Durham

Durham University Library and Ushaw College

After a long ride through a lovely English downpour, our group arrived in Durham where we would get to tour Durham Cathedral, the Bill Bryson Library, Cosin's Library, and Ushaw College. It was a very exciting time to be in Durham because for the students of the University, it was that moment all students dream of, graduation! As we walked through the city our first evening we were able to see an intimate portrait of a centuries old community that has not only preserved many original buildings, but still use them today. Crossing the bridge to get to the Cathedral was like passing through a secret gateway. The view of the river surrounded by green foliage and the Cathedral looming above the treetops was breathtaking. After ascending the hill to the Cathedral we waded through the triumphant graduates and their proud families to the Cathedral where we attended Evensong. After the service we were able to visit Bede's tomb for a few stolen moments as the Cathedral was closing for the evening. It was a wonderful start to our brief visit.

The next morning we descended from the residence hall to the Bill Bryson Library. After tucking our groups considerable amount of luggage into one of the computer labs for safe keeping, we received a tour of this incredible academic library. The library is spread throughout multiple floors. There are designated study areas dispersed throughout the the building along with rows and rows of shelved library material. Students have access to laptops loaned out for use in the building, two computer labs with printing capability, study spaces, and electrical sockets where they can plug in their devices. The shelved material is organized by Dewey Decimal and the lighting is motion activated throughout the stacks. One of the things I found the most interesting is that the library is driven by what the patrons want. Multiple surveys are conducted in order for staff to understand what students want, and determine how to provide it.

Every year students in the United Kingdom participate in a national student survey. The librarians of Durham University use these surveys to increase the satisfaction of library users. One of the ways they provide this is by utilizing patron driven acquisition. I found this process incredibly interesting. Basically, the library gives funds to the distributor or bookseller. They in turn get URL's for thousands of books. The first person to click on the URL gains full access. After a second person clicks on the link, a purchase suggestions is triggered for acquisitions. The time and attention taken to examine what students want, and the true effort put behind giving it to them is inspiring. One of the small ways I observed them doing this is a unique survey being conducted in the library. There is a stand with three compartments representing different choices. Next to it is a container of ping pong balls. The students can place their votes by putting a ping pong ball in the compartment of their choice. It's something simple, visual, and fun that I would guess draws attention and participation.

After a brief tour of the historic Cosin's Library and the dungeon where a digitization project is currently underway, we took a bus out to Ushaw College. We were able to visit the library where material pertaining to America had been pulled from the collection for us to view. This included an 18th century pamphlet titled "An Address to the Roman Catholics of the United States of America" as well as Alexis De Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" from the 1830's. Included in the Ushaw College Library collections are college administration papers, history of the college, manuscripts, personal papers, and correspondence. What really struck me about this library is that they are currently in the process of cataloging the material. So far they have completed about a third to half of the collection. The difficulty arises in large part because items are in foreign languages and require additional help with translation. The exciting part of the cataloging, in my opinion, is what they are discovering inside items in the collection that no one knew about previously. It brings to mind an archaeological dig, but within the pages and bindings of books. It brings a new perspective and new life to elements of the collection.