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Yearly Archives: 2014
End Your Year Professionally
As 2014 passes into 2015, many of us will take time to reflect on what we have achieved over the past year, including in our careers. For anyone looking to start the New Year with a new challenge and more career opportunities, there is a wealth of knowledge available in the Library Science Collection. The Collection is well equipped to provide practical guidance for anyone interested in relevant courses, continuing professional development or in need of inspiration on how to create a portfolio for CILIP Chartership.
Learning more about the profession we work in is a vital part of enjoying and succeeding in what we do. Of equal importance is the ability to record and expand on experiences and training to ensure recognition for achievements. The Library Science Collection houses a substantial collection of books aimed at helping librarians make the most of their experiences and knowledge. As this year comes to a close, feel free to browse the books below and take time to remember and record all that has been achieved over the past year. Also, anyone seeking a new challenge in 2015, check out the selection of library science course prospectuses housed next to the collection.
Preparing the information professional : an agenda for the future by Sajjad ur Rehman
Continuing professional development – preparing for new roles in libraries edited by Paul Genoni and Graham Walton
Active learning techniques for librarians : practical examples by Andrew Walsh and Padma Inala
Building your portfolio : the CILIP guide by Margaret Watson
Education for library cataloging : international perspectives by Dajin D. Sun, Ruth C. Carter
Photo credit: Daniel Kulinski
How-To-Do-It Manuals for Librarians
There are many interesting reads in the Library Science Collection but sometimes we don’t have as much time for in-depth research as we would like. Luckily the collection includes a number of volumes in the How-to-do-it Manuals for Librarians series.
For those who have never come across this series before, these books offer a guide on a wide variety of library subjects from cataloguing to customer service. As the title would imply what you will find is step-by-step guide to follow to help you towards your goal, whether it’s Conducting the Reference Interview or Diffusing the Angry Patron. The titles are written in clear and easy to follow language and offer lots of templates that you can use to accomplish your task. I found the templates especially useful as a way to get started on a project or assignment. By answering a few simple questions I had an outline for my work which really took the pressure off.
As the majoirty of the series was published around five to ten years ago some material is a little dated but that doesn’t mean that it’s not still useful. Some of the titles were a great help to me when I was in the middle of assignments for my library science degree as they gave you a place to start and didn’t overwhelm you. I would recommend them to both students and those getting started on a project who want some handy hints. If nothing else they can reassure you that you’re on the right track!
A full list of series titles in the collection can be found here.
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Library Management
Management is a funny thing. We can all name examples of good and bad management practice but isn’t it really common sense?
Maybe or maybe not, but many professionals find that there is little actual preparation for filling a management role. There are training courses to attend but not everyone has the time, money or support to do this. If you find yourself in a similar position then remember that we have plenty of titles on management in the information sector for you to look at. Reading around a subject can be a great way of picking up tips and can force you to challenge your ideas and look at alternative viewpoints. General management texts can offer you a good background but the titles in our collection look at the issues from the viewpoint of the information professional which can offer some valuable insight.
The list below includes just a few of the management titles in our collection. If you have found any particularly useful or found any more then please let us know.
Bibliography of resources on library management
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The RDA Primer
Anyone looking for a well written, concise and interesting introduction to RDA will be delighted to learn that that University Library has recently acquired Amy Hart’s The RDA Primer: A Guide for the Occasional Cataloger. This useful guide provides a brief yet informative overview of the history of RDA and a description of what separates the new code from AACR2. It’s littered with examples, screen shorts and tables which help provide even the most infrequent cataloguer with an understanding of how RDA works.
Unlike other books on the subject, The RDA Primer is written in a fluid and easily digestible language. Hart manages to mix the important and practical information required with an interesting and exciting perspective on RDA and its impact. She even goes so far as to introduce RDA as a ‘Machiavellian Intrigue’ with a revolutionary feel to it.
As the title suggests, The RDA Primer is designed for anyone not wanting to read a more in-depth guide to using RDA (some of which reach 900 pages long!). At a time when FRBR, FRAD and RDA are combined to create an increasingly complex cataloguing code, it is reassuring to find a book which provides busy librarians with the information they need.
For further information on RDA, check out the University Library’s Librarianship Collection for a full range of useful resources.
Making the Most of RFID in Libraries
Guest post by Rachel Walker, Seeley Historical Library, Cambridge.
RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) has been around for decades, but it is only now that it is becoming commonplace in libraries across the UK. Nonetheless there are so many examples of how we encounter it in our everyday lives, from using an Oyster card, to electronic toll payments when travelling by car.
Palmer’s book starts by giving an overview of RFID, including its many applications, and how it can be used in libraries to provide self-service, security and stock control all-in-one. He goes on to discuss the experiences of libraries throughout the world and their struggles and achievements with RFID. After giving these introductions the book outlines how to build a business case for introducing RFID, including considerations to make such as what features will benefit the library, how the changes will affect staff and library design, and how evaluations can be made of its performance. Steps are given for how to actually implement the technology, from evaluating suppliers’ offers and anticipating the risks involved, to the practical elements such as tagging your stock.
This book is simple to understand, and covers topics that could prove enlightening to all librarians considering RFID, or just wanting to know what it is. Whilst it does cover details about the technology behind RFID it is kept brief and relevant. There are even some light-hearted parts, such as how Oyster cards have been used in divorce cases to prove where someone has been. This raises the interesting question of whether we should be concerned by the possible invasion of privacy caused by using RFID in libraries, a particularly hot topic in the USA at the moment. Overall I found this title enjoyable and quick to read (it’s only 154 pages), and it has encouraged me to do more research into certain topics covered for my own interest.
Making the Most of RFID in Libraries / Martin Palmer. Classmark: 9852.c.258.12
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Library Technology Reports
It is almost universally accepted that any successful career in librarianship will involve a close relationship with modern technology. As our readers become ever more interested in what technology has to offer, so must we encourage this curiosity through embracing technological developments. It is therefore very useful to have a clear, descriptive and informative collection of reports on library technology, which is what the University Library has in the Library Technology Reports.
The American Library Association is responsible for producing what it calls ‘Expert guides to library systems and services’, and they are not wrong. Each report investigates a different area of developing technology by introducing a concept, analysing it in detail and then giving insight into its future application. The Library Technology Reports also boast a range of highly knowledgeable and widely known authors who bring a unique critique to each area the reports cover.
The University Library holds a complete set from 1965 and is useful for both historical and contemporary research. For a full list of titles, check the official website and order any material to the West Room.
Photo credit: Stuart Chalmers
Books on Periodicals
Whether digital or print, academic journals are standing the test of time as relevant and useful resources for academic study. Both in the world of librarianship and in its wider context, the debate over how libraries should manage and select journals continues. Cambridge University Library is fortunate enough to hold legal deposit status, meaning that it can claim any periodical published in the United Kingdom, but other libraries continue to struggle over issues surrounding both the digital divide and the economic factors caused by rising subscription costs.
As the ability to publish online becomes more widespread, so does the demand for information to be displayed on the internet. This includes access to scholarly journals for both contemporary and archived material, which can amount to costly subscription charges. Furthermore, failure to continue an online subscription can cause the complete removal of access to journals which have previously been paid for and enjoyed.
These debates over the future, cost and digitisation of journals are explained in the University Library’s Library Sciences Collection. These are just some of the relevant titles we hold in the area of digital and print periodicals:
E-journals access and management
Evaluating electronic resource programmes and provision : case studies from Africa and Asia
Blackwell’s guide to electronic journal management
Electronic journal literature : implications for scholars
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Marketing your Library
Following on from our last post on social media we’ve decided to focus this post on marketing your library.
Due to competition from other information sources, libraries are having to work extra hard to market themselves both to their user base and beyond. This can involve a variety of methods from the traditional to the more innovative. This blog is one example of marketing a small part of the Cambridge University Library collection. We highlight different topics every month so that our users will be able to get the most out of the Library Science Collection but we’re also able to reach a larger audience because of it. Although our core user base is made up of those who can access the physical collection, hopefully we also reach a wider audience looking for information on library science literature. If we can provide something useful then it reflects well on Cambridge University Library as an institution. Users will then tell their friends that we’ve helped them, they will tell their friends and so on. This positive feedback is known as word of mouth marketing and is a very important part of maintaining an image for the library.
Social media is used by many libraries to market their collections or services. It’s common today for a library to have a presence across a range of social networks, from Twitter to Facebook. Interacting with users is a space which many inhabit generally is a great way of getting your message across and drawing people into the library.
Of course there are also many tried and tested traditional methods of marketing such as posters, events and emails to users. The key is to try a range of ideas and find what works for you.
To get you started we’ve put together a list of resources on marketing libraries from the librarianship collection. As always feel free to let us know of anything you think should be added. Also, if you have any tips on innovative marketing techniques them feel free to share them in the comments section below.
Bibliography of resources on marketing your library
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Social Media in Libraries
Social media has many uses in libraries. It can be a great way to interact with your users, market your services and collections, or work on your own professional development.
Social media has become something of a hot topic in librarianship in recent years, espcecially with 23Things programmes helping to introduce social media tools to many librarians. New tools (and new uses for exisiting tools) are being developed all the time so this is a fast moving area. There used to be lots of talk of Library 2.0 whereas by now we’ve probably moved on to Library 5.0!
We’ve assembled a list of the best resources on social media in the interactive reading list below. As always, feel free to comment if there is a resource in the collection you’ve found particularly useful.
Resources on social media in libraries in the Library Science Collection
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RDA
The introduction of RDA (Resource Description and Access), the new cataloguing standard, has meant one of the biggest changes in cataloguing practice in recent years. RDA is intended to provide increased access to resources in ways which were difficult with previous standards such as AACR2. Older standards primarily dealt with print materials but the increase in digital output meant that things needed to change.
RDA is based on the FRBR (Fundamental Requirements for Bibliographic Records) model. This is a conceptual model which describes relationships between different entities such as the author, editor or subject of the item in hand.
If all of this terminology leaves you scratching your head then don’t worry, you’re not alone! Luckily, the Library Science Collection includes a variety of resources on RDA. We have works on the background of FRBR, the practical implementation of RDA and works on cataloguing specific types of resource. As RDA becomes more established we will be adding to the collection, with several exciting new titles to look forward to. To keep on top of the latest additions why not follow our Pinterest board dedicated to RDA?
If you’re looking for more specific examples of RDA, remember that Cambridge University Library has shared its training material online via the CambridgeRDA blog.
Bibliography of resources on RDA
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