Peter H. Reid

The Philosophy of Local Studies in the Interactive Age.

The authors examine strategic priorities for local studies libraries in the context of the interactive Web. They examine the implications for access, investigations and the needs of different users. The philosophy that has previously guided local studies is articulated as a number of maxims, taking into account also social inclusion and lifelong learning. These maxims are then re-assessed and added to in the light of issues such as the acquisition of digital media objects, mass amateurisation, profiling remote users and balancing their needs with those of local taxpayers, digital service provision and creating and maintaining an effective online presence.

The digital age and local studies

Introduction Exploding the myth of parochialism E-enquiry services for local studies Remote users and local materials E-genealogy and the library E-collaboration and cooperation E-learning Evaluation and appraisal.

The People Behind the Philanthropy: An Investigation into the Lives and Motivations of Library Philanthropists in Scotland between 1800 and 1914

Abstract Examines Scottish library philanthropists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a key period in the development of the public library service. Utilizing the technique of prosopography, which goes beyond recounting basic biographical details and considers individuals as part of an identifiable group, the article provides an insight into the lives of eleven people (nine men and two women) who were involved in gifting money, land or support towards the establishment and maintenance of public libraries in eight towns and hundreds of villages throughout Scotland.

Proto-Bibliophiles Amongst The English Aristocracy, 1500-1700

Abstract The idea of aristocratic book collecting in Great Britain tends to conjure up images of great bibliophiles like Sunderland, Roxburghe and Spencer or of the benign neglect of country house libraries. Yet the origins of aristocratic bibliophilia — which in time gave rise to country house libraries — lie much further back in history with a handful of important English collectors who led the way in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This article presents an overview of some of these early collectors, their position in the society of the time and the influences which made them purchase books.

Church and State: Censorship and Political Interference in the Libraries of County Mayo

Abstract This article focuses on the role played by the Roman Catholic Church and authorities in the Irish Free State during the early years of Mayo County Library Service in Ireland. It looks particularly at the religious, political, and social agenda of the 1920s and 1930s and shows how this affected the library service in the county. The Censorship Act of 1929, which had severe implications for libraries, librarians, and authors, is explored in the context of Mayo and other Irish county library services during the period. The article also examines the appointment of a Protestant librarian in County Mayo, which became a great cause célèbre in 1930–31, resulting in the dissolution of the County Council and the near-collapse of the national government because of church and public reaction. It was an incident in which individuals from the highest echelons of the State and Church became embroiled. The article is based on an examination of surviving local archive material relating to Mayo County Library Service held in various archival repositories.

Sir Francis Leicester's 'good library' at Nether Tabley.

ABSTRACT This article examines the book collection of Sir Francis Leicester (1674–1742) of Nether Tabley Hall, Cheshire. It charts the genesis of his collection; from an initial collection inherited from his grandfather Sir Peter Leicester to one directed by the interests of Sir Francis Leicester himself. The kind of collection Sir Francis assembled and whether it had a particular kind of identity is examined. The connections between this collection and those owned by other members of the late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century elite are considered. Whether national and local scholars knew about his books and were granted access is explored. Evidence is provided for access having been granted by Sir Francis to non-elite readers from a variety of professional backgrounds. These potential readers are identified.

Information: Interactions and Impact (i3) conference 2015

The Information: Interactions and Impact (i3) conference was established in 2007 at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, as an international forum to bring together academic and practitioner researchers interested in exploring the quality and effectiveness of the interactions between people and information and how these can bring about change. This biennial conference provides an opportunity for exchange of research findings and a chance to identify key questions and issues for future research. It aims to be relevant to all those involved in researching, developing or delivering information and knowledge services in any sector, as well as those concerned with the development of skills for a knowledge society.

'The owner of one of the largest and most valuable private libraries in Scotland': David Hay Fleming as book collector.

Abstract David Hay Fleming, one in a long line of gentlemen scholars, is remembered as an historian, antiquary, and critic. Yet upon his death in 1931 he left his library of nearly 13,000 volumes (together with his personal papers, letters, and notebooks) to the town of St Andrews, to form the nucleus of a public reference library. This paper seeks to place him firmly in the context of a book collector (and reader) through examining the subjects contained within his library, his motivation for acquiring books, and how his library was used both by himself and by others. Ultimately, new light will be shed upon the book-collecting habits of a middle-class individual, contributing to our understanding of how books were owned, read, and used in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Scotland.

‘It is Ridiculous that the Borough Librarian of Croydon Should Decide the Policy of the Scottish Education Department’: The Establishment of Scotland’s Second Library School

Abstract In the middle of the 1960s, amid concerns about the direction of professional education in Scotland and problems with the number of places available for those to wishing to study librarianship, there emerged a strongly nationalistic debate surrounding proposals to establish a second school of librarianship in Scotland. The process of establishing that second school at Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology in Aberdeen became protracted and fraught with difficulties. It was characterized by disputes and misunderstandings between the Library Association and the Scottish Library Association. Many of these differences of opinion took on a distinctly nationalistic quality and the debate within the library community at the time can be said to offer wider, allegorical lessons for the changing political landscape between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. This article outlines this debate, principally from the perspective of the members of Scottish librarianship community. It draws extensively on a hitherto private archive of correspondence of those directly involved.