BETH 2024

Medium conference room 

Medium conference room

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What happens to a Catholic Seminary Library developed over many decades since the C19th when its parent seminary closes? Will the Library be dismantled and dispersed or sold, can a new use be found for it and will its intrinsic value for education, research and engagement be recognised and valued? This presentation is a case study of two UK Catholic Seminary libraries that survived the closure of their parent institutions into new and vibrant uses. Ushaw College in Durham, North East England was established as the first Post Reformation Catholic seminary in England in 1809 and closed in 2011. St John's Seminary in Wonersh, South East England was established in the late C19th, both had excellent libraries developed over many years. Both libraries had the good fortune to survive into a new and purposeful age and environment, one linked in partnership to a nearby University and Cathedral, the other packed up and shipped to a Catholic seminary linked to a University in Macau, China. Both libraries survive in new sustainable environments, one still in its historic home, the other thousands of miles away on the other side of the world. This presentation will ask the following questions:
1) What options exist for 'orphan libraries' once their parent institutions no longer exist?
2) How can sustainability and longevity be assured?
3) What critical success factors emerge from the two case study libraries?
4) Why should we make the effort to find new sustainable futures for libraries at risk?

In an era where access to information is paramount, the global imbalance in theology resources is widening. Many majority world theological libraries face challenges in acquiring their collections but in the Western world, theological collections face problems of surplus due to library closures, mergers, space limitations, or downsizing. This talk is focused on the strategic and ethical distribution of surplus books to theological libraries in the majority world through a not-for-profit organisation we have set up called Oxford Theology Resource Link. Facilitating such donations of surplus books from libraries in Europe to various libraries in the developing world is not only a practical measure to provide tools for bridging knowledge gaps in the majority world but is also a sustainable and renewable means to prevent surplus books from going to waste.

My presentation has to do with the granting of dignity to books during their lifetime. We developed a process that enables us to grant books a holistic dignity. Here are the Twelve Principles of Shelfreading:

1.  Check on a daily basis the Return Trolley for returned items within your assigned area and return them on their respective shelves. 
2. Check the appearance, arrangement, and alignment of your entire assigned area on a daily basis.
3.  Check the sequence of the call number or signature. Report in Ontime the range that you accomplish in any given shift. 
4. Check the condition of the book both external (damage in the spine or cover or jacket, multiple barcodes) and internal (tearings, markings in pencil or pen, highlightings). There are three possible scenarios: a. Book does not need repair but it has markings or highlightings: i. In this case, erase all erasable markings without further damaging the book ii. On a sticky note specify the pages you have erased, inform about unerasable markings remaining and request that the annotations be entered in the data record. b. Books need repair. Does not have markings or highlightings i. Place the book on the shelf behind the front counter in the „To Be Repaired“ area. c. The book needs repair and it has also markings and or highlightings i. Firstly erase all erasable markings withouth furtherly damaging the book ii. On a sticky note specify the pages you have erased, inform about unerasable markings remaining and request that the annotations be entered in the data record. iii. Have the book be repaired. Proceed exactly as in Point „b“ above: Place the book on the shelf behind the front counter in the „To Be Repaired“ area.) iv. On an additional sticky note ask the repairer to place the book in the „Tp Be Repaired“ area. 
5. Check the cleanliness (presence of dust) of the book and of the shelf.
6. Check for missing books and update the Missing Books List (Excel).
7. Check Spacing and make space by shifting if necessary
8. Analysis: Is the book relevant to the section where it is classified? It the content current or outdated? Based on your analysis check online if there are updated versions. https://beth.eu/?gf_page=print-entry&fid=60&lid=2091%2C2088%2C2085%2C2082%2C2079%2C2076%2C2073%2C2067%2C2064%2C2046%2C2043&
9. Establish a communication channel with the instructor(s) and ask for their educated opinion. 10. Present your findings to the library director. Make an educated suggestion as to whether the book should be weeded out altogether or if an updated version should be procured. 11. If weed out, submit the book for possible sale as a duplicate. 12. If deemed not worth for sale because of condition or content, process the item for recycling. In case of sensitive or high sentimental value, have it be kept in honoured storage

The planning and renovation of the campus at VID Specialized University in Stavanger, Norway, spanned over years and included establishing a temporary campus with a full library. The librarians engaged in the many processes, looking forward to a new library. At the same time, they were keen on the concept of reuse, and ideas were tested with success in the temporary library. It was important to advocate for both sustainable and smart choices in the further process, and this effort had an impact. When the campus reopened, used furniture and equipment were blended with the new, both inside and outside the new library. 

Medium conference room

Our library has been conducting various forms of library information training sessions for several years. From one-off sessions to a library slot during lectures. Librarians have tried various creative and sustainable ways to include library information sessions in the students' learning. One of the ways was to incorporate a mark score marking assessment in one of the introduction courses at the institution. However, the model was not sustainable in recent years. The changes in how users learn and information-seeking behaviour have shifted significantly. For about two years, I have been thinking of a new way of providing the necessary training for our users. In 2018, the library launched an asynchronous course for all new students. The course aimed to introduce new students to the institution, community life, academic writing, and library. Since then, we have substantially changed the course materials and assessments. It concludes by reflecting on the advantages of using a cultural approach for responsive pedagogy, such as the raranga (weaving) metaphor embedded in the course. The presentation argues that research into designing the course should consider the learners' needs in the planning, but whakawhanaungatanga (relationship) is at the centre of the planning.

Medium conference room

Medium conference room

Medium conference room

Medium conference room

Medium conference room