our new Tumblr account. I'm using it to share appealing out-of-copyright images from Special Collections at Bradford, like this lovely 1920s girl on a photo wallet from the Jacquetta Hawkes Archive. Why (yet) another blog? I've realised for a while that I needed something to fill the … Continue reading A Tumblr full of Gems
The Special Collections Handbook 