This unit is part of an accredited postgraduate interdisciplinary module designed for PhD and research masters students. It is delivered twice a year: in February to the Colleges of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and in November to the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences, and the College of Business & Law. The module provides an introduction to the principles and practice of information literacy as applied to postgraduate research. This version is designed for Sciences, Engineering, Medicine & Health.

1. PG6009: Graduate Information
Literacy Skills
Using Archives & Special Collections for
Research in Ireland

2. Overall Module: Aim and Objectives
•To understand the significance of Information Literacy and
its application to your research.
•To enable you to Audit and Update your current
Information Literacy Skills.
•To Expand and Acquire a Portfolio of Information Literacy
Skills.
•To develop your Information Literacy Skills which will
enhance the quality of your research skills and expand
your career opportunities in our knowledge-based
economy.

3. Overall Module: Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner should be able to:
•Plan and undertake a comprehensive search and review of the literature
•Develop effective strategies to locate and access relevant information
•Analyse and critically evaluate research findings (yours & others)
•Demonstrate and apply a range of these skills as part of your wider research portfolio
•Develop effective approaches to keep up to date with the latest research in your area
•Manage your research information saving valuable time and effort
•Identify the legal and ethical issues relating to the use of information
•Publish and present information in an effective way
•Justify the application of these information literacy skills to your specific research

4. Module Structure
Unit 1: Research Resource
Discovery
Unit 2: Using the Web Effectively
& Evaluating Research Resource Results
Unit 3:Tracking Down
Results & Keeping Up-to-date
Unit 4:Managing Your
Information
Unit 6: Publishing /
Disseminating Your Research
Unit 5: Ethics in Using
Research Information
Unit 7: Using Archives &
Special Collections for
Research in Ireland
Compulsory
Optional

5. Assessment: 5 credits
You are required to attend Units 1-6 and to submit a
Short Report (1500 words) which will be marked on a
pass/fail basis, to be completed by Wednesday 15th
March 2017.
Note: There will no percentage mark
awarded.

6. Contact Details
Elaine Harrington, Special Collections Librarian
e.harrington@ucc.ie | 021 4903484 |
@walkerabroad
The Riverside: @theriversideUCC
http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/
http://libguides.ucc.ie/specialcollections

7. In this information age explore the discoveries of mathematicians,
scientists and botanists such as Boole, Galileo, Newton, Boyle,
Buffon and Tyndall in Using Archives & Special Collections for
Research in Ireland. Consider how their stories, tools and ideas
from the late 16th
century to the present shape our world from
trade and travel, to war and peace, to life and death.
•To enable researchers to identity and access special collections
sources in Ireland and further afield,
and
•To give a greater understanding of the nature of special
collections’ material and its uses for original research and
collaboration.
Aims and Objectives

8. On completion of this module the learner should be able to:
•Express knowledge on the nature and breadth of special collections in general
•Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the importance of preservation and
how it affects access to the collections
•Identify and explain the terminology used when describing items in special
collections
•Identify relevant locations for special collections research in Ireland and further
afield
•Ascertain the relevant sources for material contained in special collections
•Understand the procedures employed in repositories when facilitating research.
•Incorporate this information as appropriate into your own research area.
Learning Outcomes

9. • Introduction
• Storage
• Objects & Terminology
• Locations of Special Collections
• UCC’s Special Collections
• Using Special Collections
• Why Use Special Collections?
• Conclusion
Schedule

10. Introduction

11. What is Special Collections?
• The department itself
• The staff who care for the collections
• The physical or virtual space
• The collections themselves
• “Unique and distinctive” collections of rare books, and many
other media, including born-digital and digitised documents
(Cullingford)
• “Elements of distinction that serve to differentiate an
academic or research library from its peers” (Dooley &
Luce)

12. Format
• Early Printed Books
• Books from Presses
• Collections from individuals
• Newspapers
• Maps
• Pamphlets
• Literary Manuscripts
• Digital Files

13. Format (2)
• Mixture of Primary and Secondary Sources
• Primary Sources include:
Manuscripts
Newspapers
Maps
• Secondary Sources:
Histories
Criticism

14. Format (3)
• Ensuring access remains to the items
• Digital files transferable through the
ages
• Other formats readable
• Example: Domesday Book on laserdisc
http://www.scenicreflections.com/download/534360/build_it_Wallpaper/

15. Storage

16. Preservation & Access
Factors to consider:
•Materials
•Environment
•Storage spaces

17. Materials
• Paper
• Parchment
• Vellum
• Leather
• Different inks
• Photographic material
• Glue and binding material

18. Materials (2)
• Chemically stable materials will last
indefinitely with the proper care.
• Oldest book in UCC Library: 1476
• Sometimes proper care is not enough.
• Example: Early 20th
century newsprint.

19. An Claidheamh Soluis 1901

20. Environmental Factors
• Light: encourages chemical reactions
• Temperature: fixed between 13 – 16C
• Relative humidity: fixed between 45 –
60%
• Standard: BSI PD 5454
• Air pollution
• Mould
• Pests
@HarperCollinsUK pic.twitter.com/bZDyaHwSP7

21. Spider in insect trap

22. Storage Spaces
• Soundly constructed, well ventilated,
watertight
• Stable internal climate
• Secure
• Items stored flat on shelves if heavy or
large
• Shelves not too full or too empty
• Phase boxes
• Linen tapes to hold loose items together

24. Phase box on a Thomas Acquinas item as it’s missing its cover and is then more fragile :
Incipiu[n]t preclarissima opuscula diui Thome aquinatis sacri ordinis p[re]dicato[rum] in quibus o[m
. [Venice: Hermann Lichtenstein, 1497].

25. Handling
• Use appropriate equipment:
 Foam supports
 Book snakes
 Weights
 Archival page inserts
• Support a book’s spine to reduce strain
• No resting on top of pages or manuscripts
• Keep food, drink and ink away from items
• No quick-fix repairs: adhesive tape,
laminators

26. Reprographics
• Can include:
 Photographing – without flash
 Scanning – book cradle rather than
flatbed
 Digitisation to provide surrogate
 Microfilming to provide surrogate
• Copying at discretion of staff
• Damage can be done each time

27. Objects & Terminology
• General
• Manuscripts
• Structure of a Book
• Early Printed Books
• Provenance

28. General
• Book: Now any published work;
previously folded sheets sewn into a
binding or cut sheets glued into a case or
cover.
• Manuscripts may be bound in book form.
• Medieval manuscripts were often created
for religious purposes showing the
importance of religious life and faith and
its dominance of written culture.
• E.g. Book of Kells and Luttrell Psalter

29. Marginalia: writing in the margins on Thomas Aquinas item:
Incipiu[n]t preclarissima opuscula diui Thome aquinatis sacri ordinis p[re]dicato[rum] in quibus o[mn
. [Venice: Hermann Lichtenstein, 1497].

30. Example of rubrication: process of writing titles in the text in red ink.
Example of illumination: embellishment of manuscript with bright colours e.g. gold,
silver.
Gutenberg Bible (facsimile). Patterson, N.J.: Pageant Books, 1961.

31. About a Book
Principal parts of a book and its binding
http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/collectioncare/publications/booklets/caring_for_bookbindings

32. Early Printed Books
• Incunabula: books printed pre-1501
• Colophon: feature at the end of the book
giving details of printing
• Format: folio, quarto, octavo
• Paper types: vellum, parchment, rag
• Illustrations: woodcut, copperplate
engraving

33. Nuntius Sidereus: It was the
first published scientific work
based on observations made
through a telescope (1610).
Dioptrice: Kepler also started
a theoretical and
experimental investigation of
telescopic optics (1611).
Institutio Astronomica:
outlines the various
competing models of the
cosmos, notably the
Ptolemaic, the Copernican,
and the intermediate system
invented by Tycho Brahe
(1647).

34. Robert Boyle.
Experimenta et considerationes de coloribus : primum ex occasione, inter alias quasdam diatribas,
. Amstelodami: Apud Gerbrandum Schagen, 1667.

35. Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc. Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. A Paris: De l'Imprimerie
royale, 1770-1786. Vol. 7

36. Provenance
• Provenance: Previous ownership
 Who owned a book?
 Who had access to it?
 Books owned by an organisation.
 Shown from bookplates, labels, stamps
 Binding may have coat of arms or
symbol
• Inscriptions: person’s name, dedication,
motto
• Annotations: comments on the text,
unrelated notes
• Insertions: letters, bookmarks

37. John K'Eogh's Botanalogia Universalis Hibernica
is listed in the
Queen's College Cork catalogue of 1860
. The Botanalogia is an alphabetical list of plants
growing in Ireland, with their names given in
English, Latin, and Irish. For more see here.

38. Locations of Special Collections
Held in:
•Research libraries
•Universities
•National libraries
•Public libraries
•Museums
•Art galleries
•Historic houses
•Cathedrals
•Societies
For examples of where collections are in Ireland see
here.

39. Online Catalogues to find Items
• RASCAL: http://www.rascal.ie/
• Hayes’ Index of Manuscript Sources: sources.nli.ie
• COPAC (general special collections material):
http://copac.ac.uk/
• British Library Catalogues:
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/catblhold/all/allcat.htm
• Karlsruhe Virtual Catalog (Useful for early printed
books):
http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/kvk_en.html
• Universal Short Title Catalogue:
http://www.ustc.ac.uk/

40. UCC Special Collections
• Facts About Special Collections, UCC
• Special Collections’ Reading Rooms
• Special Collections Website
• Dealing with Special Collections
• Finding Aids
• Special Collections Material in UCC
• Copyright
• Referencing & Citation

41. Facts About Special Collections,
UCC
• Collections: 80 and growing
• Date range of collections: 15th
century – present day
• Languages: Sumerian, Cuneiform, Breton
• 55,000 items in Special Collections
• 11,300 items in Older Printed Books
• Areas of Expertise:
 Irish Literature
 Anglo-Irish Literature
 Celtic Studies
 Frank O’Connor
 Older printed books: sciences, theology,
• Oldest book: Bruni’s Historia del Popolo Fiorentino (1476)
• Oldest newspaper on microfilm: Freeman’s Journal (1763)
• Oldest newspaper: Cork Evening Post; Cork Hibernian
Chronicle; Corke Journal (1769)

42. Special Collections Website
• Access via:
booleweb.ucc.ie – Services – Special Collections
• Information on the website covers:
 Opening Hours
 Subject specific course guides
 Topics
 Useful websites
 Portal for Manuscript Studies & Palaeography
& Medieval Manuscript Studies

43. Special Collections’ Reading Rooms
• Reference Reading Room:
 Contains general reference material and maps
 Use to access theses, material in good
condition and material post-1850
• Rare Books Reading Room:
 Use to access material in fragile condition,
material pre-1850, Strong Room Material
• Microform Room
 Contains microfilm and microfiche
• Closed Access Areas:
 Contain the majority of the collections

44. Reference Reading Room
Microform Room
Rare Books Reading Room

45. Dealing With Special Collections
• Managing expectations.
• Opening Hours are shorter.
• The majority of the collections need to be ordered.
 Date required.
 Item: Title, author, call number.
 Personal details: name, student / staff number
• Advice to Readers:
http://booleweb.ucc.ie/documents/Advice_to_Readers.pdf
• Using Rare Books Reading Room:
• http://booleweb.ucc.ie/documents/HandlingSCmaterialRBRR.p

46. Special Collections Material in
UCC
• Location: Library Catalogue – ‘Newton’ – Modify
Search – Location – Special Collections
• Date: Library Catalogue – ‘Robert Boyle’ – Modify
Search – Before: 1800 AND Search – Location –
Special Collections
• Format: Library Catalogue – ‘Boole’ – Modify
Search – Material Type - Thesis

47. Special Collections Material in
UCC (2)
Examples of Special Collections:
•Private Presses: Cuala, Dolmen, Three Candles
•Presses: Attic, CUP
•Individuals: Lynch, de Courcy Ireland, Cooke
•Older Printed Books: sciences, philosophy, botany
•St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Library: sciences, philosophy

48. Why Use Special Collections’
Material?
• Institutional Activity
• Exhibitions & Interdepartmental Activity
• Single Department Exhibitions
• Outreach
• Events
• Seasonal Library Guides
• Potential for Undergraduate Research

49. Institutional Activity
University Activity: Year of George Boole
http://georgeboole.com/
Inter-institutional activity: Boole / Shannon Celebration
http://www.rle.mit.edu/booleshannon/

50. Exhibitions & Interdepartmental Activity
Exhibitions and Interdepartmental Activity: 1514 – 2014 The Legacy of
Andreas Vesalius Symposium & Art Exhibition
A collaboration between Anatomy & History:
https://www.ucc.ie/en/vesalius/
Symposium video:
https://youtu.be/yM4lYA5v7ko
Digitised content of De Humani 1543 edition
UCC Library’s facsimile copy of
De Humani 1543 edition

51. Outreach
Departmental
activity & outreach
BEES Transition
Year Programme
History of BEES
School

53. Single Department Exhibitions
School of BEES:
To communicate the passion & energy of the natural world to UCC students and staff – an interest in the
animals, plants, and land around us can only enhance our experience on this planet.
Raise the profile of the School of BEES in the UCC community, and to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of
research at the School. We also wanted to show how scientists from different fields can approach the same
problem. John Quinn focuses on the evolution of cognitive behaviour and personality in modern birds, whereas
Maria McNamara’s research uses fossil insects and dinosaurs to tell us about the evolution of behaviour over
millions of years. Both the questions they ask are rooted in Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory and are
similar to questions that Darwin himself posed over 150 years ago.
Create an exhibit to showcase our science in an accessible and interactive way
in order to appeal to a wide target audience. A combination of wall panels with
striking images, installations of actual materials we use in the course of our
research (including a nest box, fossils, sample vials, etc.), and digital elements.

54. Single Department Displays
Mountaineering: Being On Top of the World
In 1856 a British team calculated the height of Mt Everest as 29,002 feet (8,848 metres) above sea level. 2016
marked the 160th
anniversary of this calculation and there is a display on mountaineering on Q floor, Boole
Library.
Although John Tyndall (1820 – 1893) is better known as a physicist and chemist, during the 1850s and 1860s
he was an avid climber in the Alps. Tyndall visited the Alps in order to better understand glaciers and glacier
motion. Tyndall describes his mountaineering activities in The Glaciers of the Alps.

55. Events
Events: Blog Posts
Culture Night with Shakespeare’s Sources

56. Seasonal Library Guides
Harry Potter
See http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/2016/10/28/behind-stories-harry-potter-river-side/ for credits

57. Potential for Undergraduate Research
Mitchell, Eleanor, Peggy Seiden, and Suzy Taraba, eds.
Past or Portal?: Enhancing Undergraduate Learning through
Special Collections and Archives. Chicago: Association of
College and Research Libraries, a division of the American
Library Association, 2012.
•University of Colorado, Boulder: Losoff et al. “Special Collections
Instruction in the Sciences: A Collaborative Model.” p.137 – 144.
•University of Wisconsin, Madison: Rider, Robin. “’Science circa
1859: on the Eve of Darwin's On the Origin of Species’: A Class-
curated Exhibit.” p. 304 – 308.

58. Copyright
• See Unit 5: Ethics in Using Research Information
• Much of the published material is in copyright and
subject to restrictions of ‘fair use.’
• Use:
 Published research
 Websites & digital resources
 Film, video or broadcast
 Public display or exhibition
 Merchandise

59. Referencing & Citation
• For further information see Unit 5: Ethics in Using
Research Information
• Much of the published material is in copyright and
needs to be cited appropriately.
• Credit: Special Collections, UCC Library

60. Conclusion
Following this unit you should now be able to:
•Have a greater understanding of the nature of special collections’
material
•Identify and access special collections sources in Ireland and
further afield.
Survey
Please complete the survey on the Postgraduates / Researcher
page

61. Module Structure
Unit 1: Research Resource
Discovery
Unit 2: Evaluating Research
Resource Results
Unit 3:Tracking Down
Results &
Keeping Up-to-date
Unit 4:Managing Your
Information
Unit 6: Publishing /
Disseminating Your Research
Unit 5: Ethics in Using
Research Information
Unit 7: Using Archives &
Special Collections for
Research in Ireland
Compulsory
Optional