Aberdeen

Aberdeen Art Gallery And Museums, James Mcbey Memorial Print Room And Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB9 1FQ.

TEL 01224 523700.

Email info@ aagm.co.uk.

Web www.aagm.co.uk/ Venues/ AberdeenArtGallery/ aag- overview.aspx.

This is the working library of the Art Gallery and Museum, and has been developed since the present accommodation was provided by the widow of James McBey in 1961. The library holds c.10,000 books and some 5,000 exhibition catalogues, the majority of which are art-related. Collection covers the whole field of art, with emphasis on 20th-cent. British work. There is a special collection of c.200 books and memorabilia that belonged to James McBey (1883–1959), etcher and artist, presented in 1960 by his widow.

Aberdeen University Library, Special Collections Centre, the Sir Duncan Rice Library, Bedford Road, Aberdeen AB24 3AA.

TEL 01224 272598.

Email speclib@ abdn.ac.uk.

Web www.abdn.ac.uk/ library/ about/ special.

King's College, founded in 1495, and Marischal College, founded in 1593, were separate universities until ‘fusion’ in 1860. Each had its own library, and each attracted gifts and bequests of books over the centuries, a practice of acquisition which has continued since 1860. In 2011, special collections were relocated from long-term accommodation at King's College to the newly-opened Sir Duncan Rice Library. The printed book collections in the Special Collections Centre extend to c.230,000 v., 15th–21st cent.

I. Beavan, P. Davidson and J. Stevenson (eds), The Library and Archive Collections of the University of Aberdeen: an Introduction and Description (2011)

J. R. Pickard, A History of King's College Library, Aberdeen, 3 v. (1987)

alford Mutual Improvement association library.

C.1,700 v., mainly 19th cent. Founded 1839, with further additions made in 1920s. Good example of a 19th-cent. rural county library. Particular concentrations in popular Victorian literature (esp. novels), geology and natural history.

bernard C. lloyd Walter Scott collection. C.6,000

v. written, edited or with contributions by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832). Primarily 1st edns of all Scott's writings in English and other European languages, together with secondary biographical and critical literature, 18th–21st cent., and other works, ranging from operatic libretti to comic strips, adapting or inspired by Scott.

A. Lumsden, ‘The Bernard C. Lloyd Walter Scott Collection’, in Beavan, Davidson and Stevenson (see above), 278–279

Armagh

Armagh Public Library, 43 Abbey Street, Armagh Bt61 7DY.

TEL 028 3752 3142.

Email admin@ armaghpubliclibrary.co.uk.

Web http:/ / armaghpubliclibrary.arm.ac.uk/.

Armagh Public Library is the oldest public library in Northern Ireland, founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson as part of his plans to establish a university and to improve Armagh City. The basis for the collection was Archbishop Robinson's own library, which contains 17th- and 18th-cent. books on theology, philosophy, classics and modern literature, travels, history, medicine and law. The collection consists of MSS, incunabula, periodicals, books and pamphlets from the 12th cent. to the present day. The predominant subject is history, with an emphasis on Ireland and Britain. Current acquisition areas are: Saint Patrick, Jonathan Swift, local history (Armagh City and County), church history. The library holds 25,196 early printed works, including 7 incunabula, 510 16th cent. works, 5,767 17th cent., 11,068 18th cent., and 8,046 19th cent. Main languages are English, Latin, and Greek. A copy of Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726) contains emendations in his own hand.

J. Dean, Catalogue of the Books in the Keeper's Room (1924)

J. Dean, Sketches of Primate Robinson, His Library and Armagh History (1930)

G. McKelvie, Early English Books in Armagh Public Library: a Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed before 1641 (1977; mounted on website)

W. Reeves, A Memoir of the Public Library of Armagh (1886)

G. O. Simms, ‘The Founder Of Armagh's Public Library: Primate Robinson among his Books’, Irish Booklore, 1 (1972), 17–20

D. R. M. Weatherup, ‘The Armagh Public Library, 1771–1971’, Irish Booklore, 2, 2.5 (1975), 269–99

Belfast

Belfast Central Library, Libraries NI, Royal Ave., Belfast, Bt1 1EA.

TEL 028 9050 9150.

Email belfast.central@ librariesni.org.uk.

Web www.librariesni.org.uk.

Belfast first adopted the Public Libraries Acts in 1882, and the Central Library was opened 6 years later in 1888. The present special collections fall into 2 groups: the Heritage collection, and a general ‘fine books’ collection. The Heritage collection owes much of its size and quality to 2 substantial private collections, that of Francis Joseph Bigger (d.1926), c.3,000 v. presented by his brother in 1927, and the bequest of John Smyth Crone (d.1945). Many of the early printed books in the general collection were given by Canon John Grainger shortly before he died in 1891.

H. Frazer, ‘Local History Collections in Belfast’ (London, LIS MA thesis, 1976), 48–61

Abingdon

Abingdon School, Park Crescent, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 1DE. TEL 01235 521563. Email library@ abingdon.org.uk.

*The school was founded in or before 1256, and moved to its present premises in 1870. The bulk of the school library founded in 1740 by subscription still survives. Other rare books were given by former pupils, many in the 18th cent., which still bear elaborate inscriptions recording the donor's name and the date, or by French prisoners of war confined at Abingdon during the Seven Years War (1756–63); some have been added by later purchase or benefactions. The rare books collection numbers c.100 books, 1535–late 19th cent., largely humanities, with special strengths in classics and early school books, including works by Thomas Godwyn, a Headmaster of the School (1587–1642), and works by Peter Heylyn, Chaplain to Charles I, who lived in Lacies Court (now the Headmaster's house) during the Cromwellian period.

Separate handlist of rare books; includes notes of provenance.

Radley College, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 2HR. TEL. 01235 543041. Email archives@ radley.org.uk. Web www.radley.org.uk/ library.

*Richard Morgan library. The College was founded in 1847 and rare books have been donated to the library since then by various benefactors. The library's stock totals c.34,000 v., of which c.1,000 are rare. These include very few 16th- and 17th-cent. items; a collection of Italian imprints; classics; Foulis press books of the 18th cent.; a printed Roman Psalter by Plantin, 1717, and Antiphonal by Plantin, 1773; an incomplete set of ‘Cheap Edition’ of Dickens, 1847–52, boxed in original parts; plate books, especially ornithology and topography, of the 19th cent.; a collection of 19th-cent. works of the Founder, William Sewell and his family; fine private press folios of the 20th cent.; and the Simon Heneage Walker Collection of 20th-cent. books on cartoons and caricatures. In-house database.

Accrington

Accrington Library, St James’ Street, Accrington, Lancs BB5 1NQ. TEL 0300 123 6703. Email accrington.library@ lancashire.gov.uk. www.lancashire.gov.uk/ libraries.

Community history collection. Over 7,000 titles covering the Hyndburn district, including Accrington and the surrounding towns. Books, pamphlets, maps, plans, commemorative literature, political and election publicity, early directories, electoral registers and poll books, and local newspapers on microfilm. The Richard Broughton collection of books on local history is incorporated in the main collections.

Getting into position

Developing relationships requires energy and that needs to come from us. It takes time to build trust and confidence between people, especially in such a hectic work environment as a school, so persistence and resilience is essential. How can librarians stay positive when, as we have seen, others are unlikely to find the time or energy to come to us with ideas? We need to ensure that we position ourselves so that we can capitalize on possible opportunities and this depends on us being alert, proactive and determined. Our aim should be that in the longer term, when our role is well established in the minds of senior leadership and staff, we will automatically be involved in the school decision-making process.

Good positioning requires research and awareness on our part. Who are the budget holders in the school? What are the current big projects (e.g. demonstrating pupil progress, social inclusion for all, independent learning)? When we have answered these questions we should consider how and what we can contribute. If we can go to a project manager with a proposal or solution this will allow us to be identified as someone who is knowledgeable, who participates and can be relied on.

In the first instance, we are our own best resource. We have expertise and skills. We should market our wares with shrewdness.

What is possible in the real world of school libraries?

Three major issues faced by most school librarians are accommodation, budget and staffing. How can we respond positively to these challenges?

Accommodation

Few schools have all the space they need and not all school libraries are able to accommodate one-tenth of the school's population at any one time, as recommended by Barrett and Douglas (2004), or even one class, as recommended by CILIP (Shaper, 2014). Does this prevent us from making an impact on teaching and learning? Lack of space can be extremely frustrating, yet many librarians fulfil a vital role in spite of this difficulty. The following vignettes show two responses to lack of space.

Regardless of how we view ourselves as professionals, we work within the context of other people's perceptions of us and demands on us. While the library may be referred to by some (e.g. Libraries All Party Parliamentary Group, 2014) as the ‘heart of the school’ this does not mean that it is always, in practice, central to school life. Indeed, some people may see the librarian as peripheral to the teaching and learning ‘business’ of the school. Even where the library is positioned physically at the middle or the front of the school building, as is certainly the case in some schools, we need to recognize that this is only part of what being central means. Far more important is the library's relationship to the curriculum and the extent to which the librarian is included in the planning and delivery of teaching and learning in all its manifestations. In this chapter we will discuss how different groups regard this relationship and the effect this has on what the librarian can achieve.

People within the school community

Head teachers

Head teachers determine how the school's resources are to be distributed, subject only to the governors’ approval, and their vision of education has an enormous impact on our role. Ofsted (2006) underlined the importance of head teachers in setting the school library context:

A survey of head teachers’ attitudes to the school library, commissioned by the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Libraries, published in 2014, found that well over 90% of those who responded valued their school libraries. Given this enthusiasm, why do so many schools not have a professionally staffed school library? Lack of head teacher support may not be the only reason, but given how crucial this support is for the development of an effective school library there are obviously many who remain unconvinced about the school library's contribution to student learning and do not support it.

On Behalf Of the CILIP Rare Books and Special Collections Group Committee we are delighted to have been able to support the production of a third edition of the Directory which plays such a significant role in identifying the many and varied special collections held in institutions throughout the UK. The Directory illustrates the changes and additions to many of the collections that have taken place in the 18 years since the previous edition was published. Facet Publishing's willingness to produce a third edition testifies to the continued widespread interest in the UK's special collections. We trust that this updated edition will be as essential a research tool as its predecessors, and see its success as a reflection of the dedication and commitment that its editor Karen Attar has given to its production over the past months.

Introduction

A librarian sits at his or her work station, assisting students with questions about what to read next, checking in book returns and, when a quiet moment presents itself, cataloguing the new books and entering them into the library catalogue. With a simple title search within the catalogue, the vendor's discovery system identifies whether or not the book is a new title. If the title is new, a selection of Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records is presented. The records are often pulled from libraries sharing the same vendor discovery system or consortium, or from the vendor itself. The librarian chooses a record, edits it as needed, and adds the book to the growing collection available for discovery in the library's catalogue. With ease and efficiency, the librarian is able to add titles to the collection, while continuing day-to-day tasks within the library.

This is a common, everyday practice among thousands, if not tens of thousands of librarians each day. It happens in school, public, special and academic libraries. The availability of records for downloading or sharing from consortia and, increasingly, vendors assists librarians, and greatly reduces the need for timeintensive original cataloguing and, in many cases, the editing of simple, bare-bones MARC records. The benefit of these records for download, sharing, or editing should not be disputed. Indeed, this chapter will take the position that having these records available is essential to the continued growth of collections available through catalogues. These records allow librarians to make titles available to users in short order, in many cases making titles available much sooner than if the record had to be created in-house. Why, then, do we need to discuss the outsourcing of library metadata and indexing? If there is a direct benefit to the availability of MARC records, why is there a need to examine the source of those records when received from vendors?

To assume that the only metadata libraries receive from vendors is in the form of MARC records is to take a very narrow, singular view on the rich metadata now available in online catalogues. The following sections of this chapter will introduce the depth of rich metadata and indexing that is available beyond online catalogues. Specifically, web-scale discovery services that aggregate, index and disseminate large quantities of information such as full text articles, summaries and abstracts will be examined.