BDSlife, Autumn 2022

TwomoretopuniversitieshavechosenBDSmetadatatoimproveuserexperienceand streamlineworkflowsintheirlibraries.

TheUniversityofSheffield,rankednumberoneintheworldforlibraryandinformationstudies,andAberystwyth University,votedtopinEnglandandWalesforstudentsatisfaction,signeduptotheBDSAcademicLibraryLicence thisAutumn.

“InsigninguptoBDS’ALLwefeelwearemakinganimportantsteptowardsstandardisingourmetadata workflowsresultinginbenefitsthatwecansharewithcolleaguesviaothercollaborativeprojects,”saysJonathan Davies,ResourceDiscoveryTeamLeaderatAberystwyth.“BDSrespondedtolibrarians’initialconcernsabout limitstoresharingaswellastohopesabout‘shelf-ready’metadataworkflowsandnowweareexcitedtogivethe licenceatry!”

TheadoptionofmetadataservicesfromBDSbysuchprestigiousinstitutions,includingtheUniversityofSheffield, amemberoftheRussellGroupandRLUK,representsaringingendorsementandfollowsothernotableearly adopterssuchasImperialCollegeLondon,UniversityoftheArtsLondon,SheffieldHallamUniversity,the UniversityofLiverpoolandTheTimesandSundayTimesUniversityoftheYear2023,theUniversityofBath.

“Wearenowseeinganumberofbenefits,”saysChrisBanks,Directorof LibraryServiceatImperialCollegeLondon.“Theseincludevaluefor moneycomparedwithourprevioussupplier,anintegrationwithour shelf-readyservice–somethingnotavailableviaourprevioussupplier,a betterenduserexperienceasshelf-readystockcannowbesentdirectly totherelevantcampuslibrarywithoutfirsthavingtocometoourCentral Libraryforcheckingandonwarddistribution,andhigh-qualityrecords.”

GainingMomentum

“MomentumisgrowingfortheBDSALLasuniversitiesarerealisingthe benefitsofadoptingaservicethatmeetstheobjectivesofPlanM,”says HeatherSherman,DirectorofAcademicLibraryOperationsatBDS.“I amalsodelightedthatournewcustomersarefindingBDS’s responsivenessandrenownedcustomerservicetotheirbenefitasthey integrateBDSmetadataintotheirworkflows.”

Consistentlyappliedstandardsandasinglesourcerecordareatthe heartoftheBDSAcademicLibraryLicencewhichalsoallowsthesharing ofrecordsandintervention-freeintegrationintoalibrary’sLMS.Such streamliningenablescataloguerstoconcentrateonspecialcollections andcustomisationwhichinturnimprovesend-userexperienceinthe libraryenvironment.

MetadataasaLibraryAsset

“Asasmallbutdedicatedteam,weatAberystwythUniversityhavea vestedinterestinseeingPlanM–anewmetadatamarketplace–come tofruition,”addsJonathanDavies.“Weneedtoreleaseourskilled metadataandacquisitionslibrariansfromdailychecksofmetadataof varyingstandardsandspendmoretimeonthinkingaboutour bibliographicmetadataasalibraryassetthatallowsustoraisethe profileofbothourcollectionsandourinstitutionalbrand.”

FindoutmoreaboutBDSmetadataforacademiclibrariesat www.bdslive.com/libraries/academic-libraries/ orcontactHeather Shermanon heather.sherman@bdslive.com,07711378086.

FormoreinformationonSheffieldUniversityInformationSchool,visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/is

ForinformationonAberystwythUniversityvisit www.aber.ac.uk/en/.

JENNYPRESENTSATROYALLIBRARY

Theintegration ofISNIintothe BDSmethod forrecord creationwas thetopicfor BDSChief Metadata Officer,Jenny Wrightatatwo dayconference

titledLinkedDataandInternational StandardsforCulturalHeritageheldat theRoyalLibraryofBelgium(KBR)in September2022.

Metadataandstandardsprofessionalsfromlibraries, publishersandagenciesacrossEuropeandNorth Americaattendedtheevent.Itsaimwastoraise awarenessandcementtheimportanceofLinked DataandStandardsinternationally.

BDSisanISNIRegistrationAgency(RAG).It integratesISNInumbersintoitsmetadataand assignsnewISNInumberswhennecessary.Itcan thenfeedthosenumbersbackintothemetadata supplychain.

TheInternationalStandardNameIdentifierorISNIis astandarddevelopedoverthepast10years.Itaims toensureclarityandcertaintywithintheglobal supplychainaroundthemillionsofcontributorsto creativeworksandthoseactiveintheirdistribution.

Itincludesresearchers,inventors,writers,artists, visualcreators,performers,producers,publishers, andaggregators.Gainingincreasingapproval,itis nowadoptedindiversecountriesandlanguages.

LinkingtotheFuture

ISNIoffersanopenstandard,machinereadable uniqueidentifierthatislinkable.Thismeansthat ISNI-enabledrecordscanconnecttotheWeb.

“ItisevidentthatISNIisausefulidentifier.Itcando exactlyasbilled:bridgedifferentdomainsand sectors,andthereforesolveproblemsof interoperabilitybetweensystemsandpractice,”says Jenny.

Herpresentationwastitled,Linkingtothefuture: ISNIsintheUKPublisherandLibraryMetadata Systems.ItbeganbylookingatTheBDSMethod,a systematicandrigorousmethodologyemployedby BDStoensureaccuracyandconsistencyinitsrecord creationfromONIXinputtoMARCrecord.Then JennymovedontoNameAuthorityfilesand demonstrated,viaanexampleofaBelgianauthor, howanISNInumberisintegratedintotherecord creationprocess.

“MytalksharedhowBDSisdevelopingwaysofusing ISNItoimproveefficiency,”addsJenny.“BDScan assignISNIstoapublishinghouse’sauthorsand provideitwithexistingISNIs.Thesearejustsome amongmanyadvantageousservicesandoptions.”

Jenny’spresentationisavailableonYouTubeat: https://youtu.be/L5-gqLYGc8c FindoutmoreaboutISNIat isni.org.

BDS:ASUPPLIEROFEXCELLENCE

BDShasretaineditsBICaccreditationasasupplierofexcellence.

ThescopeoftheawardcoversBIC’sareasofinterest andactivityacrossthesupplychain.Thisincludesthe provisionofproductmetadatausingONIXthroughto theefficientmanagementofreturnsandreportingof sales.

Theschemeenablesbookindustryorganisationsto demonstratetheefficiencyoftheirsupplychainsfor bothphysicalanddigitalproducts.Thus,theygain recognitionwithtradingpartnersandthebookindustry forbusinessefficiency,customerservice, environmentalconcernandinnovation.Itaimsto rewardcompaniesfortheirinvestmentinautomation andinnovativesolutionstothesupplychainissuesthey face.

“WearedelightedtoretainBICSCEAaccreditation.We havehelditsincetheawardswerefirstintroduced,” saysKeithWalters,TradeDataManageratBDS.

“Furthermore,today’sAwardsreflectchanging developmentsandenvironmentalconcernsaround supplychainmanagement.Itisthereforeparticularly encouragingthattheSCEApanelplaceBDSinthe selectfewawardwinners.”

ERICTAKESTHECHAIR

EricGreen,ManagingDirector,DigitalatBDS, undertookhisnewroleasChairpersonofthenewly formedISNIBookPublishingConsultationGroup.

TheGroupcomprisesrepresentativesfromtheglobalpublishing sector.Itincludespublishers,systemvendors,platformproviders, tradeassociationsandlibraries.TheBritishLibraryisalsopartof thegroupandworkingincloseassociationwithBDSandpublishers tointegrateISNIintoitsrecords.

“IchairedanenthusiasticgatheringoftheBookPublishing ConsultationGroup,”saysEric.“AstheISNIstandardgainstraction bothintheUKandinternationally,theGroupwillplayanimportant roleincreatingbestpracticeguidelinesandestablishingcrosssectorlinksthatwillhelppromotethebenefitsofISNIstoauthors, publishers,imprintsandthesupplychainatlarge.”

Twenty-fiverepresentativesattendedthemeetingandamongthetopicsdiscussedwereJennyWright’s presentationattheRoyalLibraryofBelgium(seearticlepage4).ThenextstepsonprogressingtheISNI standardwerecoveredasweretopicsforfuturemeetings.

Meetingswillbeheldquarterly,withthenextmeetingtobeheldonthe14thDecember.

“AttainingawiderangeofattendeesatthismeetingisvitallyimportanttoprogresstheISNIstandard.There isgrowinginterestinISNIworldwide,”saysEric.“Ilookforwardtothenextmeetingandexpandingthe numberoforganisationsrepresentedonthisGroupoverthecomingmonthsandyears.”

IfyouwouldliketofindoutmoreaboutjoiningtheISNIConsultationGroup,pleaseemail info@isni.org.For informationaboutjoiningtheISNIInternationalAgencytobecomeanISNIMemberorRegistrationAgency, pleasevisit isni.org/page/joining-isni.

BDSSPONSORSHEROES

TheannualBritishAssociationfor ScreenEntertainment(BASE)Awards tookplaceattheCamdenRoundhouse on6thOctober.BDSsponsoredthe CategoryHero–Operations.

CategoryHeroesarerecognisedfortheirindividual excellence,skill,commitmentanddedicationwithin theirrolesandteams.Theawardshinesaspotlight onindividualsandidentifiestheirextraordinary capabilitiesasrecognisedbytheirpeers.

TheBDSsponsoredsectionwasbusywithsix peoplesingledout:AdamRothwell,Merchandise Manager,EntertainmentatASDA;BenStoddart, BusinessandOperationsManager,VideoPublishing, DVDDepartmentattheBFI;FionaBall,Headof Production,UKHomeEntertainment,BBCStudios; JoHarris,HeadofOperations,SpiritEntertainment; RosieBurbidge,ProductionManageratSony Pictures,andTedHodgson,HeadofSupplyChainat BBCStudios.

“Whatafantasticlistofpeoplecommittedtothe keepingtheoperationofthehomeentertainment industryrunningefficiently,”saidBarrySmith, DirectorofSalesatBDS,whowaspresentonthe

night.“BDSisproudtosponsortherecognitionof theirachievements.”

TheBASEAwards,ofwhichthiswasthe42nd,brings theUKhomeentertainmentindustrytogetherina celebrationofthetalentandcreativityshowneach year.Thesectorisworth£3.3bntotheUKeconomy.

BDSsuppliesmetadatatoBASEandmanyother retailersandetailersworkingintheHighStreetand online.

BigstudiowinnersonthenightwereWarnerBros. Discovery,LionsgateUK,BBCStudioswhile marketing,packaging,distribution,innovationand retailwerecelebratedacross16categories.

Findoutmoreat https://base-awards.org

BDSMAKESMOVIES

BDShassetupaYouTubechannelto introduce,explain,entertainand supportitscustomersandpeople interestedinmetadataandBDS services.

Thechannelstartedwithapresentationthatwas recordedataNAGseminarinMay2022.

PreserveandDistributeKnowledge

ThankstothegenerosityofNAG,therecordingof thepresentationwasmadeavailabletoBDSandthe ideaofaYouTubechannelwasborn.

“Wehadtomakeafewadjustmentstoourweb architecture,”saysChrisMiller,SystemsAnalystand ProgrammeratBDSDigital.“Wewantedtoembed videoatrelevantpointsofthewebsitetoaidvisitors intheirunderstandingofBDSproductsand services.”

ThePotentialofVideo

However,thepotentialusesofthechannelsoon becameapparent.

“Wewereplanningarecruitmentdriveandwe wantedtoshowpeoplethatBDSwasagreatplaceto work,sowecreatedatwo-minutevideoaboutthe BDSworkplaceenvironment,”saysLesleyWhyte.“It notonlysitsatthetopofourvacancies’page (www.bdslive.com/job-vacancies)butwecanalso sendlinksandpromoteitviasocialmedia.”

Anotherusewastobroadentheexpressiverangeof articlesfeaturedinBDS’sonlinemagazine,BDSlife.A recentvisittoIreland’sfirsteverpubliclibraryoffered thechancetosequenceasseriesofphotographs intoabrieffilmwhichallowedformuchmorevisual contenttobepresented.Youcanviewthevideoin Ireland’sFirstPublicLibraryinthisissueofBDSlife (www.bdslive.com/bdslife-online/irelands-firstpublic-library).

Boththerecruitmentvideoandthemagazine featurecanalsobeviewedthroughtheYouTube channel,BibliographicDataServices, www.youtube.com/channel/ UCgSJQj7qsVgNfUG5Ob9dP4w

Plansareafoottouploadfeaturevideosonmembers ofstaff,“howto”videosandmoremagazine features.

BDSBACKSNAGAWARD

Thewinnerreceivesatrophy,prizemoneyand£100 isdonatedbyNAGtoacharityofthewinner’schoice. PreviouswinnershaveincludedBradfordLibraries, TheUniversityofKent,DerbyshireLibrariesandThe GuildhallLibrary.Winnersalsobenefitfromafree seminarorconferenceplacewheretheNAGAward willbepresented,andthewinnerwillpresentatthe followingyear’seventtosharetheirwork.

BDSissponsoringthisyear’sNational AcquisitionsGroupAwardfor Excellence.

Theaward,introducedin2011,promotesinnovation andoriginalthinkinginthefieldoflibrary acquisitions.Itisopentoindividualorteamentries.

“BDSisdelightedtosponsortheawardthisyearand wehope,foryearstocome,”saysLesleyWhyte. “Excellence,originalthinkingandinnovationare featuresthathavemadeBDSsuccessful,sowelook forwardtolearningmoreabouttheprojectsthatare supportingsuchworkinlibraries.”

LastyeartheawardwenttoHelenHall,InterLibrary LoanPrincipalLibraryAssistantintheAcquisitions andDocumentDeliveryDepartmentatthe UniversityofLiverpool.Herworkintroducedanew subscriptionmodelthatchallengedthetraditional transactionalformofinterlending.

Nominationsforthe2022Awardclosedonthe10th Octoberandthewinnerwillbeannouncedindue course.

FindoutmoreabouttheNationalAcquisitionsGroup atwww.nag.org.uk.

FindoutmoreabouttheNAGAwardforExcellence, includingpastwinnersat https://nag.org.uk/nagaward-for-excellence

BDSATTHEFRANKFURTBOOKFAIR

RepresentativesofBDSattendedthe FrankfurtBookFairforthefirsttimesince thepandemicstruckin2020.Managing Director,LesleyWhyte,andManaging Director,Digital,EricGreenmetwith customersandbookfairdelegates interestedinBDSmetadataonthe 19thand20thOctober.

Theannualeventreturnedtosomethinglikenormality aftertwoyearstroubledbylockdownsandtravel restrictions.TheU.S.publishingindustrywasbackon theinternationalsceneinstrength.

Accordingtosources93,000tradevisitorsattendedthe fair.Thisisanincreasefrom36,000in2021.Total attendeesincludingthepublicovertheweekendwere 180,000.Thisisstillhalfthenumberofrecorded attendeescomparedwith2019,whentheorganisers reported 302,267totalvisitors.

Thisyear’sfairalsosawapersonaladdressfrom Ukraine’sPresidentZelenskyandastrong representationfromtheUkrainianbookindustry.

“FrankfurtholdsaspecialplaceintheBDScalendar,”say EricGreen,ManagingDirector,DigitalatBDS.“Itwas ourveryfirstbookfairwhenweestablishedthe

companybackinthemid1990s,andwehavebeen comingbackeversince.”

Frankfurtistheworld’slargestandmostimportant bookfairandhasheldacentralplaceinthepublishing industrysincetheMiddleAgesandtheintroductionof print.

IfyouwouldliketomeetanddiscusstheprovisionofUK EnglishlanguagepublicationmetadatawithBDSwrite to sales@bdslive.com orcall+44(0)1387702251.

ALLGENERATESINTERESTATCONUL

BDSalreadysuppliesmetadatatoeveryIrishpublic libraryanditsofferingofmetadatatotheacademic sectorisbuiltuponnearlythirtyyearsofexperiencein thefieldofmetadataaggregation,curationandsupply. Aprocessofsignificantinvestmentinresourcesand relationshipswithacademicpublishersinorderto createaservicethatmettheexpressedrequirements ofPlanMisnowbearingfruit.

BDSmetadatadeliveredviatheBDS AcademicLibraryLicencegeneratedgreat interestwhenintroducedattheCONUL conference.Theeventtookplacein Limerick,Irelandearlierthisyear.

TheConsortiumofNationalandUniversityLibraries (CONUL)includesuniversitylibrariesinIrelandand NorthernIreland.BDSwasrepresentedbyHeather Sherman,DirectorofAcademicLibraryOperations,and DirectorofLibrarySales,SarahArmitage.Heathergave ashortpresentationonstreamliningmetadata workflows.

“CONULpresentedagreatopportunitytointroduce Ireland’suniversitylibrariestoBDSmetadatasupply,” saysHeather.“SarahandIreallyenjoyedtheevent, seeingLimerickandmeetingconferencedelegates. Manylibrariansapproachedusandexpressedinterestin workingwithBDS.

“AsmoreuniversitiesjointheAcademicLibraryLicence club,thebenefitsforallmembersgrows,”explains Heather.“It’saboutsharedknowledge,shared resourcesandsharedexperience,underpinnedbythe consistencyandaccuracyofBDSrecords.”

TofindoutmoreabouttheBDSAcademicLibrary Licence,contactHeatherShermanon heather.sherman@bdslive.com

Canyoutellussomethingaboutyour collectionandthemetadatayouuse?

Forme,alibraryisallaboutdiscovery. Howyoudiscoverwhatisinyour collectionhasgottobeintuitiveand good.Everything’saboutdiscoveryfor libraries,everythingwedo.

Ourcollegesshareacatalogue.Wehavea centralisedteamthatmanagesthiswhole area,whichreportstome,butwedon’t classifyeverythingexactlythesame becauseeachcollegehasaslightly differentfocus.Mostofourbooksareina verynarrowrangeof700sintheDewey DecimalClassificationscheme.Andso, it’sbetterforthemtoadoptslightly differentclassification,whichiswhywe provideclassificationtosuppliersrather thanaskingthemtoprovideclassificationforus,sothatthebrowsabilityisbetterontheshelvesforour students.Butwearebuyinginallthatmetadata.Now,it’smostlydonecentrallyusingBDSasourmetadata supplier.

SixcollegesformUniversityoftheArts

Ifyou’rebuyinginrecordsfromlotsofdifferentplaces,inconsistencywillcreepin.Andifit’sallabout discovery,whichitdefinitelyis,thenconsistencyisrightatthecentreofthat.

Lookingatthecritiqueofthemetadataenvironmentpriortothecurrentinitiativesdirectedtowards improvingthesituation,wereyougettingavariablesetofrecords?

WewerebigDawsoncustomersbeforeDawsonfoldedandwewouldbuycataloguerecordsfromthemand theywereofdecentenoughquality.Butbeingaspecialistartanddesigninstitution,wecan’tbuyallour booksfromonesinglesupplier.Webuyourbooksfrommultiplesuppliersincludingfromindividuals.Webuy strangeandwonderfulthingslikezines*.Wehavelargezinecollectionsinsomeofourcolleges.Webuyalot ofspecialthings.We’reoftenthefirstpeopletocataloguesomething.Webuyalotofthingslikeexhibition catalogues.So,weareoff-pistequitealot.Obviously,thebulkofourmaterialisbroughtfrommain, consortiaframeworksuppliers.Previously,wewouldpurchaserecordsfromoursuppliersandtheywere goodenough.Butthemorerelationshipsyouhavewithsuppliersofcontent,themorevariabilitycreepsinto thequalityofthemetadatayou’repurchasing.

ThemainreasonwhySiu-YingYipouracquisitionsandmetadatalibrarianwasinterestedinusingBDS metadatathroughtheAcademicLibraryLicencewastotryandbringasmuchaspossibleofthatunderone supplysource,sothatweonlyhavetodoonesetofcustomisationsandweknowthequalityandreliabilityof thatsource.

Therealpainpointformostlibrariansisthatebookrecordshavebeenpoorupuntilnowandparticularly variableacrosssuppliers.So,tohaveasourceofgoodquality,customisablerecordsfromBDSisareallybig thing.

DidyouhaveawishlistwhenyoudecidedtobecomeanearlyadopterusingBDSmetadatainyour library?

Yes.Thereleaseofcataloguingresourcesformorespecialistmaterial,areductioninthenumberofplaces wehavetogotoformetadata,andareductioninconversationswithsuppliers,obtainingconsistent,good qualitymetadatawhichwillreducetheamountofeditingandbatchupdatingwedoand,where customisationsarerequired,onlyhavingtohavethatconversationonceratherthanmultipletimeswith variableresults.Finally,wehopetoachieveefficienciesandintegrationwithourLMS.WeemployanOpenSourcelibrarymanagementsystem,sowetakeadifferentpathfrommanyotherlibraries,sothatisstillwork inprogress.

TheBDSphilosophyistosupplythebulkofalibrary’srequirements,andthusfreeupinstitutionstodo therestforthemselves.Isthatworking?

Thatwasoneofouroriginalaims.

*Azineisasmall-circulationself-publishedworkoforiginalorappropriatedtextsandimages,usuallyreproducedviaacopymachine. Zinesaretheproductofeitherasinglepersonorofaverysmallgroupandarepopularlyphotocopiedintophysicalprintsfor circulation.

Hasitfreeduptime?

Yes.It’sonlyjusthappening.Thepandemicdidn’thelp.Butifyou’reanearlyadopteryouexpect implementationandadaptationtotaketime.Oneofthebiggestaimsforme,asamanager,wastofreeup expertcataloguerstocataloguespecialcollections.Deliveryofthebulkofourmetadatathatisconsistent andbeingintegratedreadilymeanstheycandevotemoretimetothesecollections.

Ithinkit’salittlebitearlytosaydefinitivelythatit’sgoingtofreethemuppermanentlytodothisexpert workbutIthinkitwill.That’scertainlytheplan.I’mreallylookingforwardtothatbecausethat’swhatthey shouldbedoinginanageofspecialisms.

Doyouthinkcataloguerswereworriedabouttheideaofsomethingcominginthatsavestimeand resources,ordoyouthinkthey’rewelcomingit?

Ithinkthey’rewelcomingit,certainlywithinourinstitution,becausewehaveallthisotherstuffthatthey shouldnowhavetimetopayattentionto.

HaveyourealisedanyotherbenefitsfromusingBDSmetadata?

Therearesomanyelementsinvolvedinthisprocess.There’sourlibrarymanagementsystem.There’s BDS’smetadata.There’sProQuestaswell.Andit’saboutallthosepeopletalkingtoeachotherina meaningfulway,whichhasprogressedverysuccessfully.Ithinkmostoftheissueshavebeenaround communicationandmosthavebeensolved.

It’scertainlynotcostingusmuchmore,ifatall.Previouslywewouldbepayingforrecordsasreceived,now wepayayearlyfeeandthepaybackwillbeintheconsistencyoftherecordsandthereductioninthe numberofplaceswehavetogotogetstuff.Ifyoucangetbacktotheoriginalrecord,asyoudowithBDS, thenyou’vegotasoundrecord.

However,themainbenefitforus,Iwouldsay,isrelatedtoworkflow.Ourpreviousproblemsresultedfrom dealingwithmultipleplayers.Itmaybedifferentforotherlibrariesbutforus,it’saboutsmoothingoutthose workflowsandBDSisenablingustodothat.We’rereceivingrecordsaheadofpublicationthatweknoware accurateandconsistentandthatslotintoourworkflow.

IrememberSiu-YingdrewupanidealworkflowlongbeforeBDSoffereditsAcademicLibraryLicence.With thehelpofRayDelahuntyandsupportedbyPaulMellinger,colleaguesdidalltheveryhardworkofmaking theintegrationsbetweenBDS,PTFS(Koha)andProQuesthappen.Webelieveherdreamisbecoming reality.

ASTREAMLINEDAPPROACH

Beingaworld-famousresearchinstitution,howdoesyour librarykeepuptodatewiththelatestdevelopmentsin STEMsubjects?

Wehaveaverytargetedcollectionspolicyforboth researchersandundergraduates,andweareluckytobe reasonablywell-funded.Ourspendissomethinglike96to 97%electronic,primarilybecauseofthebigsciencejournals wesubscribeto.Wehavesixcampuslibraries,fiveofwhich arealsousedbyNHSstaffwhoareheavyusersofprinted material,probablybecausetheyhavelimitedaccessto resourceswhichareauthenticatedforCollegestudents.So wetryandcaterforeveryonebutthat’ssomethingwe’re lookingatinthefuture,namely,howtogetourNHSusers betterintegratedwithourcollection.

Theimpactonmetadataisthatalotofourelectronic resourcesarenowbundledupinpackagesandthemetadata isnotalwaysthatgreat.Ithink,certainlypre-BDS,alotof peopleinthissectorwouldsaythatebookrecordswere patchyatbest,becausetheywerecomingfromdifferent sourcesandtherewasn’tmuchinthewayofstandardisation.

AtImperialCollegewe’reverystandardised.Ithinkother, moretraditionaluniversitiesoftenhavebespoke classificationsandspecificationsforthingsliketheirLaw library,theirEnglishlibrary,ortheirDramalibrary,whichcan makethingscomplicated.WhereasatImperialwe’vetried overtheyearstostandardiseourcollectionsasmuchas possible.Wegeteverythingshelf-readywithonestandard classification,andthebookrecordsareuniform.

BeforeworkingwithBDS,howdidyoufindthequalityofthe metadatayouwereusing?

Unpredictable.Wegotmostofourmetadatashelf-ready fromsupplierssowewouldgenerallyassumeitwasokay.We knewitwasn’tabsolutelyperfect,butwedidn’thavethe capacityatCentralLibrarytocheckeverysinglerecord.AndPost-Covidwenowgetbookssentdirectlyto campuseswhodonothavecataloguingstaff,sohavingasinglesourceformetadatathatwecantrust,suchas wenowhavewithBDS,isevenmoreimportant.

It’sdifficultandtime-consumingtochecksomethingafterthefact.Whatyouwantishigh-qualitymetadatain placebeforeyougetthematerial–thequalityassuranceisatthebeginningoftheprocesssoyouknowthe recordsyouareingestingarenotgoingtobeproblematic,andwon’tneedcheckingorediting.

WouldyousaythatworkingwithBDSistransformingyourworkflow?

It’scertainlyhelpedmovesomeactivitiesintoourpre-existingworkflow.Streamliningthemetadataworkflow wasthecentralfeatureofwhatwewantedtodobyworkingwithBDS:toimprovequalityandachieve consistency,tobroadencoverageandstreamlineviaautomation.BDSrecordsareofconsistentlyhighquality, sowedonotneedtocheckoramendthem;andtheysupply90%ofourmetadata,soweeasilyhavethe capacitytocatalogueanyremainingtitlesin-house.Andifthat90%figureincreasesovertime,thiscouldhelp thewholesector,notjustImperial.

IntroducingBDSatthisstagewashelpfulbecausewewerelookingforminimuminterventionbyourteam.So it’sgreatthatthematerialwhichiscomingdirectlytothelibraryhasmetadataassociatedwithitwhichis alreadyqualityassured.Itisimperativeforus,really,withthescaleofouroperationinCentralLibraryand acrossourcampuses.

Youreferredtothewholesector.Doyouseesinglesourcemetadataprovisionasthewayforward?

We’vebeentalkingaboutthisforyearsandyears,abouthowprettymuchallinstitutionswantthesamething. Thewholeideaofmetadataistohaveasinglepointofinformation.Itmakesnosensetohave200different versionsofarecordwhichareallslightlydifferentandofvariablequality.So,untilakindofsector-wide communaleffortemergeswherewegettogetherandwetrytostandardisetogether,havingsomeonewitha goodreputationwhohasbeendoingitforyearsseemsanobvioussolution.

TheQueen’sToweratImperialCollegeLondon

ANINTERVIEWWITHANDREWKNIGHT, ACQUISITIONSANDCONTENTSERVICESMANAGER &JENNIFERMAY, METADATASERVICESCO-ORDINATORATIMPERIALCOLLEGELONDON

Sofar,hasitbeenworththeinvestment?

Yes.Itiscostingroughlythesameperrecordasbefore,buttherecordsarebetterandthequalityis guaranteed.BDSistheindustrystandard,justlikeyouhaveineveryotherindustry.Andfromauserpointof view,italwayscomesdowntothesamething:isiteasytofind?Ifwehaven’tachieveddiscoverability,it’s pointlessbuyingtheresource,especiallywithonlinematerial.Andwe’remakinglifemoredifficultforusers tofindsomethingifwehavenon-standardmetadata.

Wehavetothinkaboutthatallthetime.So,evenifwedidhavetospendabitmoremoneydoingit,it’dbe worththeinvestment.Becauseifwe’vegot100,000booksinacatalogueanduserscan’tfindhalfofthem, it’smoneyandeffortcompletelywasted.

Ofcourse,therearethingswewillbuythatmightneverbeused,justbecausethat’sthenatureoflibraries. Butourjobasanacquisitionsteamistomakesurethatwegivethemasgoodachanceaspossible.Akey partofthat,especiallywiththeelectronicmaterialandespeciallynowallcataloguesareonline,isitsvisibility. Howgoodisitsrecord?Howdiscoverableisit?Ifyoudoakeywordsearch,willyougettherightresults?

Thisiskeytousandit’soneofthemainreasonswewantedtotackleitwithBDS.

WeretheremanyteethingtroublesgettingBDSmetadataanddeliveryintoyourworkflow?

Wenormallyhavetodoabitofengineeringwithanewproduct,tofigureitout:youknow:“it’sdesignedto dothisandwewantittodothat.”Thatprocesshelpsyouseewhereitalreadyworksandwherethere’s probablygoingtobeacoupleofthingsthatneedtweaking.Thatiscompletelynormalforanykindoflibrary systemsmodification.

AndIsupposewe’rereasonablyluckyhereatImperialthatwehavetheresourcestodothat,andwelike workingwithpeopleanddevelopingthings.AndalthoughI’vesaidwe’regenerallyverystandardisedbutwe dosometimeshavesomeslightlyoddthingsthatwedointermsofworkflow.So,it’saboutsquaringallof that,gettingittowork,puttingthetimeandtheeffortintodoingit.

Butwearenowatastagewherewearehappywiththeproduct,anditisworkingforusinthewayswe’d hoped.

Finally,havetherebeenanyunexpectedbenefitsfromworkingwithBDS?

OneofthesuccessfulthingsthatcameoutofthisprojectwasourworkingrelationshipwithBDS, particularlywithHeather(Sherman).Wespoketoheralot.BDShasbeenreallyresponsivetoourrequests forthingsthatwe’dlike.Thathasbeenreallyhelpful.Butthere’snotreallybeenanythingunexpected becausewe’vebeenabletotailortheproducttosomedegree.Wespentalotoftimetalking.Wewouldask forsomethingandifitdidn’twork,we’dgobacktoBDSviaHeather,andshewasreallygoodwiththe developmentteaminterpretingwhatwewereasking.

Itsoundslikeagoodworkingrelationship. We’reinitforthelong-haul.

ItisIreland’sfirstpubliclibrary,ithas captivatedgreatIrishauthors,including JonathanSwift,CharlesRobertMaturin, BramStoker,andJamesJoyce,itwasbuilt byamannamedNarcissus,anditremains virtuallyunchangedincontentand appearancesinceitwascompletedinthe early1700s.

ItiscalledMarsh’sLibraryand ithouses25,000booksand 300manuscripts.Topics reflecttheintellectual passionsofthelate Renaissanceand Enlightenmentwiththe added,eccentrictwistofthe menwhocontributedtheir collectionstobeshelvedin thequarter-planedGerman oakbookcases.

Theology,chemistry,nearEasternlanguages,natural philosophy,astronomy,mathematics,medicineand moreareorganisedintothreesections,reflectingthe library’sfourmajorcollections.Eachsectionisthen dividedintotopicsandshelvedaccordingtosize,the largerthebook,thelowertheshelf.

TheMostReverendNarcissusMarsh(1638-1713), ChurchofIrelandArchbishopofDublin,aformer ProvostofTrinityCollege,wasaproductofthe Enlightenment.Heplannedhislibrarywithzealand significantpersonalinvestment.Notonlydidhe bequeathhisowncollectionofbooks,healso purchased,for£2,500,thecollectionofBishopEdward Stillingfleet,comprisingover10,000volumesand regardedasoneofthefinestinEngland.

ThefirstHeadLibrarianorKeeper,ashewascalled,was aFrenchHuguenotexilefromLaRochelle,namedElie Bouhéreau(1643–1719),divineandmedic,‘an ingeniousandwell-learnedman’whoaddedhis personallibraryandacollectionofprescriptions.John

Stearne,BishopofClogher,bequeathedhiscollectionin 1745,thefinalsignificantadditiontothelibrary.

Marsh’sLibraryisacolourfultreasureamongDublin’s manyliterarygems.Butwhybuildthisremarkableand unusuallibraryonlyashortwalkawayfromTrinity CollegeDublinanditsfamouslibrary?

Significantly,Marsh’sLibrarypredatesthebuildingof TrinityCollegeDublin’sLongRoombyseveralyearsand, NarcissusMarsh,somesay,heldtheTrinityCollege collectioninpoorregard.AformerProvostwouldknow; maybehehadfoughtforimprovementsatTrinityand failedtogetbacking.Whatever,Marshdedicatedland attachedtohisownArchbishop’sPalacealongwitha smallplotgrantedfromStPatrick’sCathedralin1701, andbuildingbeganin1703.Thelibrarywasformally establishedbyanActoftheIrishParliamentin1707, andasecondgallerywasaddedin1708or1709,three yearsbeforeTrinity’sLongRoomwasevenbegun.

APublicLibrary

Today,Marsh’sLibraryisopentothepublic;itisalsoa touristattraction,visitedbypeoplefromaroundthe worldwhowishtoliveandbreatheareal,early eighteenth-centurylibrary.23,000madethepilgrimage in2015,accordingtofigures.However,theclaimthatit isIreland’sfirstpubliclibrarymustbeputintocontext. PublicmeantProtestant,male,andcarryingaletterof recommendationfromatutoratTrinityCollege.

Amemberofthepubliccouldn’tsimplywalkinand borrowabook,nortakeonefromtheshelf unannouncedandstrollintothereadingroom.Books, formostofhistory,havebeenvaluable,fragileandrare. Thisratherstrictpictureissomewhatmollifiedbya visitorregisterwhichbeganin1826.Womenarelisted and,apparently,theyweresometimesunaccompanied bymen!

TheMostReverendNarccissusMarsh

Overitsmorethan300years,thelibraryhasattracted someremarkablevisitorsandresearchers.In1902,a youngJamesJoycesoughtouttheapocalypticwritings ofamedievalmonknamedJoachimofFiore.Joyce mentionsMarsh’sLibraryinbothUlyssesand Finnegan’sWakeaswellasinhisearlywork,Stephen Hero.

“DuringhiswanderingsStephencameonanoldlibrary inthemidstofthosesluttishstreetswhicharecalled oldDublin.ThelibraryhadbeenfoundedbyArchbishop Marshandthoughitwasopentothepublicfewpeople seemedawareofitsexistence.”

Anotherwell-knownfigure,whowascertainlyawareof thelibrary’sexistence,wasBramStoker,authorof Dracula.Stoker’svisitsasayoungmanareparticularly interestingfor,atthetimeandduetothefts,thelibrary hadinstigatedasystemlistingallthebooksthatwere consulted.

Stokerhadapenchantforpopulistpamphletsofthe 17thcentury,especiallythoseofsectarianpolemic, witchcraft,burnings,astrologyandthe“vileacts”ofthe Jesuits,asProtestantpamphleteersbrandedthem.He alsoconsultedmapsandtravelwritingonthe borderlandsbetweenChristendomandIslaminEurope, notablyTransylvaniaandWallachia.

GhostsandGothicHorror

Thetwolibrarygalleries,thesecondatrightanglesto thefirst,offercontrastingenvironments,thenewer galleryfeelingconsiderablychillierduetoitnortherly aspect.Thismayaccountforthemanystoriesof haunting.TheghostofArchbishopMarshreportedly rummagesthroughthebookcasesofhisowncreation aftermidnight.However,equallymacabrearethecages inthesecondgallerywherelesstrustworthyreaders wouldbelockedinastheyconsultedtheirrequestsso thattheycouldnotpilferitems.

Today,theLibrarydisplaystemporaryexhibitionsthat focusonaspectsofitscollections.GothicHorrorwas exploredin“Ragged,LividandonFire”abouttheauthor CharlesRobertMaturin(1780-1824),aflamboyantand eccentriccuratewhopublishedpopularnovelswith romanticorsupernaturalthemes.Hewrotemanyof these,includinghisbrooding,gothicmasterpiece “MelmoththeWanderer”,thestoryofamanwhosells hissoultotheDevilinexchangeforanother150years oflife,inMarsh’sLibrary.

In1825,ayearafterMaturin’sdeath,SirWalterScott,a friendandcorrespondent,visitedthelibraryandfound “adeskofratherrudeworkmanship”thatMaturinhad constructed“withhisownhands”andwhichhewould movefromplacetoplacearoundthelibraryasitsuited hisreadingandwriting.

BulletHoles

Themostmodernfeatureinthelibrary,apartfromthe WiFiaccesspoints,isbulletholes.Theseremainasa witnesstotheEasterRisingof1916whenThomas MacDonaghseizedJacob’sbiscuitfactory200yards away.AmachinegunbelongingtoBritishforcesstrafed theareaandbulletswhizzedaroundtheusuallysilent bookshelves.Mostofthebooksdamagedintheassault hadbelongedtoÉlieBouhéreau,thefirstlibrarianand nostrangertosocialupheavalinhisday.

Marsh’sLibraryisaremarkablesurvivor,aninstitution thatdoesn’tflauntfrescoes,plasterputtiandmarble colonnadesintentuponmakingusmarvelattheriches ofprincesandemperors.Itstandsasahumbleand fascinatingendeavourbuiltatthedawnofanewera whenthehumanmindbecameatooltounlockthe mysteriesoftheuniversethroughbuildingknowledge andreasonedenquiry.

Itis,perhaps,ironic,therefore,thatalongsideitstales ofhauntings,manyofitsfamousresearchersuseditas asourceforbooksandpamphletsonapocalyptic visions,superstitionandnecromancyordiscoursesthat attempttojustifyreligiousintolerance,albeitwiththe aimoftranscendingthem.Butthisiswhatisso compellingaboutMarsh’sLibrary:itbearswitnessto thegrowthofthehumanmind,anditallowsustolook andinspectthatgrowth.

Ifyouwanttoknowwhatintellectuallifewaslikeatthe beginningoftheeighteenthcentury,allyouneeddois timetravelbacktotheEnlightenmentbyvisiting Marsh’sLibrary.

TheLibraryissituatedinStPatrick’sClose,Dublin8and hasanexcellentwebsitewhichincludesacatalogueand asectionwheremostofthepreviousexhibitionscanbe viewedinonlineformatat www.marshlibrary.ie,or followthelibraryonTwitter@MarshsLibraryforregular featuresandnews.

WHATBETTERPLACETHANDUBLIN?

Afterathree-year intervalwheninpersonconferences hadtobecancelled, the87thWorldLibrary andInformation Congresshappened “live”inJuly2022. Dublin,Cityof Literaturewasan appropriatechoice.

Idon’timaginethatthe organisingcommittee anticipatedthelongroad aheadwhenthevenuewas announcedattheclosing ceremonyofthe85th conferenceinAthensin2019. Inthemeantime,anonline eventkeptpeopleconnected but,asmycolleague,JennyWrightobserved,there’s nothingquitelikethebuzzofcatchingupwithfriends andprofessionaldevelopmentsinperson.

TheDublinConventionCentre,overlookingtheriver Liffeyandstrikingadramaticmodernistposeinthe developingdocklandsareaofDublin,wasonlyashort walkfromthebarsandlivemusicforwhichthe“fair city”issofamous.Iamsurethelibraries,museums andliteraryconnectionsofthecitywereenjoyedby the2,000delegatesfrom100countries.

KeynoteSpeaker

Theopeningceremonysetsthesceneforthe conference.AfterawarmwelcomebytheMayorof Dublin,andrecognitionoftheofficiallanguagesof IFLA,includingonthisoccasion,IrishGaelic,the keynotespeaker,MaryRobinsonwasintroduced.

MaryRobinson,the7thPresidentofIrelandandthe firstwomantoholdthisposition,hascontinuedto makeadifferencetotheworldsincesheleft governmentoffice,becomingafoundermemberand thecurrentChairofTheElders,anindependentgroup ofgloballeaderswhocontributetheirwisdomto tacklingsomeoftheworld’smosttaxingproblems, suchahumanrights,justiceandclimatechange.

MaryRobinsonspokeeloquentlyaboutthecauses closetoherheartthatkeephermotivatedfor change,includinggenderequalityandclimatejustice. Thelatterthemewastore-emergeinvarious sessionsduringtheconference.

ACompressedConference

IFLAisalwaysapackedconference,buthavingit compressedintothreedaysinsteadoftheusualfive madeitevenbusierthanusual.

Oneofthehighlightsisalwaystheculturalevening, whenthehostnationshowcasesaspectsofits country.Thevenueforthisparticularculturalevening wasalibrarywithsignificantconnectionstoBDS:the libraryoftheseasidetownofDunLaoghaire.

MyinnerlibrarianwasconcernedwhenIthought aboutthecombinationofbooks,foodandwine,butin fact,thebuildingwasideallysuitedtohostingthe occasion.Locatedonfourfloors,thelibrarywas openedin2014,anditdoublesasaculturalcentre.It isaspectacularbuildingoverlookingthewaterand beautiful,dramaticsunsets.Ican’trecallbeingina libraryinamorestunninglocation.

BDSMetadataPlayingItsPart

Ihavetoadmittotakingalookatthebooksonthe shelveswithasenseofpride.In2014BDSwas involvedinsupplyingrecordsforthecatalogueofthis newlibrary,inconjunctionwithouragentinIreland, Interleaf.Itwasextremelysatisfyingtofeelthatwe hadplayedasmallpartinbringingsuchanimpressive projecttofruition.

TheinteriorofthelibraryatDunLaoghaire

Astheenjoyableeveningprogressed,thedelegates wereentertainedbygiants,Irishdancersand musicians.JennyWrightandIhadalongconversation with“JamesJoyce”,whowasrecitingpassagesfrom “his”mostfamouswork,Ulyssesandinremarkably goodfettleconsideringhewasburiedinZurichover 80yearsago.

IrishLiteraryGenius

Attheendoftheconference,Imadetimetovisitthe readingroomoftheNationalLibraryofIreland,an impressive50feethighdomedhorseshoe-shaped edificethathashostedsomeofIreland’sgreatest literaryfigures.

IalsovisitedtheimpressiveMuseumofLiterature, whichemploysinnovativeandengagingmeansto presentthegreatIrishtraditionoftellingstorieswith finewords.Whilemuchofthemuseumfocuseson JamesJoyce,italsopresentsthestrengthanddepth oftheIrishliterarygenius,includingitsfourNobel Laureates,anditsmanyinnovators,wits,satiristsand singers.Therecanbenodoubtthattheworldisa richerplaceduetoIrishletters.

Theconferencesessionsofferedcontentrelatedto allaspectsoflibrarianship,whichispartofitsappeal, bringingtogetherideasandexpertisefromallpartsof theworld.IFLA,weallmissedyou.Ilookforwardto meetingupagainwithcolleaguesforthoughtprovokingdiscussionandexchangeofideasin Rotterdamin2023.

CATALOGUES,CATALOGUERS&STANDARDS

JennyWrightreportsonsomeofthetechnicaldiscussionsfromIFLA’sWLIC2022…

Afterthreeyearsworkinginthevirtual worldofZoom,WLICliveinDublinwas alwaysgoingtobeabusyaffair.

Therewerethingstoironout,methodologiesto agree,standardstodiscuss,committeestoattend, meetingstochairandoldfriendstogreet.The pressuremountedduetotheconference’s compression.Thismeantthattherewouldbe unfinishedbusinesstoresolveoncewewerebackat homeorintheoffice.

Indeed,manydelegatesexpressedaconcernabout lossofimpetusasaresultofthisconferencelasting threeratherthanthetraditionalfivedays.

WhatItTakestoBeaCataloguer

Therewereimportantdiscussionsaroundstaff competenciesandtrainingneeds.Thisissomething theCataloguingSectionandSubjectAnalysisand AccessgroupswithinIFLAarenowcooperatingon. ItisatopicalsoofconcerntotheMDG(Metadata DiscoveryGroup).Awhitepaperwithproposals aimingtoaddresstheseissuesfromtheCataloguing SectiongroupshouldbeproducedbyDecember.

OversightofIFLAStandards

AsIamamemberoftheeditorialgroupworkingon updatingtheMultilingualDictionaryofCataloguing TermsandConcepts,Iwasparticularlyinterested andinvolvedwithmeetingsthataddressedthe exposureofdifferentIFLAstandardsusing terminologydifferently,andsometimesin contradictionofeachother.

TheCataloguingSectionisthereforepushingforthe CommitteeonStandardstoaddressthisand formalisethecoordinationbetweenstandards.

There’sgoodbasisforasolidsuiteofIFLAmetadata standards.However,thereneedstobebetter coordinationintermsofwhatisreviewedwhen, sinceeachshouldfollowtheother.It’scriticalthat thestandardsshouldnotcontradicteachother.

Therewasprogressinclarifyingwhoisresponsible fordirectingthatworkalongsideaproposalbythe CataloguingSectionforataskforce,setuptotake thisforward.

IFLANamespaces

IFLANamespaceslaunchedinJuly2020.Thiswas thefirstin-personconferencefortheLinkedData TechnicalSub-Committee(LIDATEC)todiscuss them.Thiswebpresenceallowsforlinkeddata accesstovariousIFLAStandards.Theseincludethe FRBRVocabularies,theISBDVocabularies,the UNIMARCVocabularies,andMulDiCat.Thenext standardtobeincludedwillbetheLRM(Library ReferenceModel).

TheInternationalCataloguingPrinciples(ICP) ReviewGroupsought,andgainedpermission,todo arevision.Thestandardneedstoencompass differenttypesofresourcesandaddressmodern technologicalneedsmorebroadly.

Findoutmoreat https://www.iflastandards.info

OpenAccess

Imanagedtoattendonesessionoutwiththe ‘normal’metadatafocussedones.Thesubjectwas “IntegratingOpenAccessContentintothe Collection:ChallengesandOpportunities”.

Aninterestingpaneldiscussionhighlightedvarying issueswithopenaccessmaterials,notleastofwhich wasidentifyingOAresourcesthatonecould acquire.ThephilosophybehindOAispositive,but thepracticalrealityistricky.Ifsomethingis‘free’ thenitgenerallycomeswithfewifanyservices, includingdecentmetadata.Andwithoutmetadata, it’shardtodiscoverit…

WhatDoesQualityMetadataMean?

Thesessionattracteddelegatesandthediscussion wentdownwell,generatingthought-provoking commentsandquestions.

AMARRIAGEMADEINDUMFRIES

Mozart’sTheMarriageofFigaro,oneof theworld’smostfamousandpopular operas,wasperformedinDumfriesas partofthe2022AbsoluteClassics Festival.

SponsoredbyBDS,Mozart’scomedyoflove,lustand mistakenidentitywasstagedbyOperaBohemia.

Nearly250peoplefilledthetheatre.Theperformance wasprecededbyabuffetreception,alsosponsoredby BDS,withguestsfromBDSstaff,AbsoluteClassics supportersandfriendsoftheartsintheDumfriesand Gallowayregion.

“BDSispleasedtocontinueitssupportofAbsolute Classics,”saysLesleyWhyte.“Theannualfestivaland year-roundseriesofconcertsalongsidetheeducational programmehasmadeahugedifferencetothecultural lifeandexperienceoftheregionofDumfriesand Galloway,whereBDSisbased.”

ExuberantandWonderful

Mozart’soperawassubversiveinitstimeandremains anastutecommentontheabuseofpower.First performedin1786inVienna,itfeaturesacorruptruling classcompetingagainstandunderminedbythehonest andintelligentworkingmanandwoman.Such sentimentseventuallyeruptedintotheFrench Revolutionjustafewyearsaftertheopera’sopening night.

“Wehadawonderfulfestivalandthisperformanceof TheMarriageofFigarowastheperfect,exuberantway tobeginalongweekendofsuperbmusicalevents,”says AlexMcQuiston,ArtisticDirectorofAbsoluteClassics. “Ouraudiencelovedit.

“I’dliketothankBDSforitsgeneroussponsorshipfor thisperformanceandthereceptionforsupporters whichwentsomewaytorecognisingthehugeeffort neededtorealisetheAbsoluteClassicsFestival.”

FindoutmoreaboutAbsoluteClassicsat www.absoluteclassics.co.uk.FindoutmoreaboutOperaBohemiaat www.operabohemia.com

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