National Library of Scotland Annual Review 2004-2005 Introduction by the National Librarian and Chairman 3 Listening to Customers 4 Improving Access 5 The Collections 10 The John Murray Archive 18 The Digital Library 21 Organisational Development 23 Partnerships and Collaboration 25 Acknowledgements 29 Cover pictures: Top: Visitors to our Summer 2004 exhibition Read All About It! Centre: A member of staff amoung the stacks © National Library of Scotland 2005 National Library of Scotland in our George IV Bridge building ISBN 1 872116 37 X George IV Bridge Bottom: Interactive kiosk at George IV Bridge Edinburgh Opposite: EH1 1EW Ground floor reading room at Design: OneWorld Design, Edinburgh George IV Bridge Photography: Peter Iain Campbell www.nls.uk National Library of Scotland Annual Review 2004-2005 DeliveringExcellence 3 Introduction by the Chairman and the National Librarian This has been the first full year since Our relationship with the wider world the National Library of Scotland’s new remains central to our future success strategy, Breaking Through the Walls,was and we have explored partnerships launched in March 2004 and it has with organisations in virtually every been a period of tremendous change. relevant sphere of learning, research, These changes have been customer culture, heritage and public service driven, informed by vigorous research over the past year. and evaluation, and focused towards Our mission to enrich lives through developing our collections, services and celebrating and preserving the the ways in which NLS reaches out to recorded culture of Scotland and the wider world. Scots, here and abroad, continues to We would like to take this opportunity be reflected in the varied and unique to express our gratitude to staff both material collected during the year and Martyn Wade, National Librarian new and long serving, not only for the the creativity and insight of our staff in consistent excellence and expertise finding fresh and interesting ways of with which they have performed their sharing it with the people of Scotland roles, but also for their commitment and beyond. and positive response to the challenges Offering excellent collections, services such change brings. Our colleagues and expertise for all remains at the remain pivotal to achieving the heart of everything we do. The ambitious strategic goals the Library initiatives of the past year detailed has set itself. within this year’s Review give ourselves, This review reflects this by profiling the National Librarian and the staff in a cross-section of roles, both Chairman of the Board of Trustees, public facing and ‘behind the scenes’, every confidence that this aspiration which demonstrate the range of skills remains a reality thanks to our needed to serve a national library with colleagues, supporters and partners. changing customer needs and Professor Michael Anderson continually growing collections. Chairman of the Board of Trustees The year has seen a dramatic increase in outwardly focused activity such as exhibitions, events, outreach and Martyn Wade, National Librarian consultation. This is due to the energy and efforts of multi-disciplinary teams working across the Library. We have also formulated a new strategy for the Digital National Library, which aims to Professor Michael Anderson improve access for the many people Chairman of the Board of Trustees who are unable to come to Edinburgh. For those who can visit the Library, we have been developing plans to create more welcoming public spaces in our Pictures opposite: buildings, reflecting the changing face of Top: Four O'clock Friends exhibition the Library as it continues to evolve in Bottom left: Representation of the Highlanders the coming years. from Rare Book Collections Bottom right: Conservator working with photographic material 4 National Library of Scotland Annual Review 2004-2005 Listening to Customers We completed a comprehensive The market research results led to schedule of market research and user the development of a new corporate consultation for the first time during identity for NLS. As a visual 2004-2005. Our primary focus was expression of the new open direction on the views of both existing and that NLS is taking, our new logo has potential users about the Library, its been well received by both internal services and activities. The results of and external stakeholders. the research are now being used to Research into the expectations of help plan activities, and to set those searching the website for measurements for future digitised content has influenced the achievements. NLS digitisation strategy. The research looked at customer We are committed to a continuing satisfaction, perceptions, website programme of market research and usability and web feature content. stakeholder consultation. Annual We also drew results from a National Omnibus Surveys will measure our Omnibus Survey, which gives a progress in raising awareness. statistically balanced representation of opinions from across Scotland to gauge awareness of NLS and our The Issue Hall in our George IV Bridge building range of services. The market research results led to the development of a new corporate identity for NLS. As a visual expression of the new, open direction 5 We are a legal deposit library, with the right to claim every bookpublished in the UK and Ireland Improving Access Physical Facilities events, exhibitions and activities taking Breaking Through the Walls, the new place inside. strategy we unveiled in March 2004, The entrance area will eventually be stressed the importance of increasing transformed into an information access to our collections by removing gateway, with an open-access suite of barriers, both physical and perceived. computer terminals and a more One immediately apparent barrier is relaxed environment. Visitors will then the design and lay-out of our physical be able to browse our catalogue and facilities, in particular the front hall of other services, prior to actually applying our George IV Bridge building, the site for a reader’s ticket. The security desk which houses the majority of our will be moved out of the entrance area reading room services. and a readers’ café area is also planned Plans have been made to redevelop to convey a more inviting impression the ground floor of the building, to for visitors. We will also improve make it a more open, informative and physical access for disabled readers and welcoming space for all visitors.The increase reading room capacity for all building’s imposing façade will be users. improved with special lighting and During the year a project team of Interior designer’s illustration of the new backlit window displays to give a designers, architects and planners was look issue desk area at George IV Bridge better indication of the scope of established to oversee the first phase of this vital project, which is planned for completion by mid-2006. Reader Services Alongside the advances made by our Digital Library and online services, we are also making significant steps towards modernising the systems and technology available to reading room users. One major development in improving the delivery of reader services was the introduction of the online book request system in September 2004. This facility means that users can check availability in advance of their visit and have their materials ready to consult upon arrival. More than 60% of all requests for material consulted in the General Reading Room are now made through the online system. Further improvements planned for 2005-2006 include a self-registration scheme for readers, the introduction of smartcard technology and wireless broadband internet. 6 National Library of Scotland Annual Review 2004-2005 Improving Access Education and Interpretative Exhibitions Services Our task to promote understanding Our continuing mission to widen of the significance of the John Murray access and reach out to communities Archive began in earnest in April outside our traditional audience saw 2004, with the launch of the public significant developments in exhibition, Four O’Clock Friends. The 2004-2005, with the establishment of Archive’s rich spoils of manuscripts a year round exhibition and events and private correspondence of many programme for the first time in the of the 19th century’s most Library’s history boasting a 34% accomplished writers, scientists, increase in visitor numbers to the explorers and politicians were used as four seasonal exhibitions. the basis for this exhibition. The work of influential figures such as Jane Austen, Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Darwin and David Livingstone, to name but a few, were showcased. By contrast, our summer exhibition turned the spotlight on altogether less literary themes. Read All About It! uncovered the story of the press over the past four centuries, demonstrating to thousands of fascinated visitors just Right: Visitors at a printing workshop connected to how much-and how little-the press our Read All About It! exhibition has changed over the years. This Bottom left: Visitors at our Read All About It! covered everything from the 17th exhibition century Scottish broadsides (tabloid Bottom right: Stuart Cosgrove and The Scotsman's Sports Editor, Donald Walker at our Sports style street handbills) dealing in Journalism event sensational and often bawdy tales of body-snatching, wife-selling, robbery and executions, to the Sunday Sport’s reporting of the ‘discovery’ of a bus on the North Pole. Interactive elements such as the ‘create your own headline’