September 2012

Welcome to our new improved Library!

We hope you like the changes we've been making to the Library over the summer. In addition to steam-cleaning the exterior, we have made extensive alterations to Levels 3 & 4. 260 additional study spaces as well as 2 new study rooms have been created on these floors, and the number of computer spaces has been increased from 18 to 72. New lighting and heating have been installed on these levels, which have also been re-carpeted, and all furnishings have been refurbished and upgraded. New entrance lobbies have been constructed on both floors, which will improve sound insulation, and there are now disabled toilets and water coolers on both levels. Probably the most noticeable change will be that all books are now in a single sequence on Level 3, and all periodicals (journals) are now on Level 4. This should make finding the materials you need much simpler - but please contact us if you have any difficulty locating items you need. Just email library@st-andrews.ac.uk and we will be happy to help. (Please note the only exception to the above is that Art History, Photography and Iranian Studies Collection books are on Level 4.) View our Redevelopment Slideshow to see what's been happening during the summer!

New Resources
lux: showing off the Photographic Collection on Tumblr
Ethnographic Video Online This new database currently provides over 800 online streamed videos and is an important resource

The Special Collections Department now has a new Tumblr blog called "lux." Its aim is to share a weekly stream of images which will illustrate the breadth and variety of the Library's Photographic Collection. Although we have over 700,000 historic photographs, only 10% are currently available online. "lux" will give followers the chance to view some of the previously unseen and rare photographs we offer. Please share our images with others, as the more people who use the collection the better. Don't forget you can come and see the originals too members of the public, students of all ages and disciplines, and those who are just plain curious are all welcome. Follow us on Tumblr: http://standrewsphotos.tumblr.com/

for the study of human culture and behaviour. Of particular interest to Anthropology students, it covers subjects such as kinesthetics, food & foraging, caste systems & slavery, kinship & families, religion & magic, and much more. It includes the work of several influential 20th-century documentary film-makers, and offers interviews, previously unreleased raw footage, field notes and study guides.

Opera in Video We hope you enjoy this collection of 292 operatic works (500 hours of video) which offers all the operas most commonly studied in music history, opera literature and performance classes. You can browse by composer, genre, performer, ensemble, time period and role, create video clips and embeddable links, and make, annotate and share playlists. It also contains interviews with singers, stage designers and directors, integrated with excerpts of performances to show the development of each production.

400 years of the King James Library - exhibition at Gateway Galleries

A splendid new exhibition has just opened at the Gateway Galleries on the North Haugh. A Royal Foundation: 400 Years of the King James Library is curated jointly by the Library's Special Collections Department and Museums Collections staff, and explores the story of the founding of the University Library through many of the wonderful books, manuscripts and artefacts associated with it. A series of events is scheduled to coincide with the exhibition, including print- and book-making workshops for families, a book swap and talks by the curators. Follow these on our blog and Facebook posts - and of course do visit the exhibition itself.

New DVDs Why not try some of the new DVDs we have added to stock recently? Submarine. (2010) Oranges and sunshine. (2010)

Rare Books Librarian goes to Helsinki

Hugo. (2011) The Help. (2011)

See more via our New DVDs RSS feed.

New books Rare Books Librarian Daryl Green recently delivered a paper at the International Federation of Library Associations' (IFLA) annual congress in Helsinki. He enjoyed the chance to hear papers and discussions from librarians from countries as far apart as America and Singapore and from disciplines as diverse as children's librarianship and Special Collections. His own paper, Utilizing social media to promote Special Collections: what works and what doesn't addressed an issue currently at the forefront of many rare books librarians' minds. The theme of "marketing rare and Special Collections in a digital age" was considered in a series of papers which included 'The face in the fun-house mirror': how ebooks, apps and other realities are changing theface of Special Collections by Dennis Moser (University of Wyoming) and The Library and the display of text by Helen Vincent (National Library of Scotland). The trip was definitely a much appreciated opportunity to keep in touch with new developments in the fast-moving modern library world. Books added to stock this month include: Carolynn Lund-Mead & Amilcare Iannucci, Dante and the vulgate Bible. (2012) Ian P. Howard, Perceiving in depth. (2012) Daryn Lehoux, What did the Romans know?: an enquiry into science & worldmaking. (2012) Jennie Batchelor & Cora Kaplan (eds), The History of British women's writing.(2010)

Ken Dingwall art exhibition - King James Library

The King James Library is currently hosting an exhibition of works by Scottish artist Ken Dingwall, curated by Dr Natalie Adamson, Dr Tom Normand and Dr Alistair Rider of the School of Art History. The traditional panelling and bookcases of the old library provide an interesting backdrop for the modern, minimalist, abstract pieces. As Dingwall himself writes, "the works were chosen to make an intervention retaining the serenity and order of the library, avoiding a strident, dominating large scale, so that the interaction can be slow and quiet." A catalogue of the exhibition, designed by Dr Andrew Demetrius, is available for purchase from the publishing website Blurb.

See more via our New Books RSS feed.

Forthcoming guest lecture: Professor Edith Hall

We are delighted to announce that the next King James Library Lecture will be delivered by Professor Edith Hall who holds the Chair of Classics at King's College London. The lecture, on Wednesday October 24 at 5.15pm in School III will be entitled, Adventures in the libraries of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, and will be the eighth in this series of talks which aims to consider the meaning of the library as an institution through various historical periods. All are welcome at the lecture, which will be followed by a glass of wine in the historic King James Library, St Mary's Quadrangle.

Read more about the Library's activities on our blogs:

@ the library: e-Resources Blog ; Echoes from the Vault: Special Collections Blog; Redevelopment Blog; Open Access Blog

Questions: Please email librarynewsletter@st-andrews.ac.uk Address: University of St Andrews Library, North Street, St Andrews KY16 9TR, Scotland Tel: +44 (0)1334 462317 Images: University of St Andrews, Kenneth Dingwall, Prof Edith Hall, Daryl Green, Kirsty Lee and iStockphoto The University of St Andrews is not responsible for the content of external websites accessed via links in this e-newsletter.