OpenAIR@RGU The Open Access Institutional Repository at Robert Gordon University http://openair.rgu.ac.uk Citation Details Citation for the version of the work held in ‘OpenAIR@RGU’: NOLAN, M. E., 2014. The content, scope and purpose of local studies collections in the libraries of further and higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Available from OpenAIR@RGU. [online]. Available from: http://openair.rgu.ac.uk Copyright Items in ‘OpenAIR@RGU’, Robert Gordon University Open Access Institutional Repository, are protected by copyright and intellectual property law. If you believe that any material held in ‘OpenAIR@RGU’ infringes copyright, please contact
[email protected] with details. The item will be removed from the repository while the claim is investigated. ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY Aberdeen Business School The Content, Scope and Purpose of Local Studies Collections in the Libraries of Further and Higher Education Institutions in the United Kingdom Marie E. Nolan A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2014 Abstract This research examines the presence of and reasons for local studies resources in the libraries and learning centres of further and higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. The study’s aims were to investigate the content and scope of local collections in academic libraries, to examine the impact these collections have on teaching, learning and research within the institutions, and to compile an inventory of local resources in college and university libraries. Using an approach combining basic- and applied research, the study represents the most comprehensive investigation of local resources in academic libraries so far.