Issue 4, October 2009
Welcome message from Chris Banks, University Librarian
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Welcome to the fourth issue of HeadLines. As I briefly exchange my cycling helmet for a hard hat I'd like to welcome you to a bumper fourth issue of HeadLines. Greetings to new staff and students, and welcome back to everyone else. There's something for all in this issue: lots of news about new resources - everything from the rare to the latest in electronic format; introductions to some new colleagues in L&HC; the latest news about the construction of the new library, and about further successes on the fundraising front; information about new and improved services; something for railway fans, poets, and those in need of an introduction to the local Doric; a report on the recent library survey; and finally, information about our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. Keep your feedback coming and perhaps even consider writing a short piece for the next issue. We value your input and your comments - you can help us deliver the service that you really need. |
In this issue .... |
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The building begins! |
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by Chris Banks, University Librarian
Regular updates on the new library project can be obtained from the New Library web page. |
Just think, two years from now we will be up and running in our new library. As you may already have seen (and heard!) construction for our landmark library has begun in earnest. The initial stages involve inserting 81 concrete ‘piles’, 1.2m in diameter and up to 30m in depth, into the ground to support the structure. Whilst this part of the process is noisy, though necessary, it is scheduled to be complete by the middle of October. The main contractor, Pihl UK, started work on site on 27 July, and a formal “ground breaking” ceremony was held on the 7th of September where members of the university community donned high-vis jackets and hard-hats and were invited into the vast and impressive pit cleared next to the Queen Mother Library. Pihl UK is committed to keeping staff and students informed of the level of disruption with regular advance updates about what to expect in terms of the level of noise, vibration, deliveries and dust. You can keep an eye on how work is progressing on the site’s webcam. For those who remember the single storey wing of QML, you can see its demolition here! |
Coming soon to a library near you |
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by Chris Banks, University Librarian
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New appointment: Deputy Librarian & Head of Library Services Laurence Bebbington has been appointed as our new Deputy Librarian. Laurence has worked at Nottingham University since 2001, where he is Faculty Team Leader for Social Sciences, Law and Education, as well as being the University's Copyright Officer. Laurence has gained wide experience over a number of years at a variety of institutions north and south of the border, including as a Research Assistant in the Archives Department at the University of Glasgow; as Assistant Librarian at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow, as well as working at Cambridge University's Institute of Criminology, the Department of Information Science at Strathclyde and the Library at the University of Birmingham. Laurence will commence work in Aberdeen in early December and we look forward to welcoming him to the University. |
New library funding update |
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By Harriet Armstrong Viner, Development Executive for the Development Trust Harriet explains the signifciance of donations ..
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For further information on the appeal for the Library or the Sixth Century Campaign please contact Sharon O’Loan on 01224 274114 or s.oloan@abdn.ac.uk. |
Fundraising for the new Library and Special Collections Centre has continued to gain momentum thanks to three significant trust grants totalling £600,000. The Robertson Trust has made a £200,000 funding award towards the Family and School’s Learning Room in the Special Collections Centre. Located on the Ground and Lower Ground Floors of the new building, this custom-designed and welcoming community education facility will enable even the youngest learners to participate in a range of stimulating learning activities. The room will be primarily used by school groups – at both primary and secondary level – and by families who will participate in a range of practical, engaging learning experiences. The ‘sister’ Learning Room was funded earlier in the year by Aberdeenshire Council. The Garfield Weston Foundation has also confirmed its own donation of £250,000 towards the flagship Library project. Philippa Charles, Administrator of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said: “The Trustees of the Foundation are delighted to support this project and anticipate it will offer real benefits both educationally and culturally to the University and the communities of North-East Scotland. The Wolfson Foundation, a long-standing supporter of the University, has given a substantial donation of £150,000 towards the project. The Foundation awards grants to support excellence in the fields of science and medicine, health, education, the arts and humanities, and this donation is the third significant capital grant it has made to the University in the last five years. |
Spik o the toon |
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By Wendy Pirie, Library Services Manager The University attracts thousands of students from the UK and overseas – 120 nationalities are represented and many languages can be heard across campus. Listen out for our local north east Doric dialect, which can seem quite impenetrable, but the locals are in the main warm, inquisitive and friendly and would wish to help you.
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Aye aye min, yer back are yi! Far wis yi ower i simmer - did yi gaan somwey het, in fit did yi dee ere? Hiv yi seen fit the’ve deen ti the libray: thiv caad doon a hael chunk o’t, in yi canna git oot ontae Bedford Road. Thir awa ti start biggin a new een – it’s gan ti be afa graan: aa the aal books‘ll be doon i stair in er’s gaan ti be funcier places ti sit n read up i stair. Mine you, ere’ll be a fair din fin the biggin starts, bit thiv thocht o that in er’ll be quaiter placies bookit ower it the ither side o i high street afor i exams. It’ll bi rare fin its deen, er’ll be a café so wi kin gang in fir wir tay, a funcy room for showin a the bonny aal books in athin. Fan’ll’t bi deen? Aa canna wight! …and in answer to this final question, the new library is set to open for the start of session in September 2011. |
Smart Card, Smart Library |
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By Anne Beavan,
Applications Support Manager
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All university staff and student ID cards have been replaced with a new multi functional ‘smartcard’. As well as giving you access to the Aberdeen Sports Village, the new technology in the card will give you faster access to the Queen Mother Library. The turnstiles at the entrance have been upgraded to read the chip embedded in the card, instead of the barcode. This means you don’t have to make sure you’ve got the card the right way up and line up the barcode, just hold it over the reader at the turnstiles as you would an Oyster card on the London Underground (you might not even have to take it out of your purse or wallet!). |
New to Uni? Lost in the library? |
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Elaine Shallcross, Information Consultant
To save you worrying about how to use the library we produce a lot of guidance and support material in both print and electronic format. We’ve recorded podcasts – on library tours and services - so that you can listen on your computer and new generation mp3 players. And if you can’t get to the library to talk to us you can view vodcasts - video-style demonstrations - on how to develop library skills and use the library catalogue and information databases. Go to our Guides and Help web page and find out how we can help you use the library effectively! |
Are you feeling a bit lost and don’t know where to start finding information for an assignment or detailed research? Well, help is at hand… The library has a team of professionals who can help you develop your information finding skills, tell you about information resources, provide tips on how to evaluate the information that you find, and give guidance on compiling a good bibliography. The TLC (Teaching, Liaison and Consultancy) team are the library subject specialists. They give lectures and hold workshops as part of your undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and offer additional bookable workshops on using important resources such as Ebrary and ScienceDirect electronic books, Scopus and Web of Knowledge databases and RefWorks reference management software. Susan, Gilian, Mel, Claire, Elaine and Janet (maternity cover for Claire) are happy to help you find information – although we can’t write your essays, dissertations or lab reports! Check the Information Consultants web page to find the best person to speak with for your subject area. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more about the resources you should be using and how to get the best out of them.
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Find it Fast! Library workshops |
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Janet MacKay, Information Adviser “Worthwhile hour of my time!”
For more information on our range of workshops and to book your place click here. |
Information – we have a lot of it! Our libraries contain hundreds of thousands of books and journals, and then there are all of our electronic books and journals, not to mention our databases and the internet! It can be difficult to find your way around this information maze which is why the library offers workshops to undergraduate and taught postgraduate students. Our friendly and interactive workshops run weekday lunch times throughout the semester. Sessions last up to an hour and are completely free. All we ask is that you book a place in advance. Workshops this semester include:
Our team of information professionals will help you gain the skills you need to conduct library research using the different resources and research tools that are available to you. So don’t delay - book a place today! The workshop programme begins on the 13th of October. |
Using library resources off campus |
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By Elaine Shallcross, Information Consultant
Don’t forget there is an IT Service Desk that will help you if you have difficulties in setting up proxy server access on your computer. You can email the Service Desk at servicedesk@abdn.ac.uk or call 01224-273636. |
If you are new to the University you may not know that you can enjoy the freedom of working from home and reading our electronic journals and books - if you set up your computer correctly. There are two ways to access journals and books online so publishers know you belong to the University and allow you to open the full text of materials we pay for. The first way is to set up proxy server access, which makes it look as though you are working on the campus network by installing the institution’s IP address on your computer. Instructions can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/proxy/. The second way to access our electronic materials is to follow a login process using your University computer username and password, called the Shibboleth login (also known as UK Access Management Federation). We have a Shibboleth web page that tells you much more about both methods of accessing our electronic databases. |
Need to ask us a quick question? Try our instant messaging service… |
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By Elaine Shallcross, Information Consultant
Send your 'quick query' from an 'instant messaging' box on the Library home page. |
Our Ask a Librarian service is open weekdays during term-time from 10am to 3pm to answer quick questions about library services or resources. If you have a query all you need to do is go to the library home page and use the instant messaging box in the Ask a Librarian section at the bottom of the page. Simply type your question in the lower box, then press the return (enter) key to send it to us. You must stay on the library home page to receive your answer. For longer or more complex enquiries we will give you contact details of library staff who can give you assistance. When our instant messaging service is offline you should use one of the alternative means of contact – email, telephone or online enquiry form - given in the 'Ask a Librarian’ section on the library home page (see screenshot opposite). |
Library catalogue online for night owls |
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By Anne Beavan,
Applications Support Manager
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Over the summer we have been upgrading the hardware and software that provide access to the library catalogue. One of the major benefits of this is that the newer, faster hardware has allowed us to reduce the amount of time required for overnight backup and update procedures. This means that instead of the catalogue going down from midnight until 3am every night, it is now available until 2am and only out of service for about an hour. Time for a cup of tea and a late night snack! The library catalogue can be found online or searched from the library home page [ed.] |
Library survey results: on its findings and how we intend to take your feedback forward |
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By Gilian Dawson, Information Consultant
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We ran a big international Library survey in May this year. This LibQual Survey is run by hundreds of university libraries around the world annually, giving us a very useful barometer of how our services and resources compare with other university libraries both here in the UK and further afield. A short report was produced in June and we now have a PowerPoint presentation on its findings (also available in a PDF version). If accessing the information from off campus you will be prompted for your University username and password. |
Moves and improvements at Taylor Library |
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By Liz Mackie, Law Librarian and Site Services Manager
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In a previous issue of HeadLines we told you about new online access to 18th, 19th and 20th century House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, making us the first library in Scotland with open access to these early parliamentary papers. This electronic access allowed us to move our print holdings of these Bills, Papers and Command Papers from the open shelves of the Taylor Library to the more secure environment of the Holland Street Stacks. The indexes and guides to these papers remain on the reference shelves in the Taylor Library, and staff will be happy to assist users to find the materials in either format. This move freed up some space in D Block, so Law periodicals have been transferred to this area, allowing us to replace some of the racking in C block with additional study spaces, as requested by Staff/Student liaison and Taylor Library user surveys. It is hoped that further reorganisation during 2009-2010 will create even more study spaces. Taylor users have also shown a demand for more power points for laptops, so electricians have been busy during the summer, wiring up the large study spaces on the upper floor and providing some 80 power points for laptop use. Staff at Taylor are busy making new shelf end signs to assist users finding their way around the changed environment. |
Westlaw adds new service |
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By Liz Mackie, Law Librarian and Site Services Manager
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The Westlaw online legal service now includes Annotated Statutes as part of their service. Westminster Acts, Scottish Acts, Welsh Measures and important Statutory Instruments from 2007 onwards are now annotated. Key statutes including the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Right Acts 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will also be annotated during 2009. Analysis of pre-2007 legislation will be added throughout the rest of 2009 and on an ongoing basis. |
Kaizen: getting you the material you want faster |
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By Robin Armstrong Viner, Cataloguing Manager
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We’re proud to be one of the first departments within the University to be using Kaizen to enhance our services. First developed by Toyota, Kaizen, which is Japanese for ‘improvement’, enables individuals from across the team to come together to examine and refine business processes and workflow. Our first Kaizen ‘blitz’ will take place this month. Representatives from across Library & Historic Collections will work to reduce the time it takes to make material available to you once it has been received from our suppliers. By streamlining our existing processes we also hope to free up additional staff time to provide new services within the new library. No orders will be processed during the blitz week (12-16 October 2009) but we expect to see significantly shorter processing times from January 2010. |
Aberdeen joins UKRR |
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By Sheona Farquhar, Technical Services Manager
Access to the UKRR collection is underpinned by the BL Document Supply Service. As members of UKRR University of Aberdeen users will gain an enhanced document delivery service that can deliver a journal article electronically to the desktop within 24 hours. |
In early July our application to join Phase 2 of the UK Research Reserve (UKRR) programme was accepted, allowing us to apply for a share of the £9.84 million that has been made available to the UKRR project by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). This five year programme will ensure that print copies of important research journals are managed and stored efficiently through collaboration between the British Library and member Higher Education libraries. At least 3 copies of print journals that fall into a 'low use' category will be maintained within the UK: one copy will be stored at a central repository at the British Library, the other two copies will be held by participating libraries. The resulting de-duplication of journals across university libraries frees valuable space for additional resources. At Aberdeen we plan to offer our printed copies of journal-runs only where we have guaranteed permanent access to electronic versions of the journals. This supports our aim of releasing some much needed and expensive library storage space currently occupied by extensive runs of unused print journals, ensuring access to both the journal content and to physical copies should the need arise. |
Reduce reuse recycle |
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By Georgia Brooker, Senior Information Assistant
For more information and advice on all things eco-friendly go to the University’s Environment Office site. Each library site now has dedicated Environmental Champions who volunteer to help make working practices greener, so if you have questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to get in touch! Library staff are working hard to help too: for the second year running, QML’s Brenda Brown has topped the Environmental Champions leader-board with a whopping 78 ‘eco-points’, which are awarded for implementing greener working practises, attending workshops and volunteering at Environment Office events. Well done Brenda! |
The University of Aberdeen is committed to reducing the amount of waste that it produces, and all library users can help! In the past year, this university as a whole produced more than 1827 tonnes of rubbish, which is sent to be buried in vast local landfill sites like most general waste. The good news is that’s more than 100 tonnes fewer than last year, but it’s still equivalent in weight to discarding an African bull elephant every day of the year! The mantra of waste management is to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: you can help to do all three within your library site, and elsewhere. Do your bit to cut down paper waste by following these few simple steps: Reduce Use both sides of the paper when you print or photocopy (ask staff if you need help) Reuse If you have only used one side of a sheet (and your document isn’t confidential) just put it in the paper trays available and we’ll turn it into notepaper to be used again! Recycle Use our paper recycling consoles for all your scrap paper (unless it can be reused). There is no excuse for putting it in the bin! The university recycles around 14 tonnes of paper per month, but it’s much greener to reduce and reuse where possible. You can also recycle metal cans in the special bin in the foyer of the Queen Mother Library, and there are two general recycling points on campus; at Hillhead and Crombie-Johnston with the usual facilities for glass, plastic, cardboard and cans, where students can also donate clothes and books for reuse through charity organizations. |
Laminated library guides |
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By Georgia Brooker, Senior Information Assistant
Quick link to the library Guides and Help web page. |
As part of our drive to reduce paper waste we’ve introduced reusable laminated copies of some of the most popular printed library guides, and hope to introduce more measures to reduce the volume of paper used as term progresses. Just ask staff at information desks if you‘d like to borrow a copy of a floor plan to help you find your way, or a Where is it Shelved? guide to help you locate resources (which includes a guide to shelf-mark prefixes so that you’ll know your pamphlets from your periodicals). Please do remember to return these sheets before you leave! Our expert staff produce nearly 100 different documents to give you information and step by step guidance on using the wealth of services and facilities that the Library and Historic Collection sites offer; from general topics such as 'how to find a book or journal', 'how to use the catalogue', 'access electronic information', or book a Library project room; to specialised subject information guides on using databases such as Medline, Lexis®Library or Ebrary, to researching family history, or finding resources in Education, History of Art, or Anthropology, and much much more. All of the guides are also available online so why not bookmark this library guide link now and you’ll have all of this information waiting for you at the touch of a button when you need it most (like in January!). |
Archive experts are 'Capturing the Energy' |
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By Siobhan Convery, Head Special Libraries & Archives
Professor Christopher Gane, Vice Principal at the University of Aberdeen, expressed the University's delight at this recognition for 'Capturing the Energy', saying: "We have very much enjoyed working with Total and the other partners on this fascinating venture. This project is especially significant in the way it brings together the skills of Siobhán and other members of our dedicated team of curators with a major offshore operator, and a commitment to preserve, for future generations, information about an industry which shaped not only our local and national economy but also the cultural development of the communities of the east coast of Scotland." |
Our team of archivists has been collaborating with Total E&P UK and a number of other oil industry and government agencies in a project entitled Capturing the Energy to preserve records which will enrich understanding of this significant energy sector. Their work has featured as a case study in a new publication from the National Archives, providing a valuable guide to help businesses use their archives to explore new markets, provide legal and regulatory protection, and succeed in today's competitive markets. Siobhán Convery, Head of the University's Special Libraries and Archives, was a guest at a recent launch reception for Corporate Memory — a guide to managing business archives, where speakers included Sir Stuart Rose of Marks & Spencer plc, Professor Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England and Dame Stella Rimington, former head of MI5 and professional archivist, who all promoted the value of archives to senior representatives of the business sector. The event took place on Thursday 9 July at the House of Lords, hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Archives and the National Council on Archives. 'Capturing the Energy' was highlighted as an example of the many different ways companies are successfully using their archives, and the benefits of maintaining high quality records. The guide describes the project as an asset for the UK's offshore oil and gas industry which will enhance research and education programmes and capture the history of the industry for generations to come. Quick links: |
Boon for Arts & Humanities |
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By Gilian Dawson, Information Consultant
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A joint partnership between the Library and the College of Arts & Social Sciences has resulted it the biggest purchase of electronic resources to date for students and researchers in Arts & Humanities. Nearly £100,000 has been spent acquiring databases providing primary documents for researchers in History, Art History, Theology, and Literature. The major coup is the outstanding State Papers Online (1509-1603) and we are one of the first universities in the UK to have purchased the 2 parts available so far. This is an essential resource for anyone studying and researching the 16th and 17th centuries. With 3 million pages including the calendars (abstracts) and, for the first time ever, the original text in manuscript, users will be able to study primary documents on British and European history from their desktop rather than travel to London and the National Archives. Available at this link through Shibboleth login and IP (proxy ) access. |
Best ever access to Eighteenth Century Collections Online |
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By Robin Armstrong Viner, Cataloguing Manager
This enhancement has been made possible by a grant of over £13,000 by the Friends, together with the technical support provided our colleagues in the Directorate of Information Technology’s Applications Support Team. We hope these improvements help to make this fantastic resource even more popular amongst students and researchers! |
We’ve begun to improve access to Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Aberdeen University Library. For a number of years, early modernists have been able to access the impressive ECCO database, and now Government funding has given the HE community access to the 2nd part of ECCO, adding a further 30,000 books, pamphlets and broadsheets to the existing collection of 150,000, making a total of 33 million pages available! Until now anyone wishing to view the full text, including English-language titles and editions published between 1701 and 1800; foreign-language titles printed in the United Kingdom between 1701 and 1800, as well as important 18th century works from the Americas, has had to search the database directly. However, this term we’ll be adding a record for every title into our catalogue, allowing you to search for these resources alongside our print holdings. Each record includes a deep link to the individual title so once you’ve found the item you’re looking for there’s no need to search again. The new records will increase the size of our catalogue by nearly 15% so we’ll be loading them in batches but we hope to have the complete set available by early 2010. |
The rise of E-resources |
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Ross Hayworth,
Serials & Electronic Resource Manager
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Usage of e-resources continues to grow at University of Aberdeen. During the last year (August 2008 to July 2009) our staff and students viewed 1,360,657 full text e-journal articles - up from 1,244,342 in the previous year: that’s an amazing rate of one article every 23 seconds! The good news is that we are adding more and more electronic content for you! Recent acquisitions include journal archives from Taylor & Francis which extend online access back to the very first volume in the subject areas of education, behavioural sciences, business, management and economics. We also have backfiles of key Nature Publishing Group titles and Part II of Eighteenth Century Collections Online (highlighted elsewhere in this edition of HeadLines). College support has also enabled us to acquire Patrologia Latina and the collection of State Papers 1509-1603. |
Scots’ history on the map |
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Keith O’sullivan, Senior Rare Books Librarian
Thomas Willdey: A map of the King’s roads : made by His Excellency General Wade in the Highlands of Scotland; from Sterling [sic] to Inverness, with the Adjacent Countries &c. London: [Thomas Jeffreys Snr?], ca. 1749. |
Special Libraries and Archives have acquired a rare Jacobite map of the Highlands with the help of the Friends of Aberdeen University Library and the National Fund for Acquisitions. Drawn by Thomas Willdey and dating from around 1749, the copperplate engraving depicts the roads through the Highlands built by military commander General George Wade after 1719. It was dedicated to Henry 'Hangman' Hawley, the Royal Commander in Scotland, who was defeated by the Jacobites at the Battle of Falkirk in January 1746. After abandoning a march on London, the Jacobite Army had retired to the Highlands to besiege Stirling Castle. While the Jacobites were relatively mobile, their Hanovarian opponents, with their baggage and artillery train, depended on the roads to pursue the Highlanders. The copy bought is a second state map, appearing some three years after the original, which had appeared a fortnight after Hawley’s defeat. In this version, the climactic Battle of Culloden is clearly marked, together with the lines of battle of the opposing Jacobite and Hanovarian forces. Another interesting acquisition is a journal of a trip around the east coast of America by William Ferguson (1823-1904) of Kinmundy, Aberdeenshire, published as ‘America by River and Rail or Notes by the way on the New World and its People’. His journals are rich in detail and pay specific attention to his own interests of religion, geology and the development of the railways. This journal also contains some sketches of the landscape. Ferguson attended classes at Marischal College before embarking on a successful career in business, and was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Aberdeen in 1895. Travel journals are one of the department’s stated collection strengths, specifically those written by individuals from north-east Scotland. The archives have particularly rich sources relating to North America and the journal is important because it is an unknown diary, new to scholarship, by a previously published author. It was purchased with assistance from the Friends of Aberdeen University Library. In addition, a collection of Ferguson family papers have also been gifted. |
Patrologia Latina |
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By Gilian Dawson, Information Consultant
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Thanks to the generosity of the College of Arts & Social Sciences researchers no longer need climb the stairs to Floor 4 of Queen Mother Library to consult the 9 metres of heavy tomes. The College has purchases Patrologia Latina in perpetuity. It comprises the complete works of the Christian Church Fathers from Tertullian in 200 A.D. to Pope Innocent III in 1216, which will be of great use to researchers in Theology, History and Philosophy. |
Colleges and castles: two newly catalogued collections |
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Andrew MacGregor, Deputy Archivist |
Special Libraries and Archives staff have been working to catalogue two significant local collections, and these documents are now fully searchable via our ever expanding library catalogue. Documents from the assorted Aberdeen Colleges of Education contain extensive materials relating to teacher training in and around Aberdeen, which were deposited with Special Libraries and Archives when the Northern College of Education and the University of Aberdeen merged in 2001, and the Hilton Campus vacated in 2005. This archival material from local teaching colleges dates back to 1874, and this major institutional archive is a tremendous addition to the University’s historic collections, highlighting the important history of educational training in Scotland, and providing an invaluable record for the current School of Education at the University. Click here to learn more about the collection. The papers of Cluny Castle in Aberdeenshire have also been recently catalogued, preserving local heritage from the eighteenth century relating to this historic seat of the Gordons of Cluny. The castle was passed through marriage to the Linzee-Gordons, in whose hands it remains today. The family owned several other estates in the North-East, including Slains, Midmar, Kebbaty, Buckie, and Kinnernie; as well as property in the Scottish Highlands, most notably the Long Island estate of Lady Emily Gordon-Cathcart, spanning the islands of Barra, South Uist and Benbecula. These documents provide a fascinating insight into the running of a country estate in times of significant social change in Scotland. |
Special Libraries and Archives continue to work on a number of externally-funded cataloguing projects aimed at opening up collections to researchers for the first time... read more about the papers of Cluny Castle. |
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Opening the files on medical history |
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By Paul Logie, Project Archivist
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Thanks to a Research Resources in Medical History Award granted by the Wellcome Trust, a project to catalogue the Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society’s rich and unique collection of papers is nearing completion. Paul Logie was appointed as Project Archivist in November 2008 to catalogue the records of the Society and make them searchable online via the University’s CALM collection management system. The collection includes the records of Sir James McGrigor (1771-1858) who was instrumental in founding the Society and went on to have a distinguished career as an army surgeon, eventually becoming Chief of the Medical Staff of the Peninsular Army under the command of Wellington. In 1814, he was appointed Director-General of the Army Medical Department, remaining in post until his retirement in 1851. His papers include a collection of case books that document in great detail the diseases and treatment of the men in his care, as well as a series of journals and letter books recording his experiences during the Peninsular War and his time spent as deputy inspector of hospitals for the northern and south-west districts in England. As a result of this project, the Society’s contribution to the provision of medical training, the championing of radical public health measures and the establishment of hospitals and their services within the community will be brought to the attention of the history of medicine community with the intention of encouraging further research into this important and varied collection. The project is scheduled for completion in November 2009. For further information please contact Paul Logie, Wellcome Project Archivist at p.logie@abdn.ac.uk. |
Hazel completes cataloguing of SB mathematics collection |
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By Robin Armstrong Viner, Cataloguing Manager
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This summer Hazel Newton, one of our cataloguing team, completed the cataloguing of our collection of over 500 historic mathematics texts held in our SB collection. Now for the first time full details of all these titles, including their bindings and history, appear in our online catalogue. This rich resource on the development of algebra, arithmetic, geometry and trigonometry and their teaching at the University can be consulted at Special Libraries & Archives. Meanwhile Hazel has begun cataloguing the collection of Dr James Melvin, (1795-1853) who was a graduate of Marischal College and Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School. He donated the collection to Marischal College in 1856. |
Special Libraries and Archives Spread the Word |
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Earlier this year in May, a series of very successful events organised through Special Libraries and Archives and the Library made a fantastic addition to the university’s popular literary Word Festival. Members of the public were given the chance to interact with some of our impressive collections and take part in a lively discussion about the relative merits of ebooks ... |
A series of very successful events organised through Special Libraries and Archives made a fantastic addition to the university’s popular literary Word festival earlier this year in May, giving members of the public the chance to interact with some of our impressive collections. Senior Rare Books Librarian Keith O’sullivan talked about our textual treasures, followed by a display of some rare literary gems. On display were texts by Robert Burns and Walter Scott, first editions by Charles Dickens and Aldous Huxley and an original manuscript of Thomas Hardy’s ‘An Imaginative Woman: a Wessex tale’ from 1893. Andrew MacGregor, Deputy Archivist, gave a presentation about the family history resources found within the University collections, followed by an opportunity to see some of original documents first hand. Amongst the material on display were student class photographs; an eighteenth-century wage book for servants from the Earls of Fife estates at Duff House, Banff; a register of baptisms from St Clement’s Church, Aberdeen (1837-1885); and an admission register covering the period 1909-1934 from the Demonstration School in Aberdeen. Two creative writing workshops were held by Head Archivist Siobhan Convery and poet Ken Cockburn, drawing on a range of local archive material including maps, photographs of farming life and the diaries of a nineteenth–century Aberdeenshire farmer, Alexander Mathieson. The workshops introduced children from Kittybrewster and Braehead primary schools to the life and times of Mathieson with a vibrant range of interactive activities. In addition, an exhibition in the Word cafe looked 'East' to Japan, one of the festival’s themes, by displaying a rare 19th century scroll and other Japanese items, and ‘West’ to explore the links between Scotland and North America created by the trade in beaver fur to compliment the Homecoming aspects of Word 09. As with last year's festival, an exhibition in Zeste enlivened another of the festival venues, this year showing a selection of prints and poems from the Great Book of Gaelic/Leabhar Mor na Gaidhlig. Special Libraries materials also supported the Evolution of Evolution event, part of the University’s Darwin 200 celebrations, where historian Dr Ralph O’Connor and biologist Dr Stuart Piertney pieced together the story of evolution supported illustrated by a range of material from the collections. Most notable were 1st editions of Darwin’s Origin of Species from 1859 and Descent of Man from 1871. University Librarian Chris Banks also hosted a lively discussion on the latest developments in the book-world, entitled E-books: the word of the future? where an eclectic panel including novelist John Boyne weighed up the relative merits of tradition and technology. |
Mearns Railway Project |
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Alison Parfitt, Education and Access Officer
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This project involved supporting young people from Mearns Academy in Laurencekirk to develop heritage information panels for the waiting room at the station, to mark its re-opening. Initial themes for the panels were identified and researched by S3 pupils studying history at at the school. Their suggestions were passed to the English department where the text was developed by a group of ten pupils, with support from Alison Parfitt, Education and Access Officer at Marischal Museum. Three visits were made to the school, with email correspondence and further editing undertaken as the text progressed. The finished text was passed to the art department, where another group of pupils used photography, portraiture and mixed media collage to explore local themes. The collated work was passed to a designer who composed the final panels. A collaborative project initiated by Aberdeenshire Arts Development, it was supported by Network Rail and the University of Aberdeen. The project was a great opportunity to work with secondary school pupils, a traditionally hard to engage audience for museums, and resulted in some lively panels that celebrate the rich heritage of the Mearns. |
Janet joins the TLC Team |
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By Janet MacKay, Information Adviser
In August 2009 Janet MacKay joined the Library's Teaching, Liaison and Consultancy Team to provide cover for Claire Molloy who is currently on maternity leave. Janet tells us a little more about herself ... |
Having trained at the Glasgow School of Art, I practised as an illustrator before moving to London to work in the Central Slide Library at Birkbeck College. However, within a year I was drawn into the world of animation, an industry I remained in for many years. Returning to Scotland, I have been working in the University of Aberdeen’s libraries since 2002, based mainly at the Medical Library up at Foresterhill. In the last couple of years I have been helping to teach information skills and have really enjoyed it. So when the opportunity of my current post arose, I had no hesitation in applying! A month into the post, I am thoroughly enjoying it. When not working I sing in a very fine choir called the Aberdeen Vocal Ensemble! |
Mairi joins the cataloguing team |
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By Robin Armstrong-Viner, Cataloguing Manager
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Congratulations to Mairi Henderson who joined the cataloguing team on 10 August 2009. Mairi will be a familiar face to HeadLines readers who use Floor 1 at the Queen Mother Library (QML) where she was previously Principal Information Assistant. Building on her experience at Dublin City Library & Archive, National Museums Scotland and Trinity College Dublin, Mairi will catalogue and make accessible everything from the newest electronic resources to our oldest rare and unique materials. Mairi will also continue to provide advice and support to visitors to QML as Evening & Weekend Supervisor. |
Congratulations for Claire and Ross |
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Warm congratulations to QML staff Claire Molloy and Ross Hayworth, whose first son, Ethan Robert Hayworth, was born on the 15th of August. Speculation continues that they may have produced the most literate offspring ever! We wish you all the best with your new family. |
Student recommends BookEnds |
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By 3rd year undergraduate, Scott Clark
Whether you are looking to buy a few essential books, or simply just craving some home entertainment, BookEnds is definitely worth checking out! |
The library is, without doubt, an ideal starting place for new students looking to borrow and utilise academic sources. However there is another location on Aberdeen Campus where both new and old students can ponder over great literature. Deep within the Hub sits the University’s second hand bookshop, where anyone (even the general public) can browse through its collection of thousands of books. Better yet, goods can be purchased for a percentage of the original price, with a third of the money being spent going towards charity. The vast majority of items found there will be course related, however the volunteers working there are willing to accept a wide range of books, videos, CDs and DVDs. |
Building: A Poem |
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By John Easton,
Principal Information Assistant
[photograph by Martin Sommer, |
John Easton, Principal Information Assistant for Floors 3 & 4 and published poet, captures the first rumbles as construction begins for our new library in a brief poem which nods to the literary mission statement of Seamus Heaney’s “Digging”; the seminal opening poem from Death of a Naturalist.... Building Between the fingers of these hands Under these windows, a clear rumbling sound |
If you have any comments or suggestions for features in future issues please contact us.
Previous issues of HeadLines.
The editorial team would like to thank Fiona Macmillan and Kylie Cooke of the Student Recruitment and Admissions Service for their work on the email version of HeadLines.