My case study and dissertation at UCL

In addition to the individual courses I have written about previously, we were also required to complete a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation and a ‘Professional Awareness’ course that involved sitting an exam on current issues in librarianship and writing a case study on a topic of our choice.

Due to the different interests and experiences of students on the course, the topics of the case study and dissertation were very varied. Some students chose to investigate the issues surrounding important recent developments such as social media in libraries, open access publishing, or RDA, while others pursued interests developed over the course, such as those focusing on historical bibliography. My own experiences are therefore very personal to me, but serve as examples of possible approaches.

Case Study

The case studies were expected to look critically at a recent project or development in a particular library, and therefore most students chose to focus on somewhere they had access to through paid or voluntary work. As I was then working as a Solo Librarian at the NSPC, I decided to examine the cataloging practices used for the retrospective cataloging project which I had just completed in the small library.

The cataloguing project has effected by the use of an open access library management system (OpenBiblio) with limited MARC functionality, time restraints, and considerations of the small and specialist user group. For the case study I looked at how the cataloguing policy compared to AACR2 standards, reflecting on the original cataloguing decisions made by the previous Solo Librarian and my own alterations and challenges.

I found writing a case study quite difficult as it was not something I was used to, and often found myself doubting the value of my re-telling of events. However, having read many other case studies then and since, I can appreciate the valuable role they play in sharing with other professionals and promoting best practice.

Dissertation

For the dissertation I chose to look at academic library subject guides targeted at undergraduate students. I decided to focus my dissertation on one subject, and chose English Literature as I have an undergraduate degree in English and because the subject hadn’t featured heavily in other studies of subject guides. I wanted to produce solid recommendations for the content of subject guides that were subject-specific rather than general. My approach was to study the development of the discipline and its current teaching and assessment methods, to survey current English students, to talk to Subject Librarians, and to compare existing guides. I received over 100 responses from my survey, which I was very pleased with, and found the analysis of the discipline particularly rewarding for identifying areas where subject guides can support research for assignments and background reading. I may post some of my recommendations at a later date.

These opportunities for independent research were definitely some of the most enjoyable parts of the degree, especially as we were allowed the freedom to pursue our own interests rather than directed to particular topics.

My second semester at UCL: Cataloguing and Classification 2

This course extended the teaching of Cataloguing and Classification 1, going into detail about methods for cataloguing a diverse range of materials, alternative systems for cataloguing online resources (such as Dublin Core), thesaurus construction, and alternatives to Library of Congress Subject Headings. The seminars introduced these variations and provoked discussion about their creation,  implementation and worth.

From a flexible range of assignment options I picked two questions which were primarily focused on the relationship between cataloguing practices and the needs of the user. The first asked ‘What is an OPAC 2.0?’, prompting an investigation into the social web 2.0 technologies which have been incorporated into library catalogues, such as the tagging, reviewing, and sharing of catalogue records and personalisation of the catalogue through accounts and personal ‘shelves’.

For the second essay I looked at the possibility of unifying the separate silos that split different library resources, primarily through tools that sit on top of the library’s OPAC and other catalogues. This involved exploring the problems caused by creating a ‘Google’ like search function for resources, such as issues of inconsistent cataloguing practices, variations in cataloguing rules and classification systems between different forms (such as for images), and the problems caused by the large amount of results retrieved by federated search tools. This was particularly interesting as it demonstrated how RDA and the FRBRisation of the catalogue are valuable tools for making vast amounts of search results more comprehensible to users by grouping records together.

Overall I found the course very rewarding (although often quite challenging) and it was one of my favorite courses over the year programme.

My first semester at UCL: Cataloguing and Classification 1

UCL Central Block – Photo by Nigel Chadwick

Since September I’ve been studying Library and Information Studies at UCL. I’m now in my second semester, so it’s high time I gave an overview of what I’ve been up to so far.

In the first semester I took three compulsory modules: Cataloguing and Classification 1, Principles of Computing and Information Technology, and Collection Management and Preservation. I also chose Digital Resources in the Humanities as my optional module. Here is a quick overview of Cataloguing and Classification 1 taught by Anne Welsh and Vanda Broughton.

Cataloguing and Classification 1

The cataloguing aspect of this course covered the history and principles of cataloguing and how this continues to effect the way we catalogue today. We learnt how to catalogue books in AACR2 and how this related to MARC21. We also discussed the implications of the new Resource Description & Access (RDA) rules and how these might effect cataloguing practices. The most rewarding element of the course was collecting this knowledge into a cataloguing policy which combined AACR2 rules with local policies that reflected the realities of cataloguing for specific users and incorporated ideas expressed in RDA. My policy was for a specialist collection of English Literature resources for a university, and I focused on including all relevant information in the description and giving multiple access points. I covered the use of authority records for names, creating uniform titles for works with varying titles (e.g. Robinson Crusoe), collected works, or for translations.

The Classification part of the module served as an introduction to the theory and history (and important people) behind classification systems, before exploring classification systems individually. The course covered Library of Congress Classification (LCC), Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) and Bliss Classification, with tasks which involved classifying books in each system. The final task, a subject analysis of a chosen topic, was particularly challenging. The task involved creating a list of relevant terms for a subject, sorting these terms into groups using facet analysis, and then deciding how these terms might me organised and how this may create a basis for organising information to be helpful for readers. The task involved comparing the value of different cataloguing systems for the organisation of the chosen topic. I chose history and spent a long time debating the order of importance of place, time period, and type of history (political, social, etc). Eventually I concluded that UDC was best suited for history, as it was flexible in the ordering of the classification in terms of place and time, meaning that a cataloguer could decide which order was best suited for the library’s users.

Overall the course has been really rewarding. The core of the module seemed to be an emphasis on learning both the strict rules and the thought processes behind these rules, so that systems can be considered critically. This method means that whatever changes happen in the world of cataloguing and classification, for example the eventual adoption of RDA, I will be prepared and willing to adapt to them.

NSPC Library

Hurrah! The NSPC now has a fully functioning library!

Since mid-July I’ve been working part-time for the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling retrospectively cataloguing their collection and organising the circulation of stock through the new library management system. I took over the project from Sarah, of Sarah Said Library, who had already adopted an open-source LMS, OpenBiblio, created an acquisitions policy, and catalogued half of the collection (see her post). I have worked extra hours over the last month in an effort to get the library ready for the beginning of term and it is satisfying to see that it had paid off! Students are now beginning to register on the system and books are now officially ‘on loan’ according to Openbiblio.

Sarah cataloguing

The library had been separated from another academic library and therefore had to be catalogued from scratch. The absence of a catalogue has proved tricky for the NSPC staff as there was no easy way of identifying exactly what books they had, and circulation had to be regulated by signing books in and out on a spreadsheet. The Library is based within the administration office of the school, with the admin staff being responsible for the library in to the absence of a full-time librarian. It was, therefore, time consuming for admin staff to have to write book and student details out on a spreadsheet each time a student visited. Hopefully, once the students have all registered on the system, the day-to-day circulation of the stock should be much quicker. For the same reason we have had to limit the service so that students cannot request books that are out on loan, as this will create a lot of extra work. I will have to see how this goes over the next term in regards to popular books from course lists, and may have to create shorter loan periods to avoid any problems.

I’m also hoping that having all the stock on the OPAC will also increase the library’s usage.  A link to the library’s OPAC will be added to the NPSC website and I have written new instruction for students, amalgamating them with the old library policy, to promote library use. Currently the number of books on loan at any one time is quite low, and I would like to see a rise in issuing now that the stock is more visible to students.  Hopefully the students will be able to rely on the library as their first point of call for books specific to their courses, instead of the libraries of other institutions.

The next steps are for me to meet the librarian responsible for psychology at Middlesex University, with whom the NSPC collaborates, for me to get to know their resources better, that way I can answer quick queries from students without having to pass them over to her. The school can also now easily check course lists against the library stock, and identify gaps in the collection much more easily.I have also recently been introduced to a rather daunting looking back-stock of periodicals that need organising and cataloguing to make them more accessible. I think this will be a big job though, and will have to wait until the rest of the library is running smoothly before being tackled!

Cataloguing and the Fiction Project

In the last week or so, we (the LL Graduate Trainees) have got started on our fiction project. This project basically involves adding the country of origin and original language to all books in the library’s fiction section. Currently the catalogue records for fiction are very basic and could use some extra information to enable users to search for books written by authors from a specific country, or simply to give them some simple additional information when they look at the book’s record. Where possible we are also adding general information on the subject of the novel – for example ‘political fiction’. It is all the spirit of ‘the more information you can give the better’.

I’m starting with South African authors, for an example look at those helpful subject headings below - that was me!

 Now if you search for South African fiction, you will get some helpful results (you can try it here if you so wish). You can also click on the subject headings on the book’s record to be directed to other South African Fiction.

It has been interesting to get to grips with authority headings on Library of Congress, and better understand the value of limited vocabulary. Also, making a permenant contribution to the catalogue is really satisfying.

Starting some general cataloguing and the fiction project has made me evaluate cataloguing as part of librarianship, particularly as it is not considered as essential as part of some Graduate Trainee programmes. I find this a little strange as, in my opinion, some basic knowledge of it greatly increases your effectiveness in other aspects of library work. Learning the ins and outs of cataloguing and classification makes for quick and efficient enquiry work. I can also help members of the library with their independent research by giving them a few tips and predicting issues that they may come accross. I would quite like to have a role in the future that involved an element of cataloguing, but even if this doesn’t happen, I think I’m getting some invaluable experience.

Also on this topic is this article on Sarah Said Library Cataloguing – a view from a new professional