Graduate Trainee Events 2005-2006

As in previous years, the trainees have had the opportunity to visit several libraries as well as take part in library-related events in Cambridge and farther afield. Some visits were organised as part of the SCONUL training program, but the trainees have also been able to arrange visits on their own time according to their interests, with the agreement of their Librarians. The reports of the visits and events that have taken place so far during the current academic year can be accessed below.

Back to current Graduate Trainee events.

Library visits:

• Cambridge University Library
• Wellcome Library
• The British Library
• Cambridge Central Library
• Anglia Ruskin Library
• Corpus Christi College
• National Gallery Library

Training Opportunities

• Introduction to MARC21
• Subject resources
• Rare book cataloguing
• Various html/computing courses, available through the University Computing Service
• AACR2 training

Other visits and events:

• Cambridge Library Group talk
• Association of UK Media Librarians Open Day
• Session on Library School applications
• Cambridge Illuminations exhibition

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Visit Reports

University Library

On 1 November the trainees had an opportunity to visit the Cambridge University Library. We ended up doing quite a bit of legwork in the library's labyrinthine corridors, going down obscure dark passageways and always emerging at a point where one would least expect. Without Colin Clarkson, Training Officer at the UL and our patient guide, we would undoubtedly have been hopelessly lost and probably would still be wandering around the library's seemingly endless underground corridors. The tour certainly gave us an appreciation of the library's long and convoluted history as well as the enormity of the whole operation. The UL currently holds over 5,5 million books (branch libraries notwithstanding) and the staff have to deal with a frenetic pace of new acquisitions. Having witnessed first-hand the backlog UL cataloguers have to deal with, one could not help feeling somewhat awed at the magnitude of the task they are facing. The high point of the tour (literally! ) was the rare opportunity to enjoy an unparalleled view of Cambridge from the sixteenth floor of the library tower. The visit was thoroughly enjoyable as well as educational and certainly gave us an insight on the organisational side of one of Britain's largest libraries.

Paivi Pasi

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Wellcome Library tour

The AUKML (Association of UK Media Librarians) Conference for new information professionals offered an opportunity to visit the Wellcome Library, and as I am particularly interested in health librarianship it was an excellent chance to visit one of the most prestigious libraries in the field.

The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine was founded by Henry Wellcome in the early 20th century and was initially based on his large personal collection of books and artefacts, covering a wide range of subjects including anthropology and alchemy. Today the Wellcome Library holds a large variety of collections, including History of Medicine, Science and Society, Moving Image and Sound and Iconographic and also incorporates the Medical Photographic Library. These are consulted by professionals from many fields, including historians, medics, policy analysts and ethicists.

We began with a brief introduction to the founding and history of the Wellcome Library as well as a brief tour of the Wellcome Library website which is an excellent example of how a library website can both interest and inform readers.

A brief tour of the general History of Medicine collections followed. Unfortunately, the Wellcome Library is currently in temporary accommodation while renovation works are carried out on their permanent building so the collections are currently shelved in somewhat unimposing metal stacks which do not perhaps display them in the glory which they deserve. There was an impressive range of books though and an equally striking number of people using the material.

We were then shown the Medical Photographic collections which provoked discussion around the field of digitisation and storage of photographic materials. The range of images available is overwhelming, ranging from very old artist depictions of human anatomy to the latest CT or MRI scans. The Medical Photographic Library has its own website which allows searches to be performed for particular images which can then be viewed online. It is worth browsing.

Our tour culminated with the Moving Image and Sound Collections, which contain videos, CDs and audio cassettes which are in the process of being catalogued and digitised. We were shown an early 20th century film promoting healthcare for children in England which provoked a few chuckles but which clearly showed how dramatic images can be as a medium for portraying history and change, not only in the field of medicine but also for our society in general.

Despite being only a brief introduction to the work and holdings of the Wellcome Library, the tour provided a tantalising and exciting peek into the world of health librarianship. The Wellcome Library is definitely worth a visit for anyone who is interested not only in health librarianship but also photographic collections or for those who need a bit of inspiring about librarianship. It is open to the public without prior appointment and comes highly recommended – enjoy!

Charis Cheffy

Wellcome Library : Digital services

On 21st March 2006 we visited the Wellcome Library in London. A full description of a Wellcome tour can be read above. This time, however, we also had the opportunity to hear about the current awareness services the Wellcome Library provides both to members of the public and to Trust staff. When presented with the library intranet pages, we were able to appreciate the variety of these services and their implications for information professionals.

Current awareness services were introduced to us as a means by which library staff can deliver rapid reviews of the latest research and findings to researchers via email. One example of such a service is SPIN (Science Policy Information News). Within each weekly edition readers can enjoy concise digests of recent publications concerning science policy and follow links directly to those resources they wish to pursue further. It was interesting to hear about the busy team behind this resource, responsible for reading publications and writing up the most significant points of interest for collation each week.

The subject of corporate information services was also raised, which had been unfamiliar territory to us so far. In addition to serving the public, the Wellcome library staff are responsible for disseminating information to colleagues across their organisation to raise awareness of the latest resources provided in-house. In addition to installing certain staff development publications strategically in the café for colleagues to browse, the information staff send out digital versions of publications relating to the workings of the Institute. The responsibility to raise awareness from two contrasting reader perspectives relies upon thorough knowledge of the customer base as well as the specialist subject of the library. This, plus finding an efficient form of presenting such material, must add an interesting dimension to information work in an institute such as the Wellcome Trust.

Emma Lowdon, 28 April 2006

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British Library

On 7th November most of the trainees took the opportunity to have a guided tour of the British Library: the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest information sources. The tour began with a brief overview of the library's history and a quick explanation of how the building was designed and constructed. Peter Madden, the guide, stated that the British Library was the largest public building constructed in the UK in the twentieth century and that the basements extended an incredible 24.5 metres in order to house over 150 million items, in almost all known languages.

Following this interesting and insightful opening the tour continued with a look at the King's library; an enormous glass tower, six storeys high located in the centre of the building. It was explained that the library houses books collected by George III that were given to the nation by his son George IV in 1823. Highlights in this collection include a copy of the Gutenberg Bible and Caxton's first edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Next we were given a view of the two main humanities reading rooms and were shown a video explaining how the book request system operates. Readers can request closed access books which are delivered to any point in the library through a system of conveyors and lifts, quite an amazing bit of engineering and a very efficient way of transporting books.

The tour concluded with a short description of the library's oriental collections and a look at some rare seventeenth century maps that had recently appeared on Blue Peter.

At the end of the visit we stayed behind to look at the library's public exhibition areas. In the treasures gallery the sheer number of magnificent manuscripts, prints, drawings and music scores held by the library was quite overwhelming. It was a great privilege and delight to see such wonderful items as the Magna Carta, Lindsfarne Gospels, Leonardo da Vinci's notebook and Beatles manuscripts. The tour was much enjoyed by all and is certainly worth a visit.

Peter Andrews

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Cambridge Central Library

On 15th December 2005 the trainees had the opportunity to visit the Cambridge Central Library. This was a chance to see some of the resources available to the Cambridge community and to view the various aspects of the public library service. Situated in the city centre, the Central Library is a relatively large library offering a wide range of services to the local population and is affiliated with 31 other libraries in the county. Our tour was conducted by James Yardley, a member of the library's enquiry team, who deals with a wide and varied scope of enquiries from the Cambridgeshire public. After an introductory talk in the staffroom we were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the library's multitude of office areas, which gave us an idea of the volume of administrative work involved in the running of such an institution. Mr Yardley then introduced us to some of the enquiry team an explained that many enquiries are received via email from both individual members of the public and as referrals from smaller county libraries. We were told that each enquiry is recorded, followed up and filed.

Next we were shown the public areas of the library. The Reference and Information Service on the second floor houses an extensive collection of reference materials and serial publications as well as computer terminals and a television for teletext for public access. Also situated on this floor are the Connexions services for young people and adults, the Learning Centre, and the Cambridgeshire Collection, which is a local studies section comprising of a public area and a large environmentally controlled store. The store houses many local and national newspaper publications, some dating back to the 17th century, a large photographic collection relating to the local area, and many ephemeral items. It was enlightening to see how these materials are kept and most of our questions to the staff came at this part of the tour.

One level down on the first floor is the Lending Library and the Children's Library, where members of the public can browse and borrow an array of fiction and audio-visual materials. The tour ended with a much appreciated coffee and mince pie in the cafê on the third floor and a discussion on the workings and future of the Central Library. Overall, the tour certainly provided further insight into the various functions of different libraries and we found it interesting to see the extent and variety of resources and services that the public library offers and how this differs with the many academic libraries in Cambridge.

Beth Brook

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Anglia Ruskin Library

On Valentine's day we were given a tour of the recently renamed Anglia Ruskin University Library by the Academic Liaison Librarian Jenny Cefai and her helpful staff. Most of the trainees had never visited ARU before, so we were first shown around the library's collections and special study areas such as the truly enviable IT rooms, before sitting down to ask questions and have a look at the brand new electronic resources available through the library website.

The ARU library has its collections divided between the two main campuses in Chelmsford and Cambridge, along with the much smaller hospital site at Colchester. Borrowing between the three library sites is very flexible and their collection of over 350 000 books is increasingly complemented by online information resources and non-print materials such as CD-ROMs. There is also very extensive collection of journals, both online and printed, for which the library maintains more than 2700 subscriptions.

I was particularly impressed by the library's electronic resources and focus on user education. It is obvious that a lot of work has gone into developing the electronic resources and the website. Some of the services offered are similar to the ones planned for implementation in the future by University of Cambridge and its associated libraries, so it was instructive to see them put to good use at ARU. For example, past exam papers are available online, together with various helpful software packages and submitted dissertations. All of this was presented in a very accessible and user-friendly form. The new strategic plan of the ARU library calls for an increased shift towards digital materials and we left feeling that it was in this new and exciting area that the dedication and hard work of the library staff really shone through.

Paivi Pasi

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Corpus Christi College

Our visit to Corpus Christi College allowed us to experience the contrast between the undergraduate modern library and the Parker library which holds some of the finest medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in Europe.

We were first introduced to the Parker Library which is located in a relatively small space for the treasures it holds above the undergraduate library. Gill Cannell, Sub-Librarian of the Parker Library, gave us an interesting and informative talk about the history of the library and the pioneering approach of Corpus Christi College in conserving and restoring works within the collection. During this talk the question of accessibility versus preservation was raised and we were able to discuss some of the issues which surround the decision to restrict access to a collection for the sake of preservation. The Parker Library requires readers to demonstrate their need to view original manuscripts or rare books as opposed to copies and primarily opens its doors to post-graduate level researchers only. It was very useful to discuss the tensions which exist between opening collections to all who are interested for the sake of education and the need to preserve priceless manuscripts for future generations. In part answer to these tensions, the Parker Library is currently involved in a digitisation project which will provide online access to digital images of many of the works held within the library.

Following our quick look around the current exhibition within the Parker Library we moved downstairs to wander through the undergraduate library which appeared to provide a relaxing and cosy environment for students to work in, complete with sofas and armchairs! Corpus Christi is currently building a new undergraduate library which will provide more space for both students and books.

The second half of our visit took us to the headquarters of the Cambridge Conservation Consortium which is based at the Conservation Centre in Corpus Christi. The Consortium is formed of several Cambridge colleges and exists to restore and conserve manuscripts and rare books held within their library collections. We were treated to an in-depth demonstration of the types of conservation work which are routinely carried out which range from minor repairs to torn pages to complete rebinding. An interesting question was raised as to whether inappropriate repairs made in the past should be reversed or allowed to remain as part of the history of the work.

Our visit allowed us an insight into three different areas of library life in Cambridge and demonstrated the dual role which many Cambridge libraries play in both acting as guardians of historical collections and providing current material for students. We were very grateful to Corpus Christi College in allowing us access to the Parker Library in particular.

Charis Cheffy, 28 April 2006

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National Gallery Library

On 21st March 2006 the trainees took the train down to London for the visit to the National Gallery Library. Established in 1869 with the purchase of the private library of the late Sir Charles Eastlake, the Library serves National Gallery staff, visiting academics, postgraduate research students and other scholars who cannot get hold of the material elsewhere.

The Library's collection is very specialised and contains over 75,000 printed volumes. More information about the Library's holdings can be found on their website. There is no online catalogue for the collection; instead, bibliographic access is provided through a range of card catalogues and indexes. The Library's newly appointed cataloguer gave us a demonstration of the process of creating these catalogue cards, and showed us how they are used to locate the books in the Library.

We were introduced to the National Gallery Library trainee, who showed us some of the Library's rare books, and gave us an insight into her typical working day. We also had the chance to hear from the archivists who gave us a presentation about some of the exciting events in the National Gallery's history and told us about their role in managing the public records and private papers of the Gallery. After a quick look around the Library's impressive collection of slides and photographs it was time for lunch. The visit was very interesting and we all felt very privileged to have the opportunity to see a different side of the National Gallery.

Sarah Turk, 10th June 2006

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Events Reports

Cambridge Library Group talk – 25 October 2005

On October 25th Cambridge Library Group members gathered to hear about "The Politics and Practicalities of producing Library and Information Update" from its editor Elspeth Hyams. After wine and nibbles, Elspeth began by outlining the challenge she faces as the editor of a magazine that caters for such a diverse range of information professionals. She expressed how important it is to get a balance between the varying readers, as well as making sure that topical issues are given space in the forefront of the magazine. One of Update's main concerns is setting the tone of the magazine - "gravitas and authority versus readability." Elspeth stressed that finding a balance is key. In order not to alienate any readers she felt it important to enhance the readability and provide links to offer stimulation for the largest possible readership

The fast paced nature of the media industry was something that really came across during the talk. Working to strict deadlines in an often extremely pressurised environment is simply a way of life for Elspeth. Whilst certain elements of Update can be prepared well in advance, other items can be changed very late on when something topical arises. Elspeth was also keen to highlight the importance of reader input, both in terms of feedback and through articles for the magazine itself. Luckily though, Elspeth no longer has to worry about copy gaps. It is now more a question of using the skills of Update's designer to fit it all in!

The evening provided a great insight into Elspeth's world and into the creation of Library and Information Update. Many thanks to the organisers and, of course, to Elspeth.

Sarah Turk

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Assocation of UK Media Librarians Open Day

On the 7th November 2005 the trainees had the opportunity to travel down to London to attend the AUKML (Association of UK Media Librarians) and ICLG (Industrial and Commercial Libraries Group) open day for new information professionals.

This open day offered us the opportunity to learn about library and information science in different sectors other than public and academic librarianship. The programme for the day offered a wide and varied combination of talks from information professionals from the media, a government library, health libraries and a law library and also the chance to visit either the British Library or the Wellcome Library.

Having got up in the dark and cold early hours of Monday morning to catch the 7.15am train to London, we were glad to be greeted on arrival by coffee and pastries. The day started with a talk by Charles Oppenheim from the department of Information Science at Loughborough University who was then followed by Sue Hill from the Sue Hill Recruitment Agency. The second half of the day was filled with talks from information professionals from a variety of media environments.

'Studying Information', Professor Charles Oppenheim, Department of Information Science, Loughborough University:

The talk offered advice and useful information on pursuing a postgraduate course in Information Studies. The main points were the advantages and nature of the university programmes, student evaluations of them, features to be looking for in a course and the key roles and skills of the information professional. Although the talk remained on a very general level and didn't delve too much into specifics, it was a well-given and entertaining talk overall (Prof Oppenheim has lots of interesting stories and anecdotes). The main points remained lucid, straightforward, and well worth listening to.

Sue Hill Recruitment, Sue Hill and Katherine Ross:

Sue Hill took the second session of the day to tell us about her recruitment agency that specialises in vacancies in the information profession. The usual points and advice about applications, CVs, interviews and skills were raised, which did prove a useful reminder as well as being honed into applying for jobs in information. The most valuable element of this talk, however, was that it raised one's awareness of just how expansive and varied information management can be and the amount of opportunities there are to work in different sectors of the job market. Information management is necessary and exists in many types of organisations, not just in libraries, which is a useful thing to remember when considering your future career options.

The BBC, Helen Lippell:

The media is an extremely fast paced and also fast growing sector. With the new and developing forms of media such as the internet and interactive and digital television it is a very exciting time for information professionals. This fast growing sector which takes advantage of digital advancements to improve the way we communicate has often been labelled 'new media'. The growth of this area over the last few years has inevitably led to a demand for professionals to organize and manage all the information. One of the people at the heart of this sector at one of our most prestigious media companies, the BBC, is Helen Lippell who came to talk to us about her work in new media at the BBC.

Helen's talk focused on her work as an information architect on the BBC website. Talking about the search function of the BBC website she highlighted the importance of helping the user to find what they need as quickly and effectively as possible because a good user experience is central to success. She described the strategies used to achieve this such as the BBC's 'best links' facility which she described as the editorial element to the BBC website. She conveyed her interest for the function and flexibility of language and how this has an effect on how users search and the results they get. Her work also involves the management of visual resources and she described the cataloguing and classification of these resources. Helen's talk offered an interesting insight into this still relatively new area of the media and it was nice to see one of the human faces behind the digital world of the BBC.

The Guardian, Richard Nelsson and Alan Power:

One of the last talks of the day was by Richard Nelsson, the Information Manager from the research department at The Guardian. He began by revealing just how much his profession has changed in recent years. He showed us an old cardboard folder of newspaper cuttings, which was how The Guardian research team used to store their records for future reference. Now of course the entire process has become computerised. Alan Power, Assistant Librarian at The Guardian, described a typical day as involving answering barrage of emails and telephone calls from journalists requiring information for the latest breaking story. It is his job to access that information as quickly as possible, using the most effective computer tools and search engines. As well as the standard skills needed to be an information professional, Richard Nelsson highlighted the importance of having a strong background knowledge of news events. He suggested that Media Librarianship hopefuls start the day listening to the Today programme, read a couple of broadsheets on the way to work, a couple of tabloids at lunchtime and then read Heat magazine on the way home!

The overall impression given was one of a fast paced, often pressurised but undoubtedly exciting environment in which it was important to have confidence in your own ability as an information professional. Both Richard and Alan stressed that although they may not always get the recognition they deserve, there is undeniably something rewarding about being part of gathering precise information for the breaking news stories of the day.

Conclusions:

All in all it was a very enjoyable and inspiring day. The variety of speakers provided talks to suit different interests and we learnt from them many tips and suggestions for developing our careers. All the speakers conveyed to us the importance of contacts and networking and hence the importance of attending similar open days. We learnt a lot, not only that we could never do a daily commute to London, but also that there are many possibilities in the field of information science that previously we had never considered and we were left inspired by the opportunities on offer.

Beth Brook, Eleanor Murphy, Sarah Turk

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Cambridge Illuminations exhibition

On 29 November 2005 we all visited the Cambridge Illuminations exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum. This was an impressive collection of over 200 medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts composed for many different purposes: some were bible manuscripts, works of liturgy, books of hours, or literary, scientific or legal texts.

To begin our tour, our guide introduced us to the techniques of preservation and display of the manuscripts. Around ten years of preparation had been undertaken for this exhibition, involving detailed examination and cataloguing of the manuscripts and the creation of custom-made cradles to display each one open at the designated page of interest. The special conditions under which ancient manuscripts must be kept were described to us, and the delicate exhibits continued to be monitored throughout the duration of their display for signs of sagging, wrinkling or fading.

This exhibition provided the only opportunity the public will have to see all 250 leaves of the Macclesfield Psalter, which is due to be put back together and restored. The Psalter was purchased by the Fitzwilliam Museum in February 2005 and is an outstanding example of medieval art from East Anglia, displaying illuminations and painting truly characteristic of the fourteenth century English school. We were shown evidence in the Psalter for identifying the reader to whom the text was originally addressed, together with some of the most intriguing pieces of text and illumination contained in the large work, which extended round the full perimeter of the exhibition room.

One of the most striking parts of the exhibition was the Books of Hours display. Many different examples were on show. Taking into account the age of these manuscripts, the level of detail and the vibrancy of the colours were breathtaking. The richness of the role played by the illustrations in enhancing the contents and experience of the text was intriguing. This was a really enjoyable trip to an exhibition that we would need to visit again and again in order to take in all of the stunning exhibits that it had to offer.

Emma Lowdon

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Session on Library School Applications at the Seeley Library

On the afternoon of the 17th of November, the graduate trainees were given the opportunity to attend a careers session organised by Celine Carty of the Seeley Historical Library, Cambridge and Newnham College graduate trainee 1998-99. Dr. Claire Warwick, of University College London, and Alice Hine, St John's College graduate trainee 2002-03 were invited as guest speakers to share their experiences of information careers and give advice on postgraduate courses.

The primary focus of the session was on providing information and advice about postgraduate qualifications in librarianship and information studies. Despite having been in the posts of graduate trainees for only a few months, university application deadlines require thought into whether the graduate traineeship will be followed by a postgraduate qualification at this stage in the academic year. The afternoon provided an excellent forum for informal discussion of postgraduate courses at various British universities, different modes of study available, funding options, the application process and interview techniques, as well as looking further ahead at career development following postgraduate qualification.

The session began with an informal lecture by Dr. Claire Warwick. Dr. Warwick is a lecturer in the School of Library, Archive and Information Studies at University College London and programme director for the MA in Electronic Communication and Publishing, where she lectures on information and society, electronic publishing and its legal and social aspects and XML.

Dr. Warwick began by asking the question "What's the point of library school?" In answer to this, she pointed out the benefits of a postgraduate qualification in information for developing a career in librarianship. Most, if not all, job descriptions for librarians require a postgraduate qualification and certainly the progression of a career in librarianship would be limited without a Masters. However, postgraduate study is not just about jumping through the right hoops, the year spent focusing on librarianship or information science is invaluable in providing the knowledge, tools and skills necessary for successfully entering and progressing within the library or information sectors. Dr. Warwick also emphasised the opportunity that Masters programmes give students to explore a wide range of specialist areas within the field of information and through this to target career development towards particular areas of interest.

We then turned to look at the practical issues of postgraduate courses and application procedures and what potential applicants can be doing to prepare for applications, interviews and masters programmes. Much of what we covered is available in the Library School and Timeline sections. [Editorial note: the italicised words formerly linked to pages which no longer exist.]

Alice Hine was the graduate trainee at St John's College Library from 2002-03. She decided not to go on immediately to postgraduate study, as after only a few months in the job she wasn't sure whether librarianship was the right path for her. Instead, she completed her graduate trainee year and then went on to work at the University Library full-time. Alice then decided to continue her career development with a postgraduate qualification and was supported in this by the University Library who allowed her to work four days a week with one day spent studying at UCL. Alice is now close to completing her course and has recently moved from the University Library to the Faculty of Divinity in Cambridge where she is working as their Senior Library Assistant.

Alice discussed the issues she had to consider when thinking about part-time study, which included finances and the need to self-finance. Points which came out of this discussion included the effect that choosing part-time study may have on optional modules, particularly at UCL, and the fact that it may be less likely to get AHRC funding for part-time courses.

The afternoon concluded with an open question time where graduate trainees raised a wide range of both general and more specific issues concerning applications and courses.

The session was an opportunity for the graduate trainees to think about whether they will follow their graduate traineeship with a postgraduate qualification, to consider issues that arise when researching courses and universities, and to ask specific questions about applications. Many thanks go to Celine Carty for organising the event and to the Seeley Library for hosting us, as well as to Dr. Warwick and Alice Hine for spending their afternoon with us.

Charis Cheffy

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