Glasgow School of Art joins SUNCAT

We are delighted to welcome Glasgow School of Art as a new SUNCAT contributing library.  Just under a thousand of its serial records has just been added to our service. This addition brings the total number of contributing libraries to 91, plus the CONSER database, the ISSN register and the Directory of Open Access Journals.

The Library of the Glasgow School of Art has one of the finest art, design and architecture collections in the UK, reflecting the School's long history. The School joins a growing number of art institutions in SUNCAT, including:

• British Film Institute
• Courtauld Institute of Art
• Edinburgh College of Art (as part of the University of Edinburgh)
• The National Art Library
• Royal Institute of British Architects
• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
• Scottish National Gallery Research Library
• Tate Library (Tate Britain)
• University of the Arts London

For further information and news about SUNCAT please see our website, follow SUNCAT on Twitter (@suncatteam), or contact the EDINA helpdesk at edina@ed.ac.uk.

SUNCAT welcomes newest Contributing Library - City University London

We are pleased to announce that serial records from City University London have now been loaded into SUNCAT. It has contributed just over 60,500 records, with titles including: 'International journal of vehicle design: the journal of the International Association of Vehicle Design'; 'Medical decision making: an international journal'; and 'Journal of cybernetics'.

City University London is an institution which strives for excellence in education, research and enterprise and is focused on business and the professions.  Its library service reflects this, with library sites serving all five campuses located in central London.

There are now 90 libraries, plus CONSER, the ISSN Register and the Directory of Open Access Journals in SUNCAT. There is a full list of libraries contributing to SUNCAT available. To keep up-to-date with SUNCAT developments or for more information on the service take a look at the SUNCAT blog and SUNCAT's Facebook page; follow SUNCAT on Twitter (@suncatteam) or contact the EDINA helpdesk at edina@ed.ac.uk.

RDA survey

SUNCAT is sending out a survey to Contributing Libraries on Monday, 4^th February, to discuss what the libraries are doing with regards to the adoption of RDA (Resource Description Access), the new cataloguing rules that are due to replace AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2^nd edition).  The results will help with integrating RDA into SUNCAT, for example, in adding new MARC21 codes for display, new indexing routines, etc. The analysis of the answers will also form the basis of a paper that has been accepted for publication in Alexandria: the journal of national & international library and information issues (0955-7490), in a special RDA-themed issue.

We would be very grateful if our Contributing Libraries completed this survey. We are happy to receive more than one questionnaire from any given Contributing Library, as there may be different answers from different departments, etc. The survey will be open for 3 weeks.

New Design for SUNCAT

As part of the SUNCAT Redevelopment we reported on last week, we will be introducing a new contemporary design for the SUNCAT web interface.

A number of designs were produced by EDINA’s in-house designer, based on a design brief submitted by the SUNCAT team based on

• User feedback we have received over the past few years.
• A survey of a number of commercial search engines as well as library and union catalogues in the UK, Europe and beyond. These sites included:
• http://www.google.com 
• http://www.bing.com/
• http://www.worldcat.org/
• https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/
• http://www.copac.ac.uk 
• http://libris.kb.se/ 
• http://www.doaj.org/

Feedback suggested that the current design was well liked but was starting to look somewhat dated so some key elements of the brief included:

• Keeping the SUNCAT logo and colours for continuity
• Keeping the search functionality at the heart of the design
• Incorporating other elements of the site into the search homepage to reflect a more portal style approach
• Trying to keep the design clean and simple.

After the initial set of designs was discussed and adapted by the SUNCAT team, the selection was narrowed to two preferred designs which were then circulated to EDINA colleagues for comment.

We were then keen to consult our SUNCAT contributors to involve them in the final selection and to gather feedback which could be incorporated into the ultimate design. A short online survey was made available to SUNCAT contributing libraries for a week at the beginning of November. Sixty responses were received in total, from at least 26 different libraries.

Seventy-two percent of respondents preferred the design displayed below, one percent liked both designs equally and happily none of the respondents reported that they didn’t like either design. The main reasons for preferring the design below included:

• Simpler, cleaner and more user friendly
• Preferred colours and images
• Layout of search and filters on the screen 
• Having a map of contributing libraries and a newsfeed easily accessible on the homepage

New Design for SUNCAT Interface

We will now be looking at some of the suggestions on how to improve the design, such as:

• Changing the colour of the “Find Now” to better differentiate it from the limit options
• Moving the Advanced Search and Browse buttons closer to the main search box
• Moving the Reset button to beneath the “Find Now” button.

The new design will form part of the beta release of the new platform in spring 2013, please let us know if you have any comments about SUNCAT’s new look in the meantime.

New SUNCAT Contributing Library - University of Strathclyde

We are pleased to announce that the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow has now been loaded into SUNCAT. This is our fourth new library for 2012. It has contributed over 48,000 serial records, just over 35,000 of which are for electronic journals. The Library's aim is to provide access to materials and information resources which will help with studies and research in a supportive learning environment. The University of Strathclyde also hosts the Royal Scottish Geographical Society Library.

The University of Strathclyde is the 12th Scottish library to be added to SUNCAT. Currently SUNCAT contains 9 Scottish university libraries: Aberdeen; Dundee; Edinburgh Napier; Edinburgh (including Edinburgh College of Art); Glasgow; Robert Gordon; St. Andrews; Stirling; and Strathclyde. It also contains the records of the National Library of Scotland, and the libraries of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh and the Scottish National Gallery.

There are now 88 libraries, plus CONSER, ISSN Register and the Directory of Open Access Journals in SUNCAT. Take a look at the full list of the 88 Contributing Libraries. For more news and information on SUNCAT see the SUNCAT blog, SUNCAT on Twitter (@suncatteam), or contact the EDINA Helpdesk at edina@ed.ac.uk. 

National Maritime Museum name change

One of SUNCAT's Contributing Libraries, the National Maritime Museum, has now changed its name to Royal Museums Greenwich. This change is to reflect the fact that the National Maritime Museum is now part of Royal Museums Greenwich, which also includes the Queen's House, Royal Observatory Greenwich and the Cutty Sark.

SUNCAT has the serial records from the National Maritime Museum's Caird Library. The Museum's archive and library collections made available from the Caird Library consist of over two million items relating to seafaring, navigation, astronomy and time measurement, including modern and rare books, journals, manuscripts, pamphlets, ephemera, and charts and maps. It also offers a number of electronic resources including dictionaries and encyclopaedias, family history resources, journal archives, rare books and newspapers.

Take a look at SUNCAT for the full range of Contributing Libraries and their extensive journal holdings.

De Montfort University - New SUNCAT Contributing Library

We are pleased to announce that the serials records of De Montfort University have just been added to SUNCAT. This is the third new SUNCAT Contributing Library this year and takes the total number of libraries to 87, plus CONSER, ISSN and the DOAJ. There are now over 7 million serials records in SUNCAT.

De Montfort University (DMU) is based in Leicester, located in the heart of England. It is a teaching and research institution, with four faculties offering 400 diverse undergraduate and postgraduate subjects. The role of the DMU Library Service is to support learning, teaching, research and scholarship across the University, and so provides access to a wide range of learning resources. Just under 184,000 serial records, for both print and electronic titles, have been loaded into SUNCAT.

Take a look at SUNCAT’s Contributing Libraries map for the full range of Contributing Libraries.

Scottish National Gallery Research Library – new SUNCAT Contributing Library

We are pleased to announce that the Scottish National Gallery Research Library is the latest library to be added to SUNCAT. The Library reflects the Scottish National Gallery's fine art collection, including Scottish and international art from about 1300-1900. Just over 60 serials records have been loaded.

This library adds to SUNCAT’s portfolio of art libraries, including the National Art Library and the Courtauld Institute of Art, and takes the total number of Contributing Libraries to 86, plus CONSER, ISSN and DOAJ.

Take a look at SUNCAT for the full range of Contributing Libraries and their extensive journal holdings.

Robert Gordon University and Courtauld Institute of Art now contributing to SUNCAT

The serials records of two institutions have just been added to SUNCAT. This takes the number of SUNCAT Contributing Libraries up to 85, plus CONSER, ISSN and the DOAJ.

Robert Gordon University, located in Aberdeen, offers a wide range of courses in 10 different subject areas, including: Architecture, Construction and Surveying; Information, Communication, and Media; and Laboratory, and Biomedical and Sports Sciences. Robert Gordon University Library has supplied SUNCAT with 14,500 serials records.

The Courtauld Institute of Art is an international centre for the study of the history of art and conservation, as well as home to one of the finest small art museums in the world. Its Book Library provides access to a significant art historical collection and is one of the major international research collections of art historical books, periodicals and exhibition catalogues in the country. Just over 1,000 serial records, for both print and electronic titles, have been loaded into SUNCAT.

Take a look at SUNCAT’s Contibuting Libraries map for the full range of Contributing Libraries.

Library of the Society of Friends now contributing to SUNCAT

About 2,000 serial records from the Library of the Society of Friends have just been loaded into SUNCAT. This is the first new SUNCAT Contributing Library of 2012, taking the total number of Libraries to 83, excluding CONSER, ISSN and DOAJ.

The Library holds collections relating to Quakers and their activities, including peace, anti-slavery and relief work. Over 200 periodical titles are regularly received. They range from academic titles such as Quaker Studies and The Journal of the Friends Historical Society, to special interests such as Towards Wholeness (Friends Fellowship of Healing) to the newsletters and journals of other Yearly Meetings. There are complete runs of many titles, plus older titles that no longer exist.

Take a look at SUNCAT for the full range of Contributing Libraries and their extensive journal holdings.

Two new Libraries contributing to SUNCAT

The University of Bradford and the Royal Asiatic Society are the latest Libraries to have been added to SUNCAT. This makes a total of five new Libraries processed in 2011 so far, with the total number in SUNCAT now being 82, plus CONSER, ISSN and DOAJ.

The University of Bradford Library collection supports the research and teaching functions of the seven ‘academic’ schools, which each cover a broad range of specialisms: Computing, Informatics and Media; Engineering, Design and Technology; Health Studies; Life Sciences; Lifelong Education and Development; Management; and Social and International Studies. Just over 16,500 serial records have been loaded into SUNCAT.

The Royal Asiatic Society was founded in 1823 and received its Royal Charter from King George IV in 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. The Library contains books and journals on a wide variety of subjects concerning Asia, including the Middle East and, to a lesser extent, Islamic North Africa. The Collections include Persian, Arabic, Pali, Sanskrit, Malay and Javanese manuscripts. Most of the resources are in the area of the humanities. Sciences and ethnography are covered only peripherally. The Library has provided SUNCAT with just over 490 serial records.

Take a look at SUNCAT for the full range of Contributing Libraries and their extensive journal holdings.

BGS – now part of NERC

Records in SUNCAT listed under the British Geological Survey are now being loaded as part of NERC: Natural Environment Research Council. NERC incorporates British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, and British Antarctic Survey. There are two non-UK locations for British Antarctic Survey (BAS) – Bird Island in South Georgia and Rothera in Antarctica!

"Nacreous Clouds above Rothera Base" by Jade Berman (divedivajade).

One title held at Rothera is 'Annals of Glaciology'; two titles held in South Georgia are 'CCAMLR statistical bulletin', and 'CCAMLR science'. Luckily, you don't have to travel to either library to get hold of them, as there is another copy held in the BAS main library in Cambridge!

Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh Merge

Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) has combined with the University of Edinburgh's School of Arts, Culture and Environment to form a new and enlarged ECA as part of the University. The ECA Library at Evolution House has now become a site library of Edinburgh University Library and so all the ECA’s serial records in SUNCAT now appear as Edinburgh University records, although they will have ECA locations.

University of Bath - now contributing to SUNCAT

Just under 38,000 serials records from the University of Bath have now been loaded into SUNCAT. University of Bath library holds both print and electronic journals to support learning, teaching and research across science, engineering, management, social sciences, and the humanities. This is our third new Contributing Library of 2011 and takes the number of Libraries to 80, excluding CONSER, ISSN and DOAJ.

Take a look at SUNCAT for the full range of Contributing Libraries and their extensive journal holdings.

Another SUNCAT Contributing Library - Queen Mary, University of London

SUNCAT is pleased to announce another new Contributing Library, that of Queen Mary, University of London. Just under 29,000 of the Library’s serials records have just been added, which cover the wide range of teaching and research activity currently undertaken by the University. Subject areas include humanities, social sciences, law, medicine and dentistry, and science and engineering.

For more information on SUNCAT Contributing Libraries and to locate serials held in these libraries visit our website.

SUNCAT welcomes the Institution of Civil Engineers

The Institution of Civil Engineers is SUNCAT’s latest Contributing Library, with just over 5,700 serials records having just been added. The ICE Library is the largest resource in Civil Engineering in the world and its collection is designated as being of outstanding national importance by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The collection includes: major conference series such as the Soil Mechanics conferences, Earthquake Engineering conferences and Offshore Technology conferences; over 900 periodicals taken from all around the world; and major report series, such as TRL reports, CIRIA reports and Hydraulics Research reports.

Check out SUNCAT for the full range of Contributing Libraries and their extensive journal holdings.

Weird and wonderful titles - UK Legal Deposit Libraries

SUNCAT holds the serials records of all six UK Legal Deposit Libraries. All publishers and distributors in the UK and Ireland are legally obliged to deposit material in these libraries. This makes the collections of these libraries particularly varied. Weird and wonderful titles include:
From Cambridge University -

• Means of escape
  
• News from Jupiter!
  

From Oxford University -

• Perils of premature burial / Association for the Prevention of Premature Burial
• Vintage Light Music: for the enthusiast of light music on 78 r.p.m. records.
  

From the National Library of Scotland -

• Mushroom Business
• The Hermit: or, A view of the world, by a person retir'd from it.

From the British Library –

• For whom the die rolls.
• Two wheels only: TWO

From Trinity College, Dublin –

• Use of trees by livestock
• Penny News: pamphlets for plain people

From the National Library of Wales –

• What's brewing: newspaper of the Campaign for Real Ale
• Apricot user

Why not take a look at other serial titles these and other SUNCAT Contributing Libraries hold?

Open University – the latest SUNCAT Contributing Library

SUNCAT is pleased to announce that the Open University is its latest Contributing Library, with just over 35,000 serials records having just been added. The Open University is a distance learning and research university, with the main campus located in Milton Keynes. The Open University Library provides a wide range of print and electronic resourcescovering a range of subjects from art history through to sports science. Their print collection includes over 4,000 print journal titles, while they also hold more than 30,000 electronic journal titles.

Trinity College Dublin - the latest library added to SUNCAT

The serials records of Trinity College Dublin have now been loaded into SUNCAT. This makes it the eighth new SUNCAT Contributing Library this year. With the addition of Trinity College Dublin SUNCAT now has serials information from all the Legal Deposit Libraries, which also include the UK National Libraries, and Cambridge University Library and the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford. Trinity College Dublin has the largest research library in Ireland, with extensive collections of journals, manuscripts, maps and music reflecting 400 years of academic development. Currently, it is contributing around 180,000 serial records. Unique titles include: Journal of the Scottish and Northern Welsh Pony and Cob Association; Aontas Gaedheal, weekly post (Ireland for the Irish); and L’alouette Dauphinoise; : revue artistique & littéraire, [1880-1882]. Take a look at SUNCAT for more interesting journal titles and their locations.

Brirish Film Institute - SUNCAT'S seventh new library

The British Film Institute (BFI) has become the seventh new Contributing Library to be loaded into SUNCAT this year. The BFI National Library holds information on film, television and, increasingly, new media. Currently, BFI is contributing around 5,000 serial records.