The Library Hub Discover service went live at the end of July last year, involving a whirlwind of activity behind the scenes for our team! Now that things have settled down a bit, we are delighted to announce that, to date, we have loaded the library catalogues of 144 of the UK’s national, academic and specialist research libraries.
If you are a member of a UK university there is a good chance your own library will be a contributor, allowing you to see your local library materials as well as those of other institutions.
Almost all of the libraries previously available on Copac (and SUNCAT) have been made available on Discover. There are some outstanding as we are dependent on each library sending us their data and a small number haven’t yet been able to do so. However, we are discussion with them and hope to have their data to load soon.
Meanwhile, we have been adding a range of new libraries. Here we highlight a selection of these:
University of Hull
The Brynmor Jones Library is a single branch library that serves the University of Hull. The collection comprises over 1,000,000 items, plus nearly 400,000 eBooks and 70,000 eJournal titles: there are also extensive collections of printed music and playbills as well as a rare book collection based around the collections of local churches and schools going back over 500 years.
The Library is based in a purpose-built building in the centre of the University campus, and was completely refurbished and developed in 2014. The building is open to the public on the ground floor, which incorporates the University Art Collection and Exhibition Hall as well as a cafe and teaching rooms.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
The Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
The Lisa Sainsbury Library in Norwich is one of the most comprehensive reference libraries for the study of Japanese art history and archaeology. Its collection covers major aspects of Japanese arts, cultures, archaeology, cultural heritage and architecture from general introductory level books to advanced study reference materials.
The Library holds over 45,000 books dated from the 17th century to the present, and journals, exhibition catalogues and over 100 items of old maps, prints and other materials. Many of the old maps and prints can be viewed online. The Library is accessible free of charge and open by appointment to researchers interested in Japanese studies.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
Royal Library – Royal Collection
The current Royal Library was established by William IV (r.1830–37) in a series of three rooms adapted from Tudor and Stuart parts of the State Apartments at Windsor Castle. Earlier Royal Libraries were presented to the nation in 1757 by George II (the Old Royal Library) and in 1823 by George IV (the King’s Library). Both collections now form a core part of the British Library. At his accession, William IV had access to the private libraries of George III, and of George IV at Carlton House. Both kings were avid book collectors and their libraries contained a wide array of material. William IV brought these libraries together at Windsor and added to them considerably.
In 1860, the Royal Library was rearranged by Prince Albert and the then Librarian, Bernard Woodward. This project saw the Library organised by subject area. This arrangement remains in place to the present day. The reign of Queen Victoria saw major additions to the Library. Subsequent Librarians oversaw the acquisition of new books from throughout the British Empire as well as the acquisition of historical material with Royal provenance or of particular historic interest.
The Royal Library continued to collect throughout the twentieth century and does so today. The Library’s collection has more than quadrupled in size since its reorganisation in 1860, and currently contains over 200,000 items, including many modern reference works, reflecting the work of the Royal Household, Royal Collection Trust and the particular interests of successive Librarians.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
Scottish Poetry Library
The Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh is a unique national resource and advocate for the art of poetry, and Scottish poetry in particular. It is publicly accessible and provides a free lending service.
The collections include poetry magazines and journals, audio-visual material, special collections, and the Edwin Morgan Archive.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) / Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymruhas in Cardiff has a collection with a focus on performance.
Collections number over 70,000 items: books, playscripts, journals, performance scores, orchestral sets and audio/visual material.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
The Geological Society of London
The Geological Society Library is one of the largest geological libraries in the world and collects current post-graduate material in all the main fields of Earth sciences. It holds in Burlington House approximately 300,000 volumes of books and serials going back to the 16th century and subscribes to around 600 printed and electronic journal titles.
Its map collection is of national importance and comprises over 40,000 items dating from the beginning of geological mapping through to the present.
The Library also maintains the Society’s archives (from its foundation), modern records and a number of special collections including the William Smith, George Bellas Greenough, Louis Agassiz and Dan McKenzie Collections.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
Institute of Naval Medicine – Historic Collections
The Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) is a Centre of Excellence bringing together scientists and medical professionals to improve the health of the UK Armed Forces. The Historic Collections Library is held in INM’s Monckton House, Gosport. The books it holds were the working collections of the Victorian naval surgeons and physicians at the Royal Naval Hospitals of Haslar (Gosport) and Stonehouse (Plymouth), with a few titles from other naval establishments. The collections now comprise one of the few specific resources for naval medical history.
As well as medical and surgical coverage, there is material on all areas of natural history, but especially medical botany, and on ethnology and voyages of travel and exploration, including Polar exploration. The bulk of the collection was accumulated between 1828 and 1878, although the earliest book dates to 1564 and there are many 17th- and 18th-century medical texts; a bequest from one naval surgeon accounts for a scatter of classical and early 19th-century European literature.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
Manchester Public Libraries Rare books & Collections
Manchester Public Libraries special collections include many book rarities, such as the Elizabeth Gaskell Collection, DeQuincey, Coleridge, Alexander Ireland Collections, private presses, political/ religious tracts. They also include rare printed music manuscripts from the Henry Watson Music Library, for example Handel – Newman Flower Collection, Gilbert and Sullivan.
- Find out more about the library, including contact details and visitor information, on their Discover information page.
- Browse their records here.
Explore More Libraries
All the institutions and organisations included in Library Hub Discover are shown on our About page.
> Selecting the search code to the right of each library name on the About page enables you search for all the records from an individual library.
> Use Advanced Search to select multiple libraries.
We’ll be highlighting libraries and collections in more detail via this blog, and regularly announcing newly added libraries, so watch this space for more posts #LibraryHubDiscover! You can also follow us on Twitter @JiscLibraryHub.
