March 2010
LIHG seeks Secretary - Great CPD Opportunity
Would you like to join an active committee in one of CILIP’s most diverse and interesting groups? The Library and Information History Group has a vacancy for a Committee Secretary. Main duties are preparing agendas for committee meetings and the AGM, minuting those meetings, and distributing minutes in a timely fashion. The Secretary is also the first point of contact for Group correspondence, and liaises between CILIP HQ and the committee. The committee meets three times a year around the UK (remaining 2010 meetings are in Edinburgh and London), and transacts much of its business by email between meetings. This is a great opportunity to be involved in the wider library world. Library and information history is relevant to all types of library. It directly informs current professional practice as well as having links to the history of the book, and wider intellectual and social history. The Group organises conferences, seminars, and visits, publishes both a newsletter and a refereed academic journal, supports research and projects, gives bursaries and prizes, campaigns actively on behalf of libraries and collections under threat, and works with related organisations worldwide to raise the profile of library and information history.
To discuss the Secretary’s role further, please contact the LIHG Chair, Kathryn McKee on 01223 339393 or at km10007@cam.ac.uk.
JULY 2009
Congratulations to Kathleen Ladizesky who has been appointed our new Honorary Treasurer!!
June 2009
Summer 2009 Newsletter now available!!
May 2009
NEW TREASURER
The Library and Information History Group seeks a new Treasurer. The Treasurer’s role is - fairly obviously - to maintain the Group’s accounts, ensuring that all invoices and payments are processed in a timely way, provide annual accounts to CILIP, liaise with the bank, provide the LIHG committee with appropriate budget information on which to make decisions, and contribute generally to committee discussions.
CANDIDATE MANIFESTO's
Ballot papers will be distributed to all members in June so please make sure you are well informed and use your vote!
Kathleen Ladizesky
OR
Renae Satterley
Kathleen Ladizesky
BA (Strathclyde), FHKLA, FCLIP;
Degree 1980, as a mature student, Librarianship and Russian.
Employment in librarianship, including voluntary work
1980-1985: The British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC), Boston Spa.
1985-1992: Librarian of South Island School, Hong Kong.
At this time I was also Hon. Secretary of Hong Kong Library Association (HKLA).
1992- : BLDSC, Slavonic Acquisitions, until retiring in 1997.
In 1992 I joined the committee of the International Group (IGLA) and from 1993-1997 was Hon. Secretary.
Around 2002 IGLA became ILIG and when Philip Thomas stepped down as Hon. Treasurer I took on that role.
Credentials for the role of Treasurer
For the past seven years I have managed the funds of ILIG.
Records have been handled on the computer, which helps make them simple and more transparent. I think that an important ethic for a Treasurer is to pay bills as soon as possible. This can also help avert unnecessary work and extra costs as, for example, when committee members are reimbursed on the day that meetings are held. Support from the staff at CILIP is of great value to a Group Treasurer and I have enjoyed an effective working friendship with them.
In order to maintain the services we wanted to achieve, apart from managing the funds, it became increasingly necessary to generate those funds. To this end during recent years several seminars a year were held, aimed at being of value to delegates both for their content and competitive price. As Treasurer I played a part in bookings, advertising, arranging and other organisational elements. These seminars helped grow our savings to their present healthy state, for keeping in an interest generating account.
In 2008, using the framework strategy of the seminars, I took the opportunity to apply for - and attain - the CILIP Seal of Recognition for ILIG. This should now be a significant aid in the running of future seminars and events.
Interest in Library History
My academic interest in Library History began with study of a collection of letters written to William McCance while he was controller of the Gregynog Press in the 1930's. This led to two articles being published in the 1980's in The Private Library. As a member of the Rare Books Group I have written review articles for their Newsletter, while my review of Libraries in Russia... was published by Library History.
Being a member of the Leeds Library increased my awareness of the value of the small private library, as well as the pleasure of being able to use one.
I am currently a member of the Aberystwyth Bibliographic Group which runs a scholarly programme of lectures on printed books, manuscripts and maps and visits to special libraries in the area.
Renae Satterley
I have presented my candidature for the position of Treasurer because I am interested in the history of libraries, and would like to help the Library and Information History Group grow and remain a viable and useful resource to librarians, academics, researchers, and students. I find that library and book history are too often sidelined, especially in times of recession, and I would like to work towards promoting the importance and profile of this group. I am fully able to commit my time, energy, and expertise to the position of Treasurer.
I am originally from Canada, and went to French grade school and high school. I completed my Bachelor of Arts at Concordia University (Anthropology, Honours), and went on to do the Master of Library and Information Studies at McGill University, where I focused on rare books and historical bibliography. After graduation, I acquired a position as bibliographer of the Normal Waddleton Collection at Cambridge University Library. My next position was as Rare Books Librarian at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, one of the four Inns of Court. I also work as a volunteer cataloguer at a seminary library in Montefiascone, Italy. My primary interests lie in sixteenth century printing, the history of sixteenth and seventeenth century libraries, and provenance research.
In addition to these activities, I am interested in digital technologies and open source software and publishing, and how they can best be used in libraries and academia. If elected, I would like to help the group in its current and future attempts at making the most of electronic newsletters, social networking, and other electronic technologies.
In my current position at Middle Temple, I have gained experience in managing budgets and expenses, and have been responsible for researching and assessing companies for our outside jobs (i.e. conservators, movers, disaster control). Lastly, I have gained experience in fundraising. These various points of expertise would be useful to this position in order to assess and manage the costs involved with conferences, printing costs, and special projects.
In addition, I am a calm, organised, and reasonable person, who is able to analyse and assess diverging points of view in order to come to sensible conclusions. I also always adhere strictly to deadlines. I believe these will be strong assets to the position of Treasurer, and would like the opportunity to apply them to this position.
Library and Information History Group and Scottish Centre for the Book Evening Seminar
Wednesday 13th May 2009 at 6pm
B2, Merchiston Library, Merchiston Campus, Edinburgh Napier University.
Evening talk by Dr Keith Manley, Institute of English Studies, London.
With discussion over wine
Broadening readership: subscription libraries and mechanics' institutes in early 19th century Scotland
Scotland in the late 18th century was in the vanguard of book provision for the working classes. This talk will look at how a number of small subscription libraries for workers sprang up in Scotland in the 18th and early 19th centuries, preceding similar libraries in England, and eventually leading the way to mechanics' institutes. A special case study will be made of the Greenock Mechanics Library & Institution to show its development from a library with lecture room attached to chess club with swimming pool attached.
Interested parties will also have the opportunity to tour the Edward Clark Collection. The Edward Clark Collection consists of around 5000 items illustrating the development of the book from the 15th century. More specifically, it concentrates on the development of typography, the techniques of printing illustrations, and fine bindings.
For further information about this event please contact Sarah Bromage, LIHG Publicity Officer at s.bromage@napier.ac.uk
For directions to the Merchiston campus please visit http://www.napier.ac.uk/aboutus/Maps/Pages/Merchiston.aspx
MARCH 2009
SPRING NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE!!!
(PDF, 56KB)
LIHG CONFERENCE 2009
PROGRAMME available now!!!
(PDF, 112KB)
January 2009
WINTER NEWSLETTER available now!!
(PDF, 353KB)
November 2008
AGM to be held WEDNESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER
2:30pm at Lecture Theatre, The Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London
April 2007
The British Association for Victorian Studies' 8th Annual Conference, Victorian cultural studies
and elites, is to be held at the University of Salford from 30 August - 1 September 2007.
February 2007
Information about the Library History Award 2007 is now available on our Awards page.
December 2006
The State Library of New South Wales is calling for papers for the next Forum on Australian Library History, which it will be hosting in Sydney, Australia, from 28-29 September 2007. In addition to an eclectic mix of papers on the history of library services, individual librarians and lay people, associations, library education and technical aspects of librarianship, some papers on benefactors and their impact on library development in Australia would be appropriate as 2007 is the centenary of the David Scott Mitchell bequest. Proposed papers from students undertaking higher degree research into some aspect of the history of libraries and information in Australia are particularly welcome. Abstracts of up to two hundred words should be sent to the Forum organiser, Dr David J Jones by 15 January 2007.
Information about the James G Ollé Studentships for 2007-08 is now available on our Awards page.
October 2006
This month sees the launch of the new-look LIHG website. It now fits in more with the CILIP parent website and so also offers more functionality, such as a feedback form, emailable and printer-friendly pages and text size that you can change to suit you.
September 2006
The LIHG Autumn meeting will be held at the City Business Library, London, on 8 November. The following day sees the LIHG Computers in Libraries conference.
June 2006
The LIHG Summer meeting and AGM will take place at the Signet Library, Edinburgh, on 13 July.
March 2006
There is a visit to the Special Collections Department in the Arts and Social Sciences Library, Cardiff University, on Wednesday 22nd March.
August 2005
Prospective candidates for the James G Olle scholarship are invited to apply to the LIHG Awards Manager. More information is available on the Awards page.
April 2005
September 26th and 27th are the dates for Libraries and Innovation: Fourth Anglo-German Seminar on Library History.
Read about LIHG's contributions to Umbrella 2005:
The early information society in Britain by Dave Muddiman
Early public libraries in Britain: past, present and future roles by Kaye Bagshaw and Alistair Black
William Munford Memorial Lecture - The professional achievements register: an update by Peter Chapman
A revision of Munford's Who Was Who in British Librarianship by Peter Hoare
March 2005
There is now a link to the Professional Achievements Register from the CILIP website. Begun by CILIP's Retired Members Guild, LIHG hosted a session on the Register at Umbrella 2003, and will do so again at Umbrealla 2005.
Library History Award 2005
The award is now open for nominations for articles published in 2004. For more information, please go to our Awards page.
January 2005
The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) is accepting submissions for the 2005 Justin Winsor Prize for the best library history essay. Applications must be received by March 1, 2005.
The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) sponsors the biennial Phyllis Dain Library History Dissertation Award. The award recognizes outstanding dissertations in the general area of library history. Applications must be received by March 1, 2005.
Alistair Black has now taken over editorship of Library History, the Library and Information History Group's journal, from Keith Manley. Many thanks to Keith for all his previous hard work in editing the journal.
October 2004
Prospective candidates for the James G Olle scholarship are invited to apply to the LIHG Awards Manager. More information is available on the Awards page.
August 2004
Libraries and Innovation
Fourth Anglo-German Seminar on Library History
London, September 2005
Call for Papers
In association with The British Library, the Library and Information History Group (UK) and the Wofenbütteler Arbeitskreis für Bibliotheks-, Buch- und Mediengeschichte (Germany) are organising the fourth in a series of Anglo-German seminars on library history, to take place on 26th and 27th September at The British Library Conference Centre in London.
Librarians have been pioneers and entrepreneurs since the establishment of the very earliest libraries; innovation in libraries has taken numerous forms, with professional - and not so professional - practice blazing new and often unexpected trails which have benefited library users and the world at large. Proposals for papers are invited on any aspect of the history of Libraries and Innovation; papers on the library history of the British Isles and/or Germany will be particularly welcome. English is the preferred language of delivery for papers at the Seminar, although ones delivered in German accompanied by an English summary will also be possible. Audio-visual methods of presentation are also welcome.
A committee of the Library and Information History Group of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (UK) will referee proposals submitted. It is anticipated that around ten papers will be selected. An optional guided tour of The British Library will take place as part of the seminar.
Abstracts (maximum of 300 words) to be submitted by 17th January 2005 to:
Dr Christopher Skelton-Foord
Sub-Librarian, Collection Services
Durham University Library
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LY
UK
Christopher Skelton-Foord
Further enquiries about the Seminar may be made to:
Ms Dorothea Miehe
Curator, Germanic Collections
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB
UK
Dorothea Miehe
Revised papers from the first and second Anglo-German Seminars have been published as Peter Vodosek and Graham Jefcoate, (eds), Bibliotheken in der literarischen Darstellung / Libraries in Literature (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1999), and as essays from the seminar The Universal Library:
From Alexandria to the Internet in two issues of the Library and Information History Group’s journal, Library History, 14(2) (1998) and 15(1) (1999). Revised papers from the third Seminar, Mäzenatentum für Bibliotheken / Philanthropy for Libraries, are also shortly to be published as a set of conference proceedings.
February 2004
LIHG requires new secretary and treasurer
After a number of years of excellent service, Dr. Jean Everitt, our secretary, and Geoffrey Forster, our treasurer, have both decided to step down. The Library and Information History Group will therefore require a new secretary and treasurer from our AGM in Leeds in mid June onwards. LIHG is a Specialist Interest Group of CILIP and consequently no remuneration is paid. The reward is chiefly in contributing to the development of library history in the UK. LIHG office bearers must be members of CILIP.
Anyone interested in taking on either of these posts should contact me in the first instance. (Position now filled)
Dr. John Crawford, Chair
LIHG Open Meeting
Ridgmount St. 24.3.04
The Library and Information History Group will hold its 3rd open meeting for all members at CILIP HQ in Ridgmount St. on 24th March at 2.30 p.m. Jill Martin and Caroline Nolan of CILIP will be present.
This year’s open meeting will be on the theme of developing access to resources for the library historian and there will be short presentations to promote discussion including:
Jill and Caroline on the CILIP archives policy
Alan Clarke, the librarian of the Thomas Parry Library, Aberystwyth, on the Thomas Parry Library’s library history holdings and future plans
Professor Alistair Black, Leeds Metropolitan University, on the IFLA survey of archival holdings of the world’s library associations
A2A website and its potential for library historians - a short discussion
Members who are unable to attend and who wish to express an opinion can do so by using the contact details below, or alternatively initiating a discussion on lis-libhist, the LIHG electronic discussion list which can be found at: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/lis-libhist.html.
The open meeting will be preceded by a committee meeting at 12 midday which members are welcome to attend as observers. If you wish to attend please contact the secretary, Jean Everitt, whose contact details are available on the LIHG website.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Dr. John Crawford, Chair
Library History Award 2004
The Library History Award is an annual award of £200 for the best essay on library history published in, or pertaining to, the British Isles, within the previous calendar year (2003). It is organized by the Library and Information History Group of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. The Award aims to improve the quality and increase the quantity of writing on library history in the British Isles. It is sponsored by Emerald. The award was first made in 1996.
Items considered for inclusion will normally come within the scope of the former Bibliography of British Library History. The essay should relate to a British Isles theme. The author should ordinarily be resident in the British Isles but need not be a U.K. citizen.
An author may put himself/herself forward for the prize. In addition, any member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals may nominate a published essay for consideration.
The entries will be identified and judged by a panel of five, viz.:
1. The Chairman of the Library and Information History Group.
2. The Awards Manager of the L.I.H.G. who will act as the administrator.
3. One other member of the L.I.H.G. Committee.
4. An external assessor at the invitation of the L.I.H.G. Committee.
5. A representative of Emerald, normally the editor of Library Review.
The editor of Library Review will have the right to publish an abstract or shortened version of the winning essay.
Nominations, including six copies of the essay which should have been published during 2003, should be sent by 30 June 2004 to:
Dr Dorothy Clayton
Awards Manager, Library and Information History Group,
John Rylands University Library of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PP
Tel: 0161 275 3757
Email: Dorothy Clayton
November 2003
Call for papers: Libraries and the Working Classes since the 18th Century, 16-18 June 2004, School of Information Management, Leeds Metropolitan University (UK)
Proposals for papers are invited on any aspect of library activity in connection with working-class users. The theme is not limited to libraries provided exclusively for workers. All library types, topics and themes will be considered, with the exception of those which address only current or very recent periods.
Proposals, in the form of a 200 word (maximum) abstract, should be sent to the address below, by 15 December 2003. Proposal will be refereed by the Conference Committee: Professor Alistair Black (Leeds Metropolitan University), Dr Chris Baggs (University of Wales); Magnus Torstennson (Swedish School of Library and Information Studies).
Alistair Black
Professor of Library and Information History
School of Information Management
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds
LS6 3QS
Telephone: +44 (0)113 283 2600
Fax: +44 (0)113 283 7599
Prospective candidates for the James G Olle scholarship are invited to apply to the LIHG Awards Manager. More information is available on the Awards page.
August 2003
At its recent AGM (Thursday 3rd July 2003) the Library History Group, a Special Interest Group (SIG) of CILIP, unanimously voted to change its name with immediate effect, to the Library and Information History Group (LIHG). This followed a lengthy process of consultation which began at the previous AGM when it was decided to undertake a consultation exercise with members. This showed a large majority in favour of the change of name, which was confirmed by the open meeting for all Group members, held in early March. The proposal was then put to the AGM successfully for ratification. So why go to so much trouble over a single word? Library history has traditionally been about the study of libraries and their users in a historical context, old books in old buildings to put it crudely, but in recent years there has been a move to look at the history of information and how it has been organised and disseminated. Studies of the early years of Aslib are a good example. It is important to recognise this and draw it to the attention of library historians. The Group also wants to appeal to former IIS members. We must also bear in mind that other types of historian, social, cultural and even architectural may be interested in library history and may be a source of new members. Finally we are telling fellow information professionals that, in future, while not neglecting traditional concerns, we will be a little less preoccupied with the study of the book as a physical object and consequently the only CILIP Group uniquely concerned with library and information history.
Dr. John Crawford, Chair, Library and Information History Group
January 2003
James G. Olle Student Scholarship At the July 2001 meeting of the Library History Group committee it was agreed that LHG would fund an annual scholarship of £500 to improve the level of activity in library history. The scholarship is named after the late James G. Olle, an active teacher and writer in library history. The scholarship has the full support of his daughter. Prospective candidates for the scholarship should be undergraduate or postgraduate students, undertaking a discrete piece of advanced work, and members of the LHG. The winner of the award must present the findings of the work in the public domain, either as a published report or via the presentation of a paper. A report in the Newsletter will be the acceptable minimum. Grants of up to £500 will be made on the basis of a submitted budget. The award will be made on the decision of the LHG committee. The second award will be made in the calendar year 2003.
Expressions of interest or applications which should include a CV, a brief statement of plans, a draft budget and the name and address of at least one referee should be sent to the Group chair: Dr John C Crawford, Chair, Library History Group, Glasgow Caledonian University Library, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 OBA Tel : 0141-331-3847 Fax : 0141-331-3005. By 31st May 2003
Library History Group Special Open Meeting 6th March 2003
On Thursday 6th March 2003 at 2.30 p.m. there will be a special open meeting for all Library History Group members at CILIP HQ in Ridgmount St. London. The first of these meetings was held in March 2002 and was so successful that we are now making it an annual event. This is an opportunity for members to put forward their own ideas about where LHG should be going and what it should be doing in the future. We appreciate that most members will not be able to attend in person but you can ensure that your views are taken into consideration by replying to this message electronically or contacting our membership secretary at the following address:
Mr. Robert J. Duckett
4 the Beeches
Holden Lane
Baildon, Shipley
West Yorkshire
BD 17 7JN
Among the topics we already have down for discussion are
* A report on the poll of members on whether the Group should change its name
* A report on the completed historic library buildings project
* A report from Jill Martin (CILIP) on the LA/IIS archives
* A report from Jill Martin on the CILIP corporate plan and LHG'ss role in relation to it
Book History Online is pleased to announce that BHO has been updated again. More than 500 new entries on recent Italian, Swedish and Croatian publications in the field of book history have been added.
The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) is accepting submissions for the 2003 Justin Winsor Prize for the best library history essay. Applications must be received by January 31, 2003.
December 2002
The winners of the 2002 Library History Award are Evelyn Kerslake and Janine Liladhar. Read about their winning article 'Angry sentinels and businesslike women: identity and marital status in 1950s English career novels'.
A new report into historic library buildings, "Researching the Fabric and Fittings of the Historic Library in the British Isles:
Problems and the Way Forward" is now available from the Projects section of the LHG website.
September 2002
Peter New's 'Poor man's John Arlott: semi professional memoirs' are now available from the Library History Group.
June 2002
Results of the Electronic Memory Project, a collaboration between the Library History Group and the Retired Member's Guild, is now online.
March 2002
Natalie Pollecutt, Information Librarian at the The Women's Library in London, replaces Amanda Wrigley as manager of the LHG's website. Amanda has spent two enjoyable years creating, developing and managing the site, and is confident that as it approaches a distinctly exciting phase in its development it is being left in more than capable hands. Goodbye!
February 2002
James G. Olle Scholarship The Library History has agreed to fund an annual scholarship of £500 to improve the level of activity in library history. The scholarship is named after the late James G. Olle, an active teacher and writer in library history, and has the full support of his daughter. Prospective candidates for the scholarship should be undergraduate or postgraduate students, undertaking a discrete piece of advanced work, and members of the LHG. The winner of the award must present the work in the public domain, either as a published report or via the presentation of a paper. A report in the Newsletter will be the acceptable minimum. Grants of up to £500 will be made on the basis of a submitted budget. The award will be made on the decision of a sub committee of the LHG committee, and the first award will be made in the calendar year 2002.
Expressions of interest or applications (which should include a CV, a brief statement of plans, a draft budget and the name and address of at least one referee) should be sent by 30 April 2002 to the Group Secretary: Dr Jean Everitt, Project Manager, 'Mapping Wales', Hugh Owen Library, University of Wales, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DZ
June 2001
On Monday 19 August 2002 The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow will be hosting an IFLA workshop organised by the Library History Group and the IFLA Round Table on Library History on The community library: an international one-day conference on a local theme. Proposals for papers are invited on any aspect of Community Library History in any country. For information on submission of proposals and the selection process please follow the above links.
June 2001
Read the full text of John Crawford's article, 'You might need it again', which was recently published in the Library Association Record.
April 2001
A simple search facility has been added to the site to help users navigate more easily the wealth of information available here. News of the 'Libraries and war' conference to be held at UmbrelLA 6 in Manchester from 5-7 July 2001 are now also available, together with links to the contents and abstracts of three more issues of Library History.
February 2001
A short-term research assistant is required to review, update and write a publishable report, probably in the form of a scholarly article for an appropriate journal, based mainly on pre-existing data. The study will be on the problems of researching historic library buildings in the British Isles and the methods which may be used to further research in this area. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 21st February 2001 (POSITION NOW FILLED).
December 2000
We are pleased to announce that the full contents of the Summer and Winter 1999 issues of the Library History Newsletter are now online. It is hoped that such an archive of back issues of the Newsletter will prove to be a valuable source of information for library historians, shortly to become fully searchable with the additional feature of a search facility on the LHG website. Members should note, however, that each current issue of the Newsletter will only be available to them in hard copy format.
November 2000
The Library History Group has a new-look website, restructured and redesigned for maximum user-friendliness. You will see that the menu bar on the left-hand side of your screen has been designed to serve as a constant anchor to aid navigation of the site.
There are several new resources which we hope you will find useful, for example, an extensive page of links to websites which may be of interest to library historians, the minutes of past committee meetings and AGMs, and links to the contents and abstracts of Library History, the only British periodical devoted exclusively to the study of the history of libraries and librarianship. Details of Dr Christopher Skelton-Foord's winning essay for the Library History Award 2000 are also available. In addition, a searchable database of the listings of the Group's archive holdings is in preparation and is expected to be launched on the site early next year.
If you have any queries or feedback regarding this new-look website, please do not hesistate to contact Amanda Wrigley. In the meantime, do visit us regularly to make the most of new additions to the site and to keep up-to-date with the latest information on LHG activities!
Updated: 14 July 2009