studying with a basket

Background

LibGuides are the successors to the electronic literature guides for each subject on the library website. A LibGuide is a basic guide that provides an overview of sources and tools for a certain subject area. They are designed primarily for students (MSc) and junior scholars.
The editorial board has a mandate from the MT to complete the body of basic guides, i.e. a guide must be produced for every subject area. The guides are compiled by I&C specialists who work in the area concerned and therefore have the relevant knowledge. The editorial board therefore works closely with the I&C specialists.

Basic guides

By the end of 2011, 41 basic guides had been produced. These can be accessed via http://libguides.rug.nl/. An inventory revealed that guides are still required for eight subjects. These are small subject areas. Certain subject areas seem to be too small to warrant a separate LibGuide. This is being discussed with the I&C specialists responsible for these areas.

Phasing-out of literature guides

Given that the body of LibGuides is almost complete, the editorial board proposed that the outdated literature guides be removed as soon as possible. This has been raised with the website editors.

Support

The editors provide three types of support for I&C specialists:

1. Provision of a basic guide
   A beginners’ guide has been produced and is available on BINT, the Library intranet.
2. Technical support
   This mainly involves creating boxes (including Search boxes) and placing them in the Toolbox. This enables the boxes to be linked to the individual LibGuides.
3. Editorial advice
   The editors give feedback on new LibGuides in feedback sessions. The editors advise on the relevant LibGuide in an open discussion. Editors focus on the following points:
1. Language and spelling (must be correct)
2. Layout (must be clear and uncluttered)
3. Relevance of sources.

Given the speedy production of basic guides, the editors imitated two campaigns in the autumn.

1. Promotion
   The editors have launched initiatives to promote LibGuides.
1. A poster for the noticeboards
2. An associative link on the web platform
3. The editors want to encourage I&C specialists to make use of LibGuides in instructions. In order to realize this, contact has been initiated as a priority with the Information Skills working group.
2. The current editorial board’s mandate commenced in February 2011. However, some of the LibGuides date from well before this. The editorial board is committed to optimizing the quality of the whole body of basic guides. Feedback sessions have therefore been organized for this category of guides.

Bert Huizing

Study landscape at the spot of the former Philosophy Library

In the spring of 2011, the Library of Philosophy was moved from the Faculty to the fourth floor of the University Library. The decision to relocate the library facility was taken jointly by the boards of the Faculty and the Library. The Faculty, which has grown considerably in recent years, was faced with a shortage of work space for staff and meeting rooms for students. Staffing the service desk was a problem for the Library. The relocation of the Library of Philosophy freed up space at the Faculty, providing better-equipped working space for students.

By coincidence, the Library of Philosophy had been updated at the end of 2011. This meant that the decision could be quickly taken to transfer the collection as it stood. The Library of Philosophy ’s shelving system and call numbers were retained, with minor modifications. The collection was unavailable for only a few days during the relocation. The existing collection in the Reading Room first had to be updated, and duplicate books removed. The call numbers of this collection did have to be amended. It was not possible to complete the merging of the two collections before the end of 2011.

After almost a year, despite the sense of loss, the change is viewed as positive. Staff from the Faculty of Philosophy have found their way to the service desk of the nearby Library of Theology and Religious Studies, with which the Library of Philosophy now forms a single functional unit. This is also where inter-library loan (ILL) requests are dealt with. In the study area at the Faculty, there is a small reference library for students and a cabinet with compulsory literature.

Jacob van Sluis

The specialist librarian is the contact person, now that the Faculty of Philosophy no longer has the library service desk as a point of contact. Online resources have been provided for this purpose: the LibGuide, a blog that serves as a virtual shop window for presenting acquisitions and, every so often, a newsletter. Obviously there should still be scope for maintaining personal contact, for example by visiting the Faculty regularly for brief discussions, to consult the books that remained at the Faculty, or to collect post. It is important for the specialist librarian to attend PhD ceremonies, inaugural lectures, receptions and lectures in order to keep up with the Faculty’s main themes and interests. Informal chats on such occasions are often very informative.

Dr Jacob van Sluis

At the beginning of May 2011, active mildew was discovered in the second phase of the stacks. This section of the stacks in the basement was immediately declared ‘out of bounds’. Staff and users were informed. Lending from this part of the collection was immediately halted. Returned books from the affected area were packed and stored separately from the rest of the collection. Humidity and temperature measurements revealed a high level of humidity. Three dehumidifiers were installed to bring humidity down to an acceptable level. DocumentenWacht, an external specialist company, was called in to assess and advise on the situation.

Their advice confirmed that the appropriate measures had been taken. We were also advised to conduct an architectural survey and mould testing, and the company gave advice on storing and cleaning the collection in the area concerned.
Further investigation showed that the mould type did not constitute a direct risk to the health of staff.

The architectural survey revealed that there were problems with the rainwater drainage – water had penetrated the cavity wall and other sections of the building. These problems were discussed with the architect of the University Services Department and subsequently resolved.
The architectural problems were dealt with by the University Services Department. The lead flashing in the cavity wall was repaired. The water drainage in the inner courtyard was improved. The soiled green glass was removed and roofing (of the section containing the stacks) was restored where necessary. Drainage has improved. The structural work is now complete.

The mildew has stopped, due to the dehumidifiers. The mildew has now turned to dry powder. The area has been cleaned by hand, in particular the books and shelving. Returned books from the affected part of the collection, which had been packed and stored separately, have been cleaned and returned to the stacks. The cleaning work is now complete.

The filters in the ventilation and air-conditioning systems have been replaced. While this was being done, it was discovered that two valves were set in the wrong position. This has been corrected, and the temperature in the affected area has improved as a result. This work has also been completed.

The problem has been dealt with. The remaining question is how to prevent mildew in future. The advice is as follows:

• It is important to monitor temperature and humidity. This is now done by staff working in the stacks. Temperature and humidity are measured and recorded every day. The University Service Department is looking into the possibilities for the remote monitoring of temperature and humidity. This investigation will be completed in 2012.
• Dust. Keeping the amount of dust to a minimum is essential in preventing mildew. Quotations have been requested for cleaning the stacks.

The quotations are for the University Library stacks and the stacks at the Zernike Complex. After decisions are taken on the quotations, a policy will probably be formulated for the cleaning operation. The work will be completed in 2012.

Albert van der Kloet
Head of Internal Servicesk

Hanging Out : A member of the student mountaineering club

The University Library is obviously an excellent setting for such a film: located in the heart of the city and of the University, and ‘neutral’ in the sense that it is used every day by students from all disciplines. In order to make it clear that the film was a corporate communication for the University as a whole, rather just the Library, it was decided that the finale would be staged in the square in front of the Library, ending with the stately facade of the Academy Building as the backdrop. In the weeks before the film itself was recorded, a trailer was filmed. It featured a drummer, in the same pose each time, playing the drums in front of a series of University buildings. Viewers could thus catch a glimpse of the important University buildings.

Obviously, the lip-dub recording had to be scheduled for a day on which the University Library is normally closed – so there were not many opportunities. The date chosen as the red-letter day was 12 June: Whit Sunday. Unsuspecting students who wandered into the Library on the Sunday morning were confused: they told that we were actually closed, so they wouldn’t be able to study in the Library that day – but at the same time they could see two hundred strangely dressed people running through the building!

Using a special camera made 360-degree shot of the final scene at the Broerplein

The second take went without a hitch. The third take was supposed to be the ‘dress rehearsal’, but since everyone was focused and enthusiastic, we decided to make it ‘the real one’. Inevitably, there were one or two minor ‘hitches’, but once we were all standing in the square, we knew there was no turning back. It was 3.10 in the afternoon, and the lip-dub film was in the can!

By the Friday morning following Whit Sunday, the sound editing was finished and the film was ready to be posted in the University’s YouTube channel. Because all those involved have extensive social networks (Facebook and Twitter …), there was a huge snowball effect. The explosion of ‘hits’ on the Friday morning took us into the top three most frequently viewed films in the Netherlands, and consequently into the list of ‘YouTube trends’, attracting viewers worldwide. To our great surprise, the counter read 20,000 views after 48 hours, and in the next 48 hours it reached 50,000 views!

Many – mainly enthusiastic – responses soon flowed in on the YouTube channel, and also via Twitter and e-mail. It was news to us that, about 5 minutes into the film, someone could clearly be seen stealing a bicycle at Broerplein – just as student policemen Matthijs and Nico were filmed driving past in their police car!

• University of Groningen lip-dub film: Mr Blue Sky
• Achtergrondinformatie over het Groningse project [Background information on the Groningen project]