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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
Photo credit: Melenita via Flickr
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
Photo: Nate Bolt via Flickr
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
Photo credit: Matt Hamm via Flickr
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
Photo credit: seemingly via Flickr
Resources for New Professionals
Entering the LIS profession can be slightly overwhelming. We’re a very active bunch but sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start! There are professional associations such as CILIP but you could also see if there is a any sort of group for librarians within your own organisation or area.
If you’d prefer something a little more informal then we have many items in the Library Science Collection which can help you find your feet in the information profession. There are guides to the field of information science in the 21st century, the essential skills for a new professional and guides for those who find themselves with management responsibilities.
To see what we have available check out our handy interactive reading list by following the link below. If you come across any other resources in the collection that have been useful to you as a new professional feel free to share them in the comments section below.
Resources for new professionals in the Library Science Collection
It’s also worth remembering that we have prospectuses for the major LIS courses in the Library Science Collection. Feel free to come in and browse if you would like to get a better idea of the range of LIS courses on offer.
Library Science Collection Blog
Welcome to the new Library Science Collection blog! In order to help you get to know the collection a little better, each month we’ll be highlighting resources on a selected topic. Planned topics currently include resources for new professionals, marketing your library and user-based services. We’re always open to suggestions so please let us know if there’s something you’d like to see featured. Similarly, if you’ve found a book in the collection especially useful then why not write a short review of it for us? Feel free to contact us either via the comments section or email.
We hope that you enjoy the blog and that it helps you to access some of the great resources that the collection has to offer.
UL Library Science Collection 