Social Sciences Collections & Research: a new content-based team

Gillian Ridgley, Ian Cooke, Jerry Jenkins

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Steps towards a content strategy

Geographical/format-based collecting history

2005: publication of the BL’s content strategy

The BL develops content strategies for broad disciplines and formats based on the 2008 RAE categories

Scholarship & Collections Directorate: 38 discipline-based content teams; 8 format-based content teams

Recruitment of teams of subject specialists 2006-2008

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Social Sciences Research & Collections Team

18 content specialists & support staff

Covering: management & business; human geography & anthropology; international relations; education; culture, media & sport; economics; sociology; linguistics; social policy; law; political science

…et al

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The Task

Develop and exploit content-focused collection

Promote access to, and discovery of, material

Explain, promote, sell nature of the task across the BL

Explain, build credibility and identity for SSC&R outside the BL

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Key SSR&C projects past & present

EDC launch 2007

Welfare reform on the Web 100th edition

Management studies web portal

Social sciences & the Olympics website

UCL phonetics collection project

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Building an evidence base

We need to know:

What motivates researchers?

How researchers locate and access information

What resources are most valued?

What challenges do researchers face?

A key report:

Researchers and their use of academic libraries and their services, (April 2007) Research Information Network

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Research trends

Social Science research:

Multi-disciplinary, cross-sector, international

(mostly) post 1945

More than one language

A contested description

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Researcher behaviour – focus groups/ desk research

Information seeking:Published/ UnpublishedPrint/ OnlineIncludes: contacts, interviews, archives

Small set of “reliable” sources: electronic databases and libraries

Google and Wikipedia – frequent but critical use

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Researcher behaviour – survey results for the British Library

>75% Pressures of time prevent visits to the Library

90% Want more remote access to electronic resources

60% Unsure about the range of collections and services supplied

>70% Want improved online searching

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Priorities

Improve online delivery – focus on searching and explanation

Training/ Opportunities for postgraduate researchers

Keep communicating

The European Documentation Centre at The British Library

Jeremy Jenkins

Curator

International Organisations and North American Official Publications.

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Work of the European Documentation Centre Committee

Brings together subject specialists, team leaders and collection area representatives

Organises promotional events

Put in place a processing structure for EU material

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European Documentation Centre Webpages

16 British Library web pages on the EU and its activities

Future Developments

New EDC landing page Linking relevant areas of study within the BL External links to bibliographies International relations of the EU

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Future developments of the European Document Centre collections

Placement of promotion material in other Reading Rooms

Development of a comprehensive collection guide of the EU collections at the BL

Ongoing training and presentation to staff and readers

Developing relationships with external parties through workshops and events like today

Undertake a feasibility study into the creation of a data map type interface using open source technology to make information available