Presenter Information

Dennis Shaw, University of Oxford

Session Number

16

Description

In a historical introduction which traces the development of the Radcliffe Library alongside the Bodleian Library at Oxford it is shown how it took nearly two hundred years to establish a role for the Radcliffe as a science library. During this period, some of the science departments in the University of Oxford set up specialist libraries and from these beginnings has grown a very strong body of science departmental libraries. In spite of the richness and breadth of the literature collection in the University library nearly half of the scientific library resources in the University are devoted to supporting the departmental libraries. While some of these may, because of their unique holdings, be looked upon as specialist extensions of the main library, the majority of holdings duplicate the central collection. In order to ensure maximum inter-library cooperation, and in the hope that unnecessary duplication of stock and other library resources may be eliminated or avoided, a Science Libraries Advisory and Co-ordinating Committee (S.L.A.C.C.) has recently been established.

One important device to ensure the maximum benefit from the large collection of scientific serial publications (which includes all British publications deposited under the Copyright Acts) is the maintenance of a union catalogue which includes all holdings in fifty-four different science libraries (over 30,000 entries). To increase the effectiveness of this catalogue, an attempt is being made to set up the entries as a database on-line on a central computer. Those departments with terminals on the University computer network may be able to interrogate the catalogue by this means.

Experience in Oxford and elsewhere has shown that library automation is generally costly and difficult to justify on a cost-benefits analysis. The basic problem arises from the large databases which are accessed infrequently. One way of increasing their utilization is by sharing between several user libraries.

If this venture is successful it is hoped to extend the database to include detailed records of individual holdings, including lacunae. The addition of subscription data later on could lead to the development of an on-line automated serials handling system. Interest generated by these activities has led to the setting up of an inter-library working party to explore the feasibility of establishing a union list of scientific texts to include monographs and reports.

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May 29th, 12:00 AM

Cooperation Amongst the Science Libraries at Oxford University

In a historical introduction which traces the development of the Radcliffe Library alongside the Bodleian Library at Oxford it is shown how it took nearly two hundred years to establish a role for the Radcliffe as a science library. During this period, some of the science departments in the University of Oxford set up specialist libraries and from these beginnings has grown a very strong body of science departmental libraries. In spite of the richness and breadth of the literature collection in the University library nearly half of the scientific library resources in the University are devoted to supporting the departmental libraries. While some of these may, because of their unique holdings, be looked upon as specialist extensions of the main library, the majority of holdings duplicate the central collection. In order to ensure maximum inter-library cooperation, and in the hope that unnecessary duplication of stock and other library resources may be eliminated or avoided, a Science Libraries Advisory and Co-ordinating Committee (S.L.A.C.C.) has recently been established.

One important device to ensure the maximum benefit from the large collection of scientific serial publications (which includes all British publications deposited under the Copyright Acts) is the maintenance of a union catalogue which includes all holdings in fifty-four different science libraries (over 30,000 entries). To increase the effectiveness of this catalogue, an attempt is being made to set up the entries as a database on-line on a central computer. Those departments with terminals on the University computer network may be able to interrogate the catalogue by this means.

Experience in Oxford and elsewhere has shown that library automation is generally costly and difficult to justify on a cost-benefits analysis. The basic problem arises from the large databases which are accessed infrequently. One way of increasing their utilization is by sharing between several user libraries.

If this venture is successful it is hoped to extend the database to include detailed records of individual holdings, including lacunae. The addition of subscription data later on could lead to the development of an on-line automated serials handling system. Interest generated by these activities has led to the setting up of an inter-library working party to explore the feasibility of establishing a union list of scientific texts to include monographs and reports.