Most librarians are well known as hoarders of books, periodicals, pamphlets, any material in fact which might be of the slightest value to the users of their libraries. Whenever…
Abstract
Most librarians are well known as hoarders of books, periodicals, pamphlets, any material in fact which might be of the slightest value to the users of their libraries. Whenever sufficient space allows, a stack room contains material which is in lesser demand, but even storerooms fill, and that remarkably quickly in these days when national and international agencies compete more and more with the general publisher. Thus the time soon comes when even the most inveterate hoarder has to prune his shelves. In the past he has spent part of his very busy working time producing lists of surplus material, and after much correspondence he has usually been able to dispose of a small part of his unwanted stock. The remainder was often sent for scrap, as only a limited amount of time could be spared for finding suitable locations for it. It can be easily seen that, as far as staff time was concerned, this was an un‐economical method of disposing of duplicates. It was impossible to be sure that even half of the libraries likely to be interested had been approached, and finally a suitable return for the material offered was seldom obtained. With the formation of a national interchange centre, however, all these difficulties have been overcome and a very large amount of material which before had gone to waste has been placed in useful circulation again.
There is a section entitled ‘Too much vs Too Little’ in Robert Townsend's book Up the Organisation (London: Michael Joseph, 1970) which has a direct bearing on the subject of this…
Abstract
There is a section entitled ‘Too much vs Too Little’ in Robert Townsend's book Up the Organisation (London: Michael Joseph, 1970) which has a direct bearing on the subject of this paper: ‘A tight budget brings out the best creative instincts in man. Give him unlimited funds and he won't come up with the best way to a result. Man is a complicating animal. He only simplifies under pressure. Put him under some financial pressure … then he'll come up with a plan which, to his own private amazement, is not only less expensive, but also faster and better than his original proposal which you sent back’!
J. BIRD and E.M.R. DITMAS
This paper is the first of what is intended to be an annual survey of the literature of documentation, covering both special librarianship and information work. Its aim is to…
Abstract
This paper is the first of what is intended to be an annual survey of the literature of documentation, covering both special librarianship and information work. Its aim is to select from the year's publications, whether books, pamphlets, periodical articles or any of the other miscellaneous items which form an important part of the stock of special libraries, those which are most likely to be of practical value in day‐to‐day work. It is designed specifically to help personnel in small libraries, and is directed particularly towards those who have not yet completed their library training or, in the case of information officers, those who have not yet had much experience.
Sir Raymond Streat, C.B.E., Director of The Cotton Board, Manchester, accompanied by Lady Streat. A Vice‐President: F. C. Francis, M.A., F.S.A., Keeper of the Department of…
Abstract
Sir Raymond Streat, C.B.E., Director of The Cotton Board, Manchester, accompanied by Lady Streat. A Vice‐President: F. C. Francis, M.A., F.S.A., Keeper of the Department of Printed Books, British Museum. Honorary Treasurer: J. E. Wright, Institution of Electrical Engineers. Honorary Secretary: Mrs. J. Lancaster‐Jones, B.Sc., Science Librarian, British Council. Chairman of Council: Miss Barbara Kyle, Research Worker, Social Sciences Documentation. Director: Leslie Wilson, M.A.
THE Reference Department of Paisley Central Library today occupies the room which was the original Public Library built in 1870 and opened to the public in April 1871. Since that…
Abstract
THE Reference Department of Paisley Central Library today occupies the room which was the original Public Library built in 1870 and opened to the public in April 1871. Since that date two extensions to the building have taken place. The first, in 1882, provided a separate room for both Reference and Lending libraries; the second, opened in 1938, provided a new Children's Department. Together with the original cost of the building, these extensions were entirely financed by Sir Peter Coats, James Coats of Auchendrane and Daniel Coats respectively. The people of Paisley indeed owe much to this one family, whose generosity was great. They not only provided the capital required but continued to donate many useful and often extremely valuable works of reference over the many years that followed. In 1975 Paisley Library was incorporated in the new Renfrew District library service.
“Corporate planning” is the term which, perhaps more than any other, epitomises the adoption of business management techniques by the public sector. In Britain, with massive local…
Abstract
“Corporate planning” is the term which, perhaps more than any other, epitomises the adoption of business management techniques by the public sector. In Britain, with massive local government reorganisation in 1974, many librarians were forced to come to terms with such techniques whether they liked it or not. Of course, in its purest sense corporate planning applies to the combined operation of an entire organisation be it local authority, university, government department or industrial firm. However, in this paper I do not intend discussing “the grand design” whereby the library is merely a component part of a greater body. Rather, it is my intention to view the library as the corporate body. It is a perfectly possible and very useful exercise to apply the principles of corporate planning, and the management techniques involved, to the running of a library or group of libraries. Indeed, many librarians have already done this either independently or as their part in the corporate plan of their parent organisation.
VINE is a Very Informal Newsletter produced three times a year by the Information Officer for Library Automation and financed by the British Library Research & Development…
Abstract
VINE is a Very Informal Newsletter produced three times a year by the Information Officer for Library Automation and financed by the British Library Research & Development Department. It is issued free of charge on request to interested librarians, systems staff and library college lecturers. VINE'S objective is to provice an up‐to‐date picture of work being done in U.K. library automation which has not been reported elsewhere.
A question of size THE Committee set up by the Minister of Education in 1957 to “consider the structure of the public library service in England and Wales, and to advise what…
Abstract
A question of size THE Committee set up by the Minister of Education in 1957 to “consider the structure of the public library service in England and Wales, and to advise what changes, if any, should be made n the administrative arrangements, regard being had to the relation of public libraries to other libraries,” was the first such since the Kenyon Committee which reported in 1927. One of the most controversial aspects of the Roberts Committee's deliberations was the consideration of the minimum size (in terms of population) of an independent library system.
ON the superficial view the portents for 1958 are perhaps not propitious for libraries. The freezing of money as a national policy is likely to prevent any spectacular development…
Abstract
ON the superficial view the portents for 1958 are perhaps not propitious for libraries. The freezing of money as a national policy is likely to prevent any spectacular development of library activity and the crude new block‐grant system for local authorities replacing the grant system will create local fisticuffs for the division of the spoils: a condition which the Government surely has foreseen but of which apparently it approves. There have been financial struggles encountered by librarians before this, but this one seems fraught with dangers greater than many of the past. Perhaps the achievements of libraries have by this time so convinced our people of the essential character of their place in the community that we may emerge more safely than at present seems probable.