TheGolden GatewaytoALA TheAmericanLibraryAssociationisthe oldestandlargestlibraryassociationin theworld.Itsannualconferenceisheld eachsummerandisattendedbymorethan 25,000delegates.SarahArmitagereports ALSOINTHISISSUE Fromtheeditor 2 AnneMellor 2 LibrariesNIRenewswithBDS 3 BDSGainsLivingWageAccreditation 3 CILIPLeadershipProgrammeLaunched9 RDA,RDA,RDA! 9 Essex:TheWayForward 12-13 FilmFlourishingAcrossAllFormats 15 NiceThingsPeopleSay 16 AUTUMN2015 page 6 8 page page AllNew Guardianof Equality LesleyWhytevisitsalibraryclose totheheartofAmerica’smost populouscity,situatedonNew York’sFifthAvenueat42ndStreet IFLA TheInternationalFederationof LibraryAssociationshelditsannual conferenceintheculturallydiverseand scenicallyremarkablecityofCapeTown,on theAfricancontinent’ssouth-westerntip. LesleyWhytereports BDSisdelightedtoannouncethelaunchofanewversionof BDSLive atwww.bdslive.com DeweyAlive inTranslation Bodleian visittoBDS AlisonFelstead,HeadofResource Description,BodleianLibraries, visitsBDSonafact-findingmission 10 16 14 page page page 4 JoMaxwellreportsfromNaplesontwo daysofworkshopsandasymposium entitled DeweyinItaly=Amore? anddiscoversoneoftheworld¹soldest libraries
Welcometo BDSLife
Ourbigannouncementinthisissue isthelaunchofanewversionofour flagshipproduct BDSLive.Sinceourlast BDSLive updatein2010,wehavelistened tofeedback,developednewfeatures, redesignedtheinterfaceandranextensive trialsbeforegoingliveon14July2015.
Existingcustomerswere automaticallymovedtothenew versionbutthegreatnewsisthat BDSLive isnowavailabletosomany newpotentialcustomers,including CapitalibrariesacrosstheUK.Ifyou don’tuse BDSLive yet,canIsuggest youvisit www.bdslive.com andtakea look,thenreadaboutitinthesepages andonourcorporatewebsite, www.bibliographicdata.co.uk before signingupforatestdrivewithour DirectorofLibrarySales,SarahArmitage.
There’splentymoreinthesepagesto enjoy.Oneofthethemesthatappeared asIputthisissuetogetheristherolethat librarieshaveindemocratisingsociety. Sarah’sreportfromtheAmericanLibrary AssociationConferenceheldinSan FranciscothisyearandmyvisittotheNew YorkPublicLibraryrevealAmerica’sbelief inthegrassrootsroleofthelibraryasa tooltogivevoice,agitate,respectand bestowbasiccivilrightsforeveryone.
JoMaxwell’scoverageofEDUG2015, heldinNaples,hintsatabiggervision forthelibraryinEurope,eveninthe technicalworldofDDC.Wearenotonly translatingourcataloguingtoolsinto Europeanlanguages,wearealsomaking remarkablediscoveries.Theoldestextant Westernlibraryintheworldexistsafew milesoutsideNaples,inHerculaneum,a librarythatbelongedtothefamilyofJulius Caesarandwassoughtoutbyreaders acrosstheRomanEmpire.WhileIam onthesubjectofancientlibraries,don’t forgetthefeatureonourwebsite, ALibrarySetinStone,aboutChina’s ancientlibraryintheimperialcityofXi’an.
Expandingourthemetoworldwide issues,IFLAthisyearsawlibrary associationsfromallovertheglobe congregateinCapeTown,SouthAfrica. Theconferencetheme,“Dynamic Libraries:Access,Developmentand Transformation”echoedthatofALA “Transformingourlibraries,ourselves” andtheroleofdemocracyandlibraries againtookcentrestage,withtheexpress objectiveto“strengthendemocracyona continentwherelibrariesneedtoconnect withcivilsocietytodemonstratethe valuetheyaddtoeradicatingpoverty.” Youcanreadmyreportonpage10.
ClosertohometheannualCILIP ConferencelaunchedanewCILIP LeadershipProgramme.BDSstaff member,JoMaxwellispartofthscourse andyoucanreadherreportonpage8.
Issuesandsolutionsfortoday’slibrary arebroughttotheforeinourfeature onEssexLibraries. BDSLife visited ColchestertointerviewAndrewCoburn, AcquisitionsandCataloguingLibrarian atEssex.IthinkAndrew’sexperience, wisdomandcommitmenttolibraries shineoutandoffergreatinsightas Essexdealswiththeneedtoachieve efficienciesbutrefusestocloseasingle branchlibraryacrossoneofthelargest localauthoritiesintheUK.
Finallygoodnewsandsadnews.We haveoftenfeaturedmembersofstaffin ourpagesasweregardourstaffasthe heartofourbusiness,soitiswithpride thatwecanannouncethatBDSisnow aLivingWageEmployee.Sadly,oneof ourmostesteemedformercolleagues, AnneMellor,passedawayinApril.Anne willhavebeenknowntomanyofyou.She wasahighlyrespectedprofessionaland agreatpersonalfriend.Youcanreadour tributeopposite.
Ihopeyouenjoythisissueof BDSLife
WeatBDSwouldliketopaytributeto ourfriendandcolleague,AnneMellor, whodiedon7thApril2015.
Annewasoneofthefounding membersofBDS,helpingtosetupthe company,andworkingasaCataloguer until2000.Shethenassumedtherole ofCataloguingManager,apositionshe filleduntilherretirementin2010.
Annewasresponsibleforcompany policyoncataloguingandclassification issues,andforoverseeingthetraining ofnewstaff.Sherepresentedthe companyontheBritishLibraryDewey CommitteeandCataloguingand IndexingGroupScotland.
Ideallysuitedtoherjob,Annehadall thequalitieswelookforinacataloguer. Anenquiringmind,widelyread, someonewhorevelledinthedetailof thejob,whowantedtogetthingsright andachieveconsistency,andsomeone whounderstoodwellthepressuresof thecommercialworld.
AnneelectedtostudyEnglish LanguageandScottishLiteratureat theUniversityofGlasgow,andherlove ofliteratureandlanguage,particularly theScotslanguage,wasevident, andputtogooduseinherjob.She wasashrewdobserverofthehuman condition,andmanyofheraphorisms andcommentshavebecomepartof thecollectivewisdomofBDSstaff.
Anne’slegacylivesonintheexcellence ofthestaffshetrainedandthe ethosthatshehelpedtodevelop inthecompany,wherequalityand consistencymatter.Itisapparent toointhecataloguesoflibrariesall overtheEnglish-speakingworld whichcontainrecordsforthemany thousandsofbooksshecataloguedin herprofessionalcareer.
Annewasselectedtocatalogue thelastprintededitionofthe DictionaryofNationalBiography
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AnneMellor
1950-2015 ColleagueandFriend byLesleyWhyte
TheNorthernIrelandLibraryAuthority(LibrariesNI) hasreneweditscontractwithBDSforcataloguerecords deliveredthroughBDS’sDirectDataFeedandBDZservices. Thenewcontractistorunfortwelvemonthswithanoption toextendtheagreementforafurthertwoyears.
BDSwaschosenduetoitsexceptionalcoverageofpublished materialandthequalityofitsmetadata,bothofwhichscored themaximuminthetenderingmarkingprocess.
“Wearedelightedtocontinuetosupplymetadataservices toLibrariesNorthernIreland,”saysLesleyWhyte,Managing DirectoratBDS.“The100%scoreoncoverageandquality BDSachievedinthemarkingprocessspeaksforitselfand thiswillgoontoofferlibrarycustomersacrosstheregionthe bestlibrarycatalogueavailable.”
LibrariesNIwasestablishedin2009andhasthestatutory
PovertyAllianceinpartnershipwithLiving WageFoundation,fundedbytheScottish Government. TheLivingWageusesadifferentbenchmark fromtheHMRevenueandCustoms enforcedMinimumWageandoffersahigher hourlyrateofpaywhichissetindependently andupdatedannually.Employerschooseto payonavoluntarybasis.
Tobecomeaccreditedabusinessmust
“ThestaffatBDSaretheheartofour businessandthisaccreditationsendsa clearsignaltoanyonethinkingofapplying toBDSforworkthatwerecognisethe workforce’svaluetoourcompany,”says LesleyWhyte.“Alongwithoursuperb location,flexibleworkinghoursandhigh qualityofficeenvironment,theLivingWage AccreditationmakesBDSagreatplaceto work.”
Studiesshowthat80%ofaccredited employersbelievethattheLivingWagehas enhancedthequalityoftheworkoftheir staffand66%reportedasignificantimpact onrecruitmentandretentionofstaff whileevidencealsosuggestsa25%fallin absenteeism.
TofindoutmoreabouttheLivingWage visit http://www.livingwage.org.uk/ or http://scottishlivingwage.org/ accreditation orfollowonTwitter @LivingWageUK.
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“Thereisastrongbusinessargumentfor adoptingtheLivingWageasanemployer,” commentsEricGreen,“butwealsohaveto lookatthebiggerpicture,bothsocialandon publicfinances.WeatBDSbelieveourstaff shouldenjoyadecentstandardofliving andcontributetonationalproductivity.The LivingWageisabigstepinthedirectionof achievingthis.” responsibilityfortheprovisionofpubliclibraryservicesin NorthernIreland.Itsservicesaredeliveredthroughanetwork ofninety-sixbranchlibraries,sixteenpublicmobilelibraries, tenHomecallServicevehiclesalongsideTheMellonCentre forMigrationStudiesbasedintheUlsterAmericanFolkPark, OmaghandTheIrishandLocalStudiesLibraryinArmagh. “Winninganewcontractisalwayspleasingbutretaining businesstrulydemonstratesthevalueandqualitythatBDS continuestoofferlibraries,”saysSarahArmitage,Director ofLibrarySalesatBDS.“Wearelookingforwardtomore successfulyearsworkingwithNorthernIreland.” TofindoutmoreaboutNorthernIrelandLibrariesvisit: http://www.librariesni.org.uk
BDSGainsLivingWageAccreditation
confirmthatalldirectlyemployedstaffare paidtheLivingWagehourlyrate.
significantbenefitsovertheMinimumWage
reducingpoverty,increasingjobsatisfaction
BDShasbeenaccreditedaLivingWage Employerthroughaninitiativefromthe
StudieshaveshowntheLivingWageoffers
onasocial,businessandpublicpolicylevel,
andaidinggovernmentrevenuewhile reducingbenefitdependency.
LibrariesNIRenewswithBDS WorkingforBDSoffersthe opportunityforemployeestobe involvedinadynamicbusinesswith expandingcareeropportunities.We arealwaysopentoapproachesfrom peoplewiththerightcredentialsand thevisiontotakeourbusinessforward ortoimproveefficiencieswithinour currentsetup. WeemployintheareasofCataloguing, AnnotatingandDataEditing, ProgrammingandSystemsAnalysis, PublisherLiaison,andWebandMedia Design. FeelfreetosendaCVandexpression ofinterest,anddokeepaneyeonour websiteforspecificvacancies.
Onbecomingaccredited,employers becomelicencedtousetheLivingWage Employermarkandawallplaquewhichthey candisplaytodemonstratetovisitorsthat theyareaLivingWageEmployer.
BDSLaunchNew
BDSisdelightedtoannouncethe launchofanewversionof BDSLive.
BDS’sonlinemultimediacataloguing resourceallowslibrariestodownload MARCrecordsforbooks,e-books, film,musicandgames.Italso incorporatesahostofextended informationincludingdescriptions, bookjacketimages,filmtrailers, audioclips,reviews,musicartists biographiesandscreengrabs, alongsidetoolsthatallowforthe creationandsharingofreadinglists, checkingsupplierstockholdingand priceandthereadingofbookreviews.
“Youcandosomuchwith BDSLive,” commentsSarahArmitage, DirectorofLibrarySalesatBDS. “Itisaselectionandpurchasetool, aresourceforofferingadviceto customers,acataloguingaid,a sophisticatedsearchandresearch platform,andabaseformultimedia exploration.Itcanevenbeusedin acustomer-facingrolethroughour simplifiedversion, BDSLite,andits flexibilityandresponsivenessshould beevenmoreinevidenceacross smartphonesandtabletsaswellas desktops.”
Inadditiontothemetadatacreated bylibraryprofessionalsatBDS,which adherestoallmajorclassificationand cataloguingstandardsincludingDDC, LCCandRDA,subscribersto BDSLive alsohaveuniqueaccesstoBDS’strade database,whichcoversUKandUS publications.
“BDSLive isahugeresource,” continuesSarah,“accesstowhichhas beenmadeevensimplerthrougha completeredesignofthewebinterface. Wehaveclarifiedpresentationand wehaveexpandedandrefinedour databasesothatsearchanddiscovery arebetterthanever.”
BDSLive wasfirstintroducedtoan enthusiasticreceptionfromthelibrary communityin2006.Sincethen,BDS’s flagshipservice,oftenusedbylibraries alongsidecomplementaryBDSservices suchasBDZandDirectDataFeed, hasgonefromstrengthtostrength. BDSLive hadapreviousupdatein 2010.Today, BDSLive isoneofthe company’sbest-sellers,andisusedby localauthorityandacademiclibraries acrosstheUKandabroad.
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Thenew BDSLive willbeanautomatic upgradeforexistingcustomerswhile anewdealwithCapitameansthatthe subscriptionservicewillnowbeavailable toCapitacustomers. “BDSLive isaservicewithhuge potentialforalltypesoflibrariesacross theUKandfurtherafield,”concludes Sarah.“Wethinkthatthislatestversion notonlyimprovesonwhathasgone before,italsoopensthedoorontoyet moreadvancesinonlineresearchand cataloguingtechnology.”(seepage opposite) Formoreinformation on BDSLive or toreceiveafree trialcontact SarahArmitage. Contact SarahArmitage +447860324570 sarah.armitage@ bibdsl.co.uk. For yourcommunity, yourlibraryandyourcatalogue www.bdslive.com
www.bdslive.com
“WehavebeenimpressedbyBDS’s flagshipproductsinceitslaunch.Its accuracy,richnessofinformationand flexibilityinusehaveaddedvaluetoour librarycatalogue.Asweuseitwefind moreingenuouswaysexploititspotential. EastSussexCountyCouncilLibrary ServiceusesBDSLiveandthecustomerfacing BDSLite,sobothlibrarians andthegeneralpublicgivethisnew developmentfromBDSathumbsup.”
ChrisDesmond,StockStrategyManager,EastSussex CountyCouncilLibraries
“BDSLivehasenabledtheLibraryatthe UniversityofBathtomakeinformed decisionsregardingstock,tokeep ourlibrarieseffectivelyorganisedand functioningsmoothly.Furthermore, itsbreadthofcontent,detailandvisual referencinghasenabledustoidentify manyitemsinspecialcollectionsand generatecataloguerecords.”
ClaireTylee,BibliographicServicesLibrarian,University ofBath
BDSLive for CapitaCustomers
Capitacustomerscannowenjoyallthebenefitsofthenew versionof BDSLive,theweb-based,multimediaresource fromBDS.
BDSLive willallowCapitalibrariestoenhancetheir offeringtolibrarycustomersthroughitsreadilyaccessible overviewofUKandUSpublicationsthatcoversbooks, e-books,film,musicandgames.
“Wehopethat BDSLive willproveahighlyusefultoolfor Capitalibraries,”commentsSarahArmitage,Directorof LibrarySalesatBDS.“Wehavedeveloped BDSLive over tenyearsandbuiltthisnewversioninresponsetoexisting customers’wishesandneedsacrosstheUKandabroad. Thegreatthingaboutthisproductisitsflexibility,soeach organisationcanuseittosuittheirspecificpurposesand workflow.”
Inadditiontothemetadatacreatedbylibraryprofessionals atBDS,subscribersto BDSLive alsohaveuniqueaccessto BDS’stradedatabase,whichcoversUKandUSpublications.
Visit www.bdslive.com andformoreinformationon BDSLive,contactSarahArmitageon07860324570or sarah.armitage@bibdsl.co.uk.
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FAST-FRIENDLY-THEFUTURE
LesleyWhytetakesthe opportunitytovisitalibrary closetotheheartofAmerica’s mostpopulouscity.There shemeetsActingDirector, MichelleMisner,whooffers Lesleyafascinatingtour…
Guardian ofEquality
OnFifthAvenueat42ndStreetstandsthe StephenA.SchwarzmanBuilding,oneof theworld’smosticoniclibraries.Watched overbyitslions,PatienceandFortitude,The NewYorkPublicLibrary(NYPL)hasbeen aguardianofsocialequalityforoverone hundredyearsinacitywheresomeeight hundredlanguagesarespoken.Thelibrary meansasmuchtoNewYorkersasthaticon offreedomafewmilesfurthersouth,the StatueofLiberty.
ImeetMichelleMisnerinthelibrary’sbusy butairylobby.
“NYPLisabigoperation,”saysMichelle, beginningmyjourney.“TheStephenA. SchwarzmanBuildingisoneoffourmajor researchlibrariesandeighty-eightbranch libraries.”
NewYorkCityhasfiveboroughs.NYPL servespatronsintheBronx,Manhattanand StatenIsland,whileQueensLibraryserves theboroughofQueensandBrooklynPublic LibrarymanagesbranchesinBrooklyn.
“NYPLbranchesreceiveoverseventeen millionvisitsperyearandweservemillions ofpeopleonlineandholdmorethanfiftyonemillionitems.Thisbuildingalonehas fourteenreadingroomsandonepublic meetingroomwhichareregularlyinuse. NewYorkersareavocalanddemanding communityverymuchengagedincitylife andthelibrary.”
Michelle’sfactsandobservationsleadmeto enquireaboutfunding.
“Thebranchlibrariesarelargelyfundedby theNewYorkCitybudgetbuttheresearch librariesrelymoreonprivatefunding. Benefactorsoftenspecifyapurpose fortheirdonationsuchamaintaininga collection,improvingabuildingorroom,or evenastaffplacement.Ifyou’llfollowmeI canintroduceyoutooneofmyfavourites.”
Michelleleadsmeovertoaplaquesetin thestonefloornearthelibrary’sentrance. Itreads“MartinRadtke/Gardener(1883–1973).”
“MartinwasanimmigrantfromLithuania whoworkedinwealthypeople’sgardens
Aboveleft:MichelleMisnerandLesleyWhyte;aboveright:TheStephenA.Schwarzmanbuildingunder construction;below:TheNYPLStephenA.Schwarzmanbuildingtoday
inNewYork.Whenhediedheleft386,000 dollars‘sothatotherscanhavethesame opportunity’asthelibraryhadgivenhim.”
Iaskhowagardenerbecamesowealthy.
“Thelibraryhelpedhimmakehisfortune. Hespenthissparetimehereandstudied stocks–notthefloralvarietybutasin stocksandshares”cameMichelle’sreply.
NYPLhasitsoriginsinthemiddleofthe nineteenthcentury.Formergovernor SamuelJ.Tilden(1814-1886),bequeathed 2.4milliondollarsto“establishandmaintain afreelibraryandreadingroominthecityof NewYork.”However,itwasnotuntiltheend ofthatcenturythatTilden’sdreamcouldbe realised.
JohnShawBillings,oneofthemostbrilliant librariansofhisday,wasnameddirector. Billingsknewwhathewanted.Hisconcept, sketchedonascrapofpaper,becamethe blueprintfortheStephenA.Schwarzman Building.Itcalledforareadingroomwith sevenfloorsofstacksandthemostrapid deliverysystemintheworld.
Morethanonemillionbookswereinplace fortheofficialdedicationoftheLibraryon 23May1911.Theresponsewashugewith between30,000and50,000visitorsonday one.InkeepingwithNewYork’slegendary
diversitythefirstrequesteditemwas N.I.Grot’s Nravstvennyeidealynashego vremeni whichtranslatesas EthicalIdeas ofOurTime,astudyofFriedrichNietzsche andLeoTolstoy.Thereaderfiledhisslipat eightminutespastnineinthemorningand receivedhisbooksixminuteslater.Billings’ visionwasrealised.
MichelleleadsmetotheSouthCourt EducationCenter.Iamconfrontedbya queueofpeopleenteringandleavingaroom setinsidewallsofopaqueglass.
“Thisisthepubliccomputerroom,”explains Michelle.“Itisthemostpopularplaceinthe building.Unfortunately,whenthearchitects designedtheStephenA.Schwarzman BuildingWi-Fididn’texist.Weareinsideone ofthenation’slargestmarbleedificesso internetconnectionsneedtobewired.”
SincetheclosureofthePublicReading Roomin2014duetodamageoftheplaster ceiling(seeaccompanyingarticle),space andinternetaccesspointshavebecome primecommodities.Thelibraryisadding themallthetimebutfornowthisisthebest placetoheadifyouneedtheinternet.
Now,turnright,downafewstepsandwhat isinfrontofmewouldn’tlookoutofplacein a50’smovie.
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“Theystillwork,andpeoplestillusethemall thetime,”commentsMichelle.
It’seasytoforgetinthisageofsmartphones and4Gthatsomepeoplecan’tswipeand Skype.Old,traditionalwoodentelephone boothsareanimportantlifelinetoa communitybuiltthroughimmigration,often poorandneedingtocommunicatetolovedone’sfarafield,tolookforworkorfindout abouttheirrights.
AsIwalkaroundwithMichelleIaskabout thelibrarian’sroleinthishugebuilding.
“Librariansarethedynamoofthebuilding,” saysMichelle.“Anycustomercanrequest aoneononesessionwithalibrarian. Librariansguidethepublicaroundthishuge collection.Wehaveauthorsrequestingtime todirecttheirresearch,PhDstudentsthat needtosourcematerial,journaliststhat needaccesstomicrofilmandthenthere’s thehugedemandforgenealogy.”
Iamimpressedbythelibrary’scommitment toandvaluingofprofessionalstaff,and onceagainIamconfrontedbytheinterplay ofpastandfutureinthisenigmaticcity. Leadingaworld-wideculturethatasserts economiesandefficienciesasaprimary goal,anintegralpartofthoseobjectivesis seenascontinuingtoemployexpertsinthe fieldofaccesstoknowledge.Librariansare stillthebestwaytoopenuptheincredible resourcesalibraryhastooffer.
MymusingsareinterruptedwhenIsee thattheworld-famousfilmmaker,Werner
Herzog,washeregivingatalk,justtwo daysbeforemyvisit.
“Wehaveeventsallthetime.Herzog’s visitwaspartofthe‘LIVEfromtheNYPL’ serieswhichhasbeenrunningnowfor morethantenyearsandisincredibly popular.Wealsorun‘BooksatNoon’ whichisaconversationwithanauthor followedbyasigning,andwehold publicdebates,interviewswithauthors, politiciansandcelebrities.There’salot ofaction.Wehavetwoauditoriums,one seatingfourhundredandtheotherone hundredandseventy.”
Icanonlyimaginesomeofthecharacters thathavefilledtheseroomsandcorridors. Famousandinfluentialpeoplethat,as Michellesays,willoftenenterincognito butwhoalteredthecourseofrecent history,science,literatureandthemedia.
“Now,welcometowhereitallstarts: thechildren’slibrary–andIhavesome controversialsurprises,”announces Michelle.
Atfirstitlookslikeawell-stocked children’slibrarybutthenInoticea cabinetwithanumbrellaandalsoimages ofaveryfamiliarbear.
“WehavetheoriginalPoohBear,along withEeyore,Piglet,KangaandTigger” observesMichelle.“PoohwasAAMilne’s birthdaygiftonChristopherRobinMilne’s firstbirthdayin1921,andAAMilne’s publisherleftPoohandCo.tous.”
Currentlythepink-paddedcuddlytoy isawayforrestoration.Initsplaceis, apparently,therealMaryPoppins’“flying” umbrellawhichbelongedtochildren’s authorPLTravers.Itsparrot-headedhandle isengagingevenifitspowersofflightlook questionable.However,IreturntoPoohasI seemtoremembercontroversyragingover theever-so-Englishbearsomeyearsago.
“Yes,in1998aBritishMPdecidedPoohand hisfriendsshouldbereturnedtoEngland. TheUSandEnglandagreedthattheywill remainatNYPL.Pooh’sheretostay.”
“PerhapswhenweBritsgivetheElgin MarblesbacktoAthens,NewYorkcanreturn Pooh,”Icomment.
MichelleandIsayourgoodbyesinfront oflionsPatienceandFortitude–thistime builtinthousandsofLegobricksbutjustas noble-guardingthechildren’slibraryand Iheadoutintothecity’snoiseandbustle, invigoratedbyavisittoatrulyremarkable library.
KeepingResearchAliveatNYPL
“Thenthenewsgotworse,”saysMichelleMisner.“Weweretold thattheBillBlassPublicCatalogRoom,nexttothereadingroom, hadtocloseaswell.”
Michelleandherstaffhadthehugejoboffulfillingthatsimple phraseattheendoftheNewYorkTimesarticle:“additionalspaces arebeingmadeavailable.”
Michelledescribesverylatenightsanddailyearlymorning meetings,recordingeverythingindetail–aseverylibrarianknows, abookisuselessunlessyoucanfindit–andscavengingeveryinch ofspaceonthesecondfloorinanurgentneedtosatisfythehigh demandNewYorkersplaceontheirlibrary.
“Everybodyputinamagnificenteffortacrossthelibraryfromour publicservice,facilities,security,technology,communications, volunteers,andcollectionsdepartments.”
“Whilethereadingroomisclosed,additionalspacesarebeingmade availabletoaccommodatepatrons,”soconcludedaNewYorkTimes articleon30May2014.
Thisinnocentsentencehidesalibrarian’snightmare,especiallya librarianworkingforoneoftheworld’sbusiestresearchlibraries.
On29May2014atabout2a.m.,apieceofplastermeasuringless thansixteenincheswidefellfromtheceilingofNewYorkPublic Library’sRoseMainReadingRoom.Itcausedtheclosureofafacility measuring52feethigh,78feetwideand297feetlongthathas supportedscholars,studentsandauthorsformorethanacentury.
Andtheeffortpaidoff.Todaystaffarestillguidingresearchers toroomsonthesecondfloorbutmoreandmorebookshave comeoutofstorageandarereadilyavailableforakeenbodyof researchersthathas,inthepast,includedthelikesofJacqueline Kennedy,NormanMailer,PrincessGrace,SomersetMaugham, MarleneDietrich,JohnUpdike,CecilBeaton,TomWolfe,Francis FordCoppola,DianaRigg,IsaacBashevisSinger,andJoeFrazier.
“WenowexpecttoopentheBillBlassPublicCatalogRoomby autumn2016andtheRoseMainReadingRoombyearly2017,” concludesMichelle.“TheNewYorkPublicLibraryReadingroomis aninstitutionaswellasanincredibleresource.”
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TheAmericanLibraryAssociationistheoldestandlargestlibraryassociationintheworld.Its annualconferenceandexhibitionisheldeachsummerandisattendedbymorethan25,000 librarians,librarysupporters,educators,writers,publishers,trusteesandspecialguests.Sarah ArmitagewastheretorepresentBDS…
TheGoldenGatewaytoAmericanLibraries
The2015AmericanLibraryAssociation (ALA)AnnualConferenceandExhibition washeldinSanFranciscofrom25-30 June.Itincludedmorethan2,500 meetings,discussiongroupsand programsonvarioustopicsaffecting librariesandlibrarians.ForBDSitoffers theopportunitytomeetclients,world experts,representativesofmajor librariesandfriends,whilekeeping abreastofthelatestdevelopmentsin librariesandmetadataprovision.
Conferenceeventstrendacrossthe USonTwitterandareextensively coveredinthemedia.AtALAnews ismade,importantannouncements given,updatesareshared,relevant legislationandpolicyareaddressed, anddiscussionstakeplacethathave amajorimpactonlibraries,theirrole, andtheirongoingtransformation. Withsuchinfluence,itisperhaps fittingthatthemeofthisyear’s conferencewas“TransformingOur Libraries,Ourselves”–areflectionof theAssociation’spowerandthefelt needforlibraryprofessionalstotakea leadoverhowlibrariesarechangingin today’sconnectedworld.
A“LitigationSuperstar”
OneofthegreatattractionsoftheALA Conferenceistheopportunityitoffers toattendpresentationsandtalksfrom majorfiguresintheworldsofliterature, socialpolicy,politicsandinformation science.TheSpecialKeynoteSpeaker fortheconferenceopeningwas RobertaKaplanwhosetthestagefor thecomingdays.
Thebuzzwordsweredemocracyand equalityinatalkthathighlightedhow Kaplan,voted2014“MostInnovative LawyerofTheYear”bythe Financial Times,hasextendedequalrightsand madeAmericaamoredemocraticnation.
Overthefollowingdays,attendeeshadthe opportunitytohearaward-winningSaudi Arabianfilmdirectorandscreenwriter Haifaaal-Mansour;journalist,essayist, socialcommentatorand NewYorkTimes bestsellingauthor,SarahVowell,andina sessionentitled“FromCovertoScreenBookstoMovies,”JoshuaDavis,authorof SpareParts,wasjoinedbyproducerRick JacobsandfilmcriticDavidThomsontotalk aboutthewritingofthebook,thecreation ofthemovie,andhowmoviesarejudged andreviewed.
BibframeinFocus
Amongthemanyhottopicsrelevantto BDS,theLibraryofCongressofferedan updateonBibframetrials.Theplanned replacementforMARCisstillverymucha workinprogressasSallyMcCallumofthe LoCannouncedalongsidethenewsthat theLoCareworkingwithLMSprovidersto implementBibframe.LibraryofCongress Director,BeacherWigginsstatedthat modelsforlinkeddataandBibframe intendedforuseintrainingstaffhavebeen publishedontheLoCwebsite.
PilotprojectsareplannedandtheLoC istakingfeedbackfromusers.Thefirst pilotofunspecifiedlengthinvolvesallLoC cataloguingstaff,coveringallformats andalllanguages.Itwasthoughtthata minimumoftwoyearsandprobablyfive yearswillberequiredforthetransitionfrom MARCtoBibframe.Duringthistransition, LoCwillcontinuetoproduceMARCaswell asBibframerecords.Henceitemswillbe cataloguedtwiceforthedurationofthe initialpilot.
However,currently,thereseemtobemany questionsunanswered.Theopinionofmany attheconferencewasthatfittinglinked dataintoMARCisanevolutionwhereas Bibframeisarevolution,butanativelinked datacatalogueoffersopportunitiesfor improvingthediscoveryexperience.
‘LibrariansSavedMyLife’
Perhapsthemostpoignantand perceptivesessionoftheconference wasastanding-roomonlyauditorium eventwherefeministpioneer,writer, activistandself-confessed‘hope-aholic’ GloriaSteinemdeliveredaspiritedtalk tothepackedhouse,whocheeredeach timeshepraisedlibrarians.
“Ithinkyour professionisthe greatestprofession onearth,”shetold librariansinthe audience.“Ireallydo wanttoemphasise, incaseyou’refeelingunappreciated, howimportantyourroleis.I’mhereto makeyounothumble.Youdemocratize knowledge.Nothingonearthismore important.”
Andsheconcluded,“Itistrueforme, asforsomanycountlessothers,that librarianssavedmylife,myinternallife.”
MyLifeontheRoad
GloriaSteinem’sfirstbookfor 20years, MyLifeontheRoad, willbepublishedintheUKby Oneworldon29thOctober. Oneworldsaidthebookisa “funny,moving,andprofound accountofherlifelongjourney, listeningtopeopleandcreating change”.
“Thisisarivetingaccountof onewoman’squesttoleadan authenticlifeofrealmeaning andpurpose...Itwillbeamajor publishingeventforOneworld thisautumn,”saidpublisher JulietMabey.
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JoMaxwellattheCILIP Conference,Liverpool2015
TheCILIPLeadershipProgrammeisapilot courserunningfromJuly2015-July2016 tohelpdevelopleadershipskillsamongst mid-careerprofessionalsintheinformation industry.
NickPoole,CILIPCEO,JanParry,CILIP PresidentandSimonEdwards,CILIP DirectorofProfessionalServicesattended thelaunchandallgavepersonalaccountsof theirexperiencesofleadership.
Thecourseprogrammeconsistsofface-tofacemeetings,onlinecourseworkandalso agroupresearchprojectcommissionedby CILIPMemberNetworks.Studentsalsohave tocreatea‘ProfessionalKnowledgeand SkillsBase’(PKSB)whichwillbereferenced throughouttheyeartochartleadership development.
Peerlearningisencouragedanditwas interestingtoheardifferentleadership experiencesandviewsfromthetwenty-one coursemembersofwhichIamone.
Thenextface-to-facecoursemeetingwill beheldatCILIPHeadquarters,London,on 25thNovember,focusingongovernance anddecisionmaking.
Connect.Debate.Innovate
TheLeadershipprogrammewaslaunched attheannualCILIPConferencewhichwas
GeneralElectiondaywasnodistraction fortheattendeesofJenny’soneday trainingcourse“IntroductiontoRDA forCataloguers”giventomembersof theCataloguingandIndexingGroupfor Scotland(CIGS)attheNationalLibraryof Scotland.
Over35delegatesattendedandJenny wascomplimentedbyaseniorcataloguer ontheclarityofherexpositionofthe FRBR(FunctionalRequirementsfor BibliographicRecords)conceptualmodel onwhichRDAisbased.Thedelegate claimedthatJenny’spresentationoffered her“abetterunderstandingthananything elseshe’dseentodate.”
PaulCunnea,DigitalAssetsManager ofNationalLibraryofScotland,who organisedtheevent,added,“Thankyou fordeliveringanexcellentseminar–Ithink itwasspotonfortheaudience.
Laterthatmonth,on27thMay,Jenny wasaspeakerat“RDAforImplementers: SharingExperience–aCIGScotland Seminar,”whichwasalsoheldin Edinburgh.
TheCataloguingandIndexingGroup
inScotlandbroughttogetherspeakers fromfourorganisationstosharetheir experiencesofimplementingRDAwithin theirrespectiveinstitutions.Each organisationwasatadifferentstageof implementationandadopteddifferent approaches.
JennygaveherpresentationonhowBDS approachedRDAimplementation,sharing insightstohelporganisationsyetto maketheswitch.Afterthepresentations, therewasaquestionandanswersession involvingallthespeakers.
On23rdJune,CapitahostedJennyand agroupoftraineesforanRDAtraining dayatCapita’sSolihullofficesinEngland. “Allofthetraineeswerefromacademic libraries,”observesJenny,“asign, perhaps,thatpubliclibrariessimplydon’t havetheresourcesfortraininginthis field.”
Howeverthosethatattendedcertainly benefitted,withattendeescommenting:
“Ithinkthatitwasareallygoodcourse, well-organised,well-presented,covering alltheareasthatIhopedwouldbe covered.”
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Inforthcomingissuesof BDSLife wewillbefollowingJoasshe developsherleadershipskillsand knowledgethroughtakingpartin thisprogramme.
“Thecoursewaswellledandwell-paced. IfeelIhaveabetterunderstandingofthe subjectanditsimplementation.” “Ithinkquitealotofgroundwascovered verywellconsideringthetimeconstraints. Itcertainlycoveredeverything(andmore) thatIwantedtoknow.Ihadcomeprepared withalistofquestionsandcheckedthem alloffsoIwasveryimpressed.Inowfeel abletobeginstartingoutinRDAandIwill bereferringtothehandoutsandnotesI madeontheday.” “StafffromBDSwere,asever,extremely knowledgeableandhelpful.” InSeptemberJennywillbejointlyrunning workshopswithAnneWelsh(Lecturer inLibraryandInformationStudies,and ProgrammeDirectorMALibraryand InformationStudies,UCLC)attheNAG (NationalAcquisitionsGroup)Conference inYorkinSeptember. Ifanyoneisinterestedinattendingone ofJenny’scoursesorshouldsomeone wishtohostan“IntroductiontoRDAfor Cataloguers”pleasecontactJennyWright atjenny.wright@bibdsl.co.ukorviaour switchboardon01387702251. BDS’sexpertindevelopmentandtraining,JennyWrighthas beenoutandaboutofferingseminarsaroundthecountry. When BDSLife askedheronwhattopicsshewasaskedto speak,herreplywassimple… RDA,RDA,RDA! MembersoftheCILIPLeadershipProgrammewithCILIPCEONickPooleontheleft,andJoMaxwell, centreback. attendedbyover600delegatesfrom theUKandoverseas.TheConference celebratedthediversityofroleswithin theinformationindustryandatthe sametimehighlightedthesimilarissues facedbyprofessionalsfrompublic, academicandcorporatesectors. CILIPLeadership Programme Launched
IFLA2015–theRainbowConference
DynamicLibraries:Access,DevelopmentandTransformation
LesleyWhytereports
Withsuchathemeforthe 2015WorldLibraryand InformationCongress, onecanhardlyimagine abetterlocationthan SouthAfrica.CapeTown wasthevenueforthe 81stIFLAconference, anditwasinspiringtosee thenumberofAfricandelegatesattending totalkabouttheroletheirlibrarieswere playingineducatingandprovidingaccessto informationinthecommunitiestheyserve, andtolearnfromotherlibrariansfromthe widerinternationalcommunity.
TheopeningceremonyforIFLAallowsthe hostnationtointroducetheinternational delegatestothecultureofthecountry. Proceedingsopenedwithmusicandfilm tointroduceAfrica,“landofbeginnings,” highlightingthestrongtraditionof storytelling.TheMinisterofArtsand CultureforSouthAfrica,ENMthethwa, assertedthatlibrariesarethecornerstone ofdemocracyinSouthAfrica,addressing theinequalitiesinsocietythatwere exacerbatedduringtheapartheidyears.
InthetwentyoneyearssinceSouthAfrica becameademocracy,thenewRepublic hasmadehugeadvancesinsocialwelfare andpublicinvestment.Inacountrywith apopulationofalmost52millioncitizens, thereare1612libraries,withanactive programmetobuildnewlibrariesand upgradeexistinglibraries.Itisenshrinedin theConstitutionthatpubliclibraryservices areakeyservice.Theprovincesandthe nationalgovernmentarecommittedto establishinglibraryinfrastructures,services andskills.Freeaccesstotheinternetis beingofferedtocommunitiesthrougha partnershipwiththeBillandMelindaGates
Foundation.ThroughhostingIFLA,the MinisterofArtsandCultureclaimedthathis librarieshadtheirown“WorldCup”.
Formalproceedingswerefollowedbya performancefromtheSoweto-based MzansiYouthChoir.RarelyhaveIseensuch adisplayofenergyandenthusiasm,which hadeveryoneintheaudienceontheirfeet. Itwasthefirsttimemostofthechoristers hadbeeninCapeTown,andasifbymagic, themistliftedonTableMountaintoafford themawonderfulviewofthisiconic landmark.
Thekeynotespeakerfortheopening ceremonywasDrRobAdam.Nuclear physicistandanti-apartheidactivist, DrAdamwassentencedtoaneffective tenyearsofimprisonmentunderthe previouspoliticalregimeinSouthAfrica. HeintroducedtheaudiencetotheSquare KilometreArray(SKA),aninternational projecttobuildtheworld’slargestradio telescope,sitedinSouthAfrica’sKaroo regionandWesternAustralia.
Theanalogiesbetweenthismassive collaborativeprojectandtheworkof librarieswasnotlostontheaudience. Makingtheexplicitpointthatthe technologyunderpinningSKAwouldhave abearingonlibraries,DrAdamreferredto theneedforaccurateclassificationofthe resultsoftheresearchtoaidretrieval.The SKAwillrequiresupercomputersfaster thananyinexistencein2015,andthe datastorageandinformationchallengesit
presentsaretrulyBigData.Thedatatraffic fromSKAwillbeatleastequaltoallother currentinternettraffic.
Laterintheconference,morecultural experiencewasofferedintheformofaplay, TheHypatiad,commissionedbyLIASA, theLibraryandInformationAssociationof SouthAfrica.WrittenbyRichardHiggs,a lecturerinLibraryandInformationStudies attheUniversityofCapeTown,thisone-act playfocusedonthelifeandassassinationof HypatiaofAlexandriain415CE.
Onceagain,thesignificanceofastronomy andtheorganisationofknowledgewere importantthemesinthiswork.Hypatia’s extraordinaryscientific,philosophical andmathematicalaccomplishments, herassociationwiththefamousLibrary ofAlexandriaandherbrutaldeathare juxtaposedwithapost-revolutionaryworld whererebellibrariansaredesperatelytrying todigitiseandsendtotheCloudmaterial whichhasbeendeemed“dangerous”in amoralcleansingprogrammedevisedby thegovernment.Theplayhadmanylayers, andaresonanceinatimewhenlibrarians inmanycountriesarecontemplatingthe resultsofpoliticalchangeandideologyin theirhomenations.
Thethemesoflibrariesasdemocratic meetingplaces,asvitalagentsineducation andaforcetocombatilliteracyappeared overandoverinthesessionsIattendedat theconference.Manyofthepostersessions alsofocusedontheseissues.Referencewas
10
madetothefactthatilliteracyratesinboys attheageoftenwasanindicatoroffuture prisonplacesrequired.Asoberingstatistic, andonethatlibrariescanhelptoaddress.
TheawardforthePublicLibraryofthe Yearforanew-buildwenttoKistaPublic LibraryinStockholm,Sweden,where80% oftheusersareimmigrants.Thelibrary ispositionedinashoppingmall,andstaff areactiveinworkingwithyoungpeopleto improvetheirSwedishlanguageskills.An ingeniousprogrammeworkingwiththelocal footballteamhasbeenintroducedtohelpto connectwiththeyouthofthearea.
Movingtestimonialsweremadeby speakersattheconference,andone whichparticularlystruckachordwith mewasatalkgivenbyJoyceMyesa,a
post-graduatestudentinchemistryat theUniversityofKwa-ZuluNatal.Joyce describedthedifficultiesshehadovercome tostudyatuniversity,firstlyinherhome countryofNigeria,andnowinSouthAfrica, exacerbatedbythefactthatshewasa woman.Shesaidthatsheoftenusedfirst editionsofbooksthatarenowinthe20th edition,hadnoaccesstotheinternetand thatlabshadoldequipmentandlacked therightchemicals,whichmadeher achievementsallthemoreextraordinary. Sheurgedlibrariestosendoldtextbooksto librariesinthethirdworld,wheretheywould stillbeusefulforstudents.
Accesstoinformationandknowledgeis fundamentaltotheworkoflibraries,but despitethedisadvantagesthatmany librariesstillfaceinadevelopingworld, IFLA2015alsofocusedonadvancesand technologies.SouthAfrica,theCzech Republic,SwedenandFrancedescribedthe
workbeingdonetodealwiththedeposit ofe-publicationsunderlegaldeposit, animportantmechanismformaking theculturaloutputofnationsavailable toallcitizens.Nationallibrarieshavean importantroletoplayintheseareas,andof course,turningtomyownparticulararea ofprofessionalinterest,weneedtowork togethertodevelopstandardsforrecording knowledge,andprovidingaccesstoit.We alsoneedtotrainlibrariansforthefuture, andSimonEdwardsofCILIPunveiledthe workthatourprofessionalbodyhasdone toequipinformationalprofessionalsforthe workplace.
Bymovingtoadifferentcountryeachyear, IFLAofferslibrarianstheopportunityto participateintheexchangeofideasand practice,wherethegoalsarethesame,but themethodsofdeliverymayvaryaccording toresourcesavailable.Inthewordsof Hypatiaintheplay,theRomansunderstood thatthestoreofknowledgewasworthmore thanthespoilsofwar.Itisthemissionof IFLAthatknowledgeisstoredandavailable toallwhowishtouselibraries.
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Scenefromthe TheHypatiad ;rainbowoverthebay;knittinglibrarians;castandplaywrightof TheHypatiad withLesleyWhyte.
ThecountyofEssexoffersarichmixofancientandmodern,industrialandrural.Above,lefttoright:theoriginalMarconifactoryinChelmsford;CoggeshallLibrary; BraintreeLibrary;WeddensAmbovillage;Chelmsfordtowncentre;Harlownewtown;Tilburydocks;andoppositebelow:theDunmowFlitchceremony
EssexisoneofthelargestlocalauthoritylibraryservicesintheUKandalong-standingcustomerof BDS,so BDSLife wentalongtoChelmsfordtoECCLibraryHQtolookupanoldfriendandfindoutmore aboutwhatitisliketobeagiantamonglibraryservices…
Essex:TheWayForward
AndrewCoburnhasbeen withEssexCountyCouncil LibraryServiceforover thirtyyears;aremarkably loyalcareerinthisageof short-termcontractsand ‘stepping-stone’careers thatrequirepeopleto movefromjobtojoband placetoplace.Currently Andrew’sroleisdefined as“Acquisitionsand CataloguingLibrarian”buthistimeatEssex hasseenhimbearmanyjobtitlestraversing manylibraryrestructuresandaradical redefiningoftheroleofthelibrarywithin thecommunity.
“WhenIstartedatEssexIusedtowrite cataloguerecordsbyhandoncards,”says Andrew.“Todayrecordsarriveremotely andpopulateacataloguethatisdiversein extendedcontentandpresentationwhile remainingconsistentacrossourseventy plusbranches.”
Andrew’srelationshipwithlibrariesgoes backevenfurtherthanworkingforEssex. Herecallsasaladhewouldvisithisfather’s workplaceinManchesterinStPeter’s Square.
“Ican’trememberifIeversawManchester CentralLibraryfrommyfather’soffice window,butIrememberfeelingthe presenceofthatgreatlibrarybuilding andIrememberapproachingitsdomed massivenessandenteringundertheportico whenveryyoung.”
AndrewwentontoundertakeLibrary StudiesatBirminghamwherehewasoften researchingintheoldcentrallibrary.“When doingLibraryStudies,researchinvolves lookingatandstudyingthelibraryitselfas muchasreadingthebooksonthelibrary’s shelves.ThebuildingwhichPrinceCharles criticised,Iremember,waspartofthefabric
ofmyintellectualworld.SowhenIvisited thenewBirminghamCityLibrary,just afteritopened,itwaswithaconsiderable curiositymixedwithsomenostalgiaover thepast.I’llbeinterestedtoseehowthis newbuildingevolvesintheyearstocome.”
IfAndrew’searlyyearsshareassociations withiconiclibrariessuchasManchesterand Birmingham,hislong-standingworkwith Essexshowssomethingofacontrast.
Essexisalargecountythatbordersthe hecticurbanenvironmentofLondon BoroughssuchasWalthamForest, previouslyfeaturedin BDSLife.Itssouthern limitfollowstheThamesEstuaryand itsindustrialsprawlstretchesalongto Southend,oneoftheUK’sfewexpanding holidayresortsandnowaunitaryauthority separatefromEssexbutstilltiedwith EssexLibraryService.Theeasternlimit ofEssexfollowstheNorthSeacoastand thenorthislargelyrural.Inallthisspread, coveringnearlyoneandthreequarter millionpeople,thereisonlyonecity, Chelmsford,while‘newtowns’suchas WithamfeedcommutersintoLondonto workeachday.Thereisstillastronglyrural feel,evenwalkingalongChelmsfordHigh Streetwithitsmarketstallsandtraditional timber-framedbuildings,whilesmalltowns, oftenwithancientchurches,villagegreens andduckponds,arefoundevencloseto London.
Suchadiverseandgeographically widespreadcountydemandsadifferent kindoflibraryservicetothenewcentralised modelsbeingdevelopedintheUK’surban powerhouses.Thereareseventyfour branches,notincludingthoseoftheunitary authoritiesofSouthendandThurrockwhich stillworkcloselywithEssex.
“Wemaynothaveiconicnew-buildlibraries suchasweareseeingopeningaroundthe countrybutourlibrariesarebusy.Indeed,
Chelmsfordregistersamongthetopfive intheUKforissuesandColchesterhas frequentlybeenupamongthecountry’s toptenbusiestlibraries.Thatandthesheer numberofbranchesmeansthatrecent austerityhasplacedaconsiderableneedfor re-thinkingandanalysisonthewholelibrary system.
“Atthetimeofthecreditcrunchand bankingcollapse,ourConservativecouncil promisedthattherewouldbenolibrary closuresinEssexandthecouncillorshave kepttheirpromiseasoftoday,andsowe havefoundothermethodsofachieving economies.”
Andrewisanactivesupporterandpromoter ofthevalueandimportanceoflibrariesin society.UntilrecentlyhewasSecretaryto TheLibraryCampaignandheisstillactivein theSpeakUpforLibrariesCoalition.Healso sitsonvariouscommitteesincludingtheBIC MetadataSubGroup,wasChairofCIGand isstillChairoftheStandingCommitteeOn OfficialPublications(SCOOP),soheisno strangertolibrarypoliticsandthetechnical issuesthatsurroundlibrariesasapublic service.
“Therole,bothperceivedandreal,ofthe libraryischangingdramaticallywithinlocal governmentandinrelationtosociety asawhole,”hesays.“AtEssexwehave beenscrutinisingeverythingthroughan “asis”analysisofsystemsandmethods andthishasenabledustoweedoutmany repetitiousorsuperfluousprocedureswhile neverfailingtorememberthatlibrariesare aboutservingthepublic.Wehaveeven givenin-depthanalysistothequestion ‘whatdoesstatutorymean?’inrelation tothelocalauthorityrequirementto providealibraryservice.Itisastimulating, illuminatingandsometimefrightening debatebutanecessaryone,Ithink.”
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SuchanalysishasleadEssextowardsthe ‘communityhub’modelforlibrariessuch asColchesterwhereyoucannowregister birthsanddeaths,payyourCouncilTaxand findoutaboutyourrightsaswellasborrow thelatestJeffreyArcher.Inthelinked unitaryauthoritylibraryinSouthendthe newcentralLibrary,knownastheForum, hasmovedtowardsamodelsimilartoThe HiveinWorcester,combiningpublicand academicstockinonebuilding.
Inthemeantime,runningthelibrary servicesacrossthecountyhastogoon day-to-day.Essexstillrequiresafleetof vanstomoveanddeliverstock,despitethe introductionofdirectdeliveryfromlibrary supplierswhereverpossible.Stockselection foradultmaterialisstillundertakeninhousewhilechildren’smaterialisbought usingsupplierselection.
“Someyearsagowelookedaroundourstaff anditsareasofexpertise.Ourspecialist Children’steamhadamassiveworkloadand thissituationwasn’tgoingtochangesowe handedstockselectionforthatsectorover tooursupplier,currentlyAskews.”
Selectionofothermaterial,includingDVDs andmusicCDsaswellasbooks,fallsto StockLibrarianMartinHowellswhoshares anofficewithAndrew.
“Martindoesanincrediblejob,”comments Andrew,“andonewhichmeanshe rarelygetsanybreakfromhisselection responsibilities.Ahugeamountofmaterial isalwaysbeingpublishedandourcustomers wantthelatestpublicationsontheshelves. Mostofushavecauseorreasontobeout oftheofficefromtimetotimebutevenon dayswhenhehasbeeninmeetings,Martin doesselectionwork.”
AnothervitalelementofEssexlibraries’ servicetothepublicisthecatalogue. BDSsupplymetadatatoEssexviaitsBDZ
serviceandalsoapublicreferencesource forDVDsandmusicCDsvia BDSLite Theservice’spublicinterfaceoperates ontwolevelsandembedsmanyfacets ofresourcediscoverywithinthese.The traditional‘searchandlist’methodof presentingthecatalogueiscomplemented byAquabrowser,amoreintuitive,‘cloud ofconcepts’modeofpresentationand discovery.Thisis,inturn,soontobe replacedbyIguana,anextgeneration product.
“Acatalogueisonlyasgoodasthemetadata itholdsandaccurateanddetailedmetadata, incorporatingtherightfieldsandlevelof granularitymeansthatsearchanddiscovery ismuchmorerewardingforourcustomers. Wehavecertainlyincludedasmanyways aspossibleforourcustomerstointeract withthismetadataandtherebythelibrary serviceregion-wide.”
DuringAndrew’slongcareeratEssex, changestothelibraryservicehavemoved withandagainsttechnologicalprogress, marketforces,socialchangeandideological shifts.Therehasalwaysbeenasilverlining evenwhenthecloudshaveappearedtobe buildingtoastorm.
“IrememberwhentheNetBookAgreement wasabolishedinthemidnineteen-nineties andweatEssexhadtofindbooksuppliers tokeepourservicerunning.Wesetoffinmy boss’speople-carrieronanodysseyvisiting suppliersupanddownthecountry.Agreat senseofcamaraderiedevelopedbetween usonjourneysthatwereoftenlongand arduousbutwhichresultedinagooddeal forourcustomersandratepayers.”
Now,Andrewisrespondingtoanother change,theresultoffurtherinvestmentand restructuringbyEssexCountyCouncil.
“WehavejustmovedfromouroldHQ building,”hesays.“Wearestilladjustingto
ournewpremiseswhichofferamuchmore efficientandup-to-dateenvironmentfrom whichtorunthelibraryservice.”
TheofficesandstoragefacilitiesatGoldlay Gardens,solonghometolibraryHQ,fell outofdatewhencomputerandwireless technologyarriveddespite,ironically,being situatednotfarfromtheworld’sfirstever factoryforradiomanufacture,builtin1899 andwhichbecametheoriginalMarconi’s WirelessTelegraphCo.Ltd.
“Theceilingtherewassolidconcrete, designedtoholdtheheavystacksof booksthatwereoncestoredupstairs.Just passingacablepresentedanengineering obstacle.Thatandsimpleagemadeamove necessaryintothesenew,open,techfriendlypremises.”
PackingupandpreparingtomoveHQwasa stressfulprocessbut,asAndrewobserves, thislatestinvestmentbyEssexCounty Councilprovesthatlibrariesinancient placessuchasWalthamAbbeyandDunmow orquaintlynamedplacessuchasGreat TarpotsandPrettygateornewtownssuch asBasildonandHarlow,stillformavitalpart oftheircommunities.Theimportantthing, asAndrew’scareerwithinEssexLibrary Servicedemonstrates,istofindthebest wayofmovingforwardintoafuturethat, althoughuncertain,canofferrichrewards forthecommunitiesthelibrariesofEssex serve.
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“DeweyinItaly=Amore?”wasthefancifultitlegiventheEDUG InternationalSymposiumheldon17thApril2015attheBiblioteca NazionalediNapolibeneaththesmoulderingMountVesuvius.Jo Maxwellreportsonthesymposiumandtwodaysofworkshopsthat precededit…
DeweyAliveinTranslation
The2015EDUGSymposiumwas attendedbyoverfiftydelegatesfroma numberofEuropeancountries,aswellas representativesfromtheBibliothèqueet archivesnationalesduQuebecandOCLC. Thesymposiumfocusedonanumberof issuesregardingthetranslationofthe Deweyscheduleswithpresentations byItalian,FrenchandNorwegianEDUG members.
Thesymposiumbeganwithanoverview ofDDCinItalybyMariaChiaraGiuntifrom theNationalCentralLibraryofFlorence. MariaprovidedanabridgedhistoryofDDC useanddevelopment,aswellasapotted historyoftheNationalCentralLibrary ofFlorence,whichtookontheroleof nationalbibliographicagencyin1886.
MauraQuaquarellifromtheUniversità diRomapresentedapaperonthe developmentoftheItaliantranslationof WebDewey.Theprojectstartedin2011 andbyJune2014theItalianversionof WebDeweywasonline.
TheupsanddownsofthejointFrenchand French-Canadiantranslationprojectwas thehottopiccoveredbyPatriciaBellec fromtheBibliothèqueNationaledeFrance. Thegoaloftheprojectwastoproduce newFrenchtranslationprintDDCand WebDeweyproducts.Theseareexpected tobelaunchedattheendof2015.Someof theproblemsencounteredstemmedfrom thedifferencesbetweenFrenchasused inFranceandCanada.Thiscausedover twoyearsofdebates–aidedbytheuseof aprojectWikiwhichwasessentialforthe exchangeofviewsandfilesharing.
EliseConradioftheNationalLibrary ofNorway,andHarrietAagaardofthe NationalLibraryofSweden,jointly presentedapaperonthedifficulties oftranslatingDDCintoNorwegian andSwedish.AccordingtoElise,“We didn’twanttodiscardtheoriginalbut weneededtomakeitworkforus.”This meantincludingsomeEnglishtermsin theNorwegianandSwedishtranslations becausenoequivalenttermexisted. BothHarrietandElisehaveusedthe GermanDDCtranslationasabasisfor difficulttermsandhavecreatedauseful dialoguewithothertranslatorstoaid furtherdevelopmentoftheSwedishand NorwegianDDCtranslations.
‘WhathappensinOCLC’,ajoint presentationbyJulianneBeall,Rebecca GreenandLibbieCrawford,focusedon currentDDCproductdevelopments. People,placesandthings(PPT)mappings existedinDDC22andwerebasedon statisticaloccurrence,mappingLCSHto DDCusingWorldCatrecordsassignedby theLibraryofCongress.Thereareover 50,000PPTmappingsbutthesewere droppedfromthecurrentDDCedition becausetheywereoutdated.Thereisnow aprojectrunningtoautomaticallyconvert PPTheadingsintoeditoriallymapped headingswhicharestartingtoappearon thecurrentversionofWebDewey.Thisis awelcomeadditionbecausetheLCSHto DDCmappingscanbeextremelyhelpful, especiallywhentrainingnewcataloguers.
PeterWerling,Pansoftfounder,provided anoverviewofnewDeweysoftware featureswhichincludemultilingual
MappingWorkshops
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Left:TheBibliotecaNazionalediNapoli;right:mappingworkshopintheBibliotecadiAreaUmanistica
WebDeweyandWebDeweySearch,and EliseConradiandHarrietAagaardended thesymposiumwithajointpresentation onDeweyasareferencetoolinSweden andNorway.ElisediscussedNorway’s117 yearhistoryofusingDDCandhowthe projectworkontheNorwegiantranslation willprovidebettersubjectaccessfor theenduser.Bothspeakersagreedthat goodmetadataiskeytoprovidingsubject accessthroughonlinecatalogues.
Lastyear’sexcellentsymposiumandDDC MappingWorkgroupMeetinginReykjavik promptedtheexpansionofthemapping workshopsinNaplestocovertwofull daysonthe15thand16thApril,priorto thesymposiumitself.Thelocationwas anotherremarkableNeapolitanlibrary,La BibliotecadiAreaUmanistica(BRAU)and theworkshopsconsistedofpresentations onspecificmappingprojectsandgroup worksessionstodecideonalistofbest practicesformappingprojects. StellaDextreClarke,aninformation managementconsultant,coveredbasic andhighlytechnicalconceptswhichshould beconsideredwhenplanningamapping projecttoaclassificationscheme. TinaMengelandLarsSvenssonofDNB, providedanoverviewofDeweybasics neededformappingandbringingDewey mappingsontothesemanticwebwhile GreteSeland,UniversityofOslo,provided a“survivalkitformappers”which emphasisedtheimportanceofcreating mappingtoolswhichbenefittheenduser. In-housemappingtoolswereadumbrated firstlybyUmaBalakrishnanand AndreasKrauszofVZG,andthenbyAre GulbrandsenfromtheUniversityofOslo. Thefinalspeaker,MauraQuaquarellifrom theUniversitàdiRomaprovidedabrief overviewoftheDDCmappingproject linkingWebDeweyandtheItaliansubject indexingtool,Nuovosoggettario. Theworkinggroupsessionsheldon16 Aprilprovidedaforumtodiscussmapping bestpractices.Thesepracticeshavebeen usedtocreateamappingpolicydocument whichhasnowbeenpublishedonthenew EDUGwebsite.
ALibraryofAsh andIdeas
WhenJoMaxwellattendedtheEDUG SymposiuminattheBibliotecaNazionale inNaples,shewasnotonlylinkingupwith contemporarylibraryissuesbutalsowith theonlylibrarytohavesurvivedfromthe ancientworld.
Twothousandyearsago,avilla overlookingtheBayofNapleshouseda roomusedbyRomanswhocamefrom acrosstheempiretostudy.Thelibrary, thoughttohavebelongedtoCalpurnius PisoCaesoninus,thefather-in-lawof JuliusCaesar,wasstockedwithtextsby prominentthinkersoftheday,inparticular volumesbythephilosopherPhilodemus, aninstructorofthepoetVirgil.
ThefamouseruptionofMountVesuviusin 79ADburiedPompeiiandHerculaneum, spectacularlypreservingmanyartefacts andresidents,includingthelibrary.In 1752,theexcavatedvillarevealedbundles ofrolledscrolls,carbonizedbytheintense
heatofthepyroclasticflowsandpreserved underlayersofcement-likerock.Further digsshowedthatthescrollswerepartof anextensivelibrary,earningthestructure thename‘VillaofthePapyri’.
Blackenedandwarpedbythevolcanic event,the1800scrollsfoundsofarhave provedachallengetoread.Somewere mechanicallyunrolled,buthundreds remainedtoofragile,lookinglikeclubsof charcoal.However,over200yearsafter theinitialexcavations,archaeologists havefoundawaytopeerinsidethescrolls usingx-raystoreadtextthathasbeen lostsinceantiquity.Theimagesproduced suggestthatthehandwritingstyleofone rolled-upscrollissimilartothatofthe EpicureanphilosopherPhilodemus.
Furtherandmorepowerfulx-raysare plannedthatofferthepromisethatmany philosophicalworksformthelibraryof the‘VilladeiPapiri’,mayinfuturebe decipheredwithoutcausinganydamage. Soon,wemaybeabletoreadthecontents oftheworld’soldestextantlibrary.
InJuly,theBritishVideoAssociation(BVA)heldthesecondinaseriesofvideoinsightforumsinLondon. Theeventfocusedonconsumers,contentandchangeacrossthevideoindustry,andWest10’sBen Robinswasamongthe200representativesattending.Here’sBen’sreport...
FilmFlourishingAcrossAllFormats
‘Consumers,ContentandChangeAcross theVideoCategory’washostedbyformer BBCRadio1DJandfilmenthusiastEdith Bowman,andfeaturedpresentationsand Q&Asessionswithvariousrepresentatives fromtheretailandresearchindustries.
AshortaddressbytheBVAChairand ManagingDirectorof20thCenturyFox HomeEntertainment,RobertPrice, reviewedtheyearinvideosofar.Thiswas followedbyfascinatingcontributionsfrom anumberofResearchDirectors,including RichardCooperfromIHS,SteveEvansfrom HarrisInteractive,andDaniSheenand HamishMcPharlinfromDecipherMedia Research.
PhysicalVideoStillAlive
Theirtalksfocusedlargelyonthechanging behavioursandspendinghabitsof consumersofvideoproducts,andthe recentriseofdigitalvideo,specifically on-demand,EST(electronicsell-through) andsubscriptionstreamingservicessuch asNetflix.Oneparticularlyinteresting observationwastheresilienceofphysical videoproductsinthecurrentmarket,with
salesofnewreleasefilmsonDVDandBluraysettoactuallyincreaseby2%in2015, despitethegrowingpopularityofdigital video.
IanDitcham,theCategoryDirectorat Tesco,andGidonKatz,theManaging DirectorofNOWTV,thenpresentedaview ofthemarketfromaretailperspective. IandiscussedthestepsthatTesco’s entertainmentdepartmentwastakingto tryandkeepupwithchangingconsumer behaviour,whileGidonfromNOWTV,which isanInternettelevisionserviceowned bySky,examinedthereasonsbehindhis company’sgrowingcustomerbase.
Givingupourmobiledevicestopickupa pairof3Dglasses,theaudiencethenhadan opportunitytogetanexclusive:clipsand trailersfromanumberofupcomingfilmand TVreleases,includingthenewMerylStreep movie‘Suffragette’,‘ThePeanutsMovie’, andtheeagerlyanticipatednewStarWars film,‘TheForceAwakens’.
Thevideoformat,whetherit’sphysical, digitalortheatricalremainsasexciting, innovativeandrelevantasever.
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“Theresearchcommissioned specificallyfortheeventusesthe latestshopperinsightstomap consumptiontrendsagainstfuture releasesanddemonstratehow distributersandretailerscanwork togetherasanindustrycollectiveto growconsumerengagementthrough leveragingamazingfranchisesand maximiseopportunityforcatalogue productthatwilldelightconsumers notonlyintheentertainmentaislebut rightacrosstheretailenvironment.” LizBales,CEOattheBVA Lefttoright:SteveEvansfromHarrisInteractive, RichardCooperfromIHS,andDaniSheen andHamishMcPharlinfromDecipherMedia Research,inconversationwithEdithBowman. Above:decipheringthecharredremainsofthe library;below:insideabuildinginHerculaneum
QualityandTimelinessImpress
BDSlikestowelcomevisitorstoitsHQinDumfries.Customers orpotentialcustomerscometoseetheBDSoperationwhichis benchmarkedasoneofthemostefficientatcreatingbibliographic records.Theyalsocometodiscussparticularrequirementsorto explorehowtoexpandtheirassociationwithBDS.
OnesuchrecentvisitwasfromtheillustriousBodleianLibrariesin Oxford.AlisonFelstead,HeadofResourceDescription,Bodleian Libraries,cameonafactfindingmission.Shewasgivenatour whichincludeddiscussionsanddemonstrationsandshemetsenior managementandcataloguers.
Aftertheevent,AlisonwrotetoLesleyWhytetothankthepeople atBDS:
“VerymanythankstoyouandyourstaffformakingmyvisittoBDS sointerestingandinformative.Themixoftalkingsessionsand demonstrationswasjustright,anditwasarealpleasuretomeet andspeakwithyourfriendlyandengagedstaff.Iwasparticularly impressedwiththeirdedicationtothequalityandtimelinessof yourproducts.Thankyoualsoforthedeliciouslunch,andthe opportunitytoshareknowledgeandexperiences.”
Alison’svisitfollowsonfromavisitfromWest10client,HMV,who alsoenjoyedatourofthepremisesandademonstrationofthe BDSoperation.
“Wearealwaysdelightedtoreceivevisitorswhoareinterestedin ouroperationatAnnandaleHouseinDumfries,”saysLesleyWhyte. “Overthepasttwentyyearswehaveestablishedamethodology fortheproductionofbibliographicrecordsthatnotonlyensures qualityandtimelinessbutalsoaquantityofoutputthatisthe envyofoperationsworldwide.Thisisduetothededicationofour staff,acquiredexperienceandhighlyefficientproductionmethods. Ourvisitorsarealwayssurprisedandimpressed,whichprovides positivefeedbackforallthestaffintheBDSGroup.”
IfyourlibrarywouldliketovisitBDStoseeanddiscusswhatBDS candoforyouroperation,pleasecontactLesleyWhyteat lesley.whyte@bibdsl.co.ukor01387702258.
NiceThingsPeopleSay
Overtheyearsourcustomershaveoften writtentoustomakepositivecomments aboutourproductsandservices.BDS isalwayspleasedtogetfeedback,not onlypraisebutobservationsthatallow ustoimproveourservicetoourclients: wealwaysstrivetogetbetterandinvite communicationofaconstructivenature. Butwethoughtwewouldcollectanddisplay someofthethingspeoplehavewritten because,ifnothingelse,theymayalert otherstotheadvantagesofworkingwith BDSmetadata.
AnewpageontheBDSwebsitehasbeen builttodisplaysomeofthethingsyou havewrittenaboutourworktogetherand theserviceweprovide.Itcanbefoundat: http://www.bibliographicdata.co.uk/ index.php/library_content/testimonials Youcanalsoaccessthepagefromour websitehomepage, www.bibliographicdata.co.uk andthen
clickonthelinkintherollinglogoswindow atthebottomleftofthepage.The testimonialspageisdividedupintosections onDirectSupplyServices,ClientBenefits andValue,Publishers,Visits,Trainingand Sponsorship.Itincludescontributionsfrom industryleaders,politicians,librarians,event organisersandcharities.
Ifyouhaveanythingyouwouldliketo tellusaboutanyoftheareasinwhichwe operate,we’dbeliketohearfromyou.From theBDSwebsitesimplyclickonContacts atthetopofthepageandaddressyour commentorquerytotherelevantperson. Itdoesn’thavetobepraise.Wehavefound overourmorethantwentyyearsofworking withcustomersthattalkingabouthowwe canimprovewhatweofferalwaysgets positiveresults.Ouraimisthatattheend oftheconversationyouwillonlyhavenice thingstosayandthatwecanpostitonour testimonialspage.
Editor:LesleyWhyte Writer:JohnHudson www.johnhudson.info BibliographicDataServicesLtd AnnandaleHouse TheCrichton,BankendRoad DumfriesDG14TA www.bibliographicdata.com www.bdslive.co.uk t:01387702251 e:info@bibdsl.co.uk Design:weesleekitltd www.weesleekit.co.uk
Above(lefttoright):AlisonFelstead;AndreaSherry;SuzanneJardine; LesleyCreamer
