The British Library is the national library of the UK, collecting all publications from the UK and Ireland. It has extensive science, technology, and medicine collections, with over 3 million new items added each year. The library has a long history of collecting scientific and technical literature. It has two dedicated science reading rooms and provides access to journals, books, electronic resources, and reference librarians to support research across various fields including medicine. The collections cover current clinical and research materials in all medical specialisms and related fields to support information gathering and interdisciplinary research.

1. Introducing the British Library
Science, Technology &
Medicine collections
Elizabeth Newbold, Content & Collections
Leader, Science Technology & Medicine

2. The British Library
• National Library of the United Kingdom
created in 1972 by the British Library Act
• Receives one copy of every publication
published in the UK and Ireland under
Legal Deposit
• Collections cover all formats; sound,
images, video, newspapers, maps,
manuscripts, databases, books and
journals, much more
• 3 million items incorporated into the
collections every year
• Over 16,000 people use its collections
every day
• Grows at 12km of shelving per year
www.bl.uk
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3. Role of the British Library in Science and
Technology
• Long history of collecting scientific and technical literature
• Origins of the collections in science as a distinct resource
for scientists date from 1850 and the Patent Office Library.
Medicine became part of the science collections in the early
20th Century.
• Science is an integral part of the British Libraries remit:
• “The British Library Board was established to manage the
Library as a national centre for reference, study, and
bibliographic and other information services, in relation both
to scientific and technological matters and to the
humanities…”
www.bl.uk
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4. Science Reading Rooms
• Two dedicated reading rooms
• Team of reference librarians to
provide support and training
• Up to 10 years of journals and
books on the shelves
• Access to electronic
resources: ebooks, ejournals
and databases
www.bl.uk
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5. Relevance of STM content and collections
to medical charities
• Supports information gathering and
across section of users
• Supports interdisciplinary research
across key topics, helping to find
answers to questions
• Collection covers current
postgraduate clinical and research
material in all the specialisms of
medicine.
• Also cover allied health and nursing.
• Health policy and management
www.bl.uk
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6. What type of content do we have?
• Books
–
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–
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Research monographs
Handbooks
Dictionaries
Directories
Encyclopaedias
• Journals
– Peer reviewed academic/scholarly
journals
– Newsletters and trade journals
• Grey Literature
– Conference proceedings
– Reports
– Theses
www.bl.uk
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7. What type of content are do we have? (cont)
• Electronic resources – including Abstracting and Indexing databases
– Subject specific:
• AMED – Allied Medicine
• British Nursing Index
• CINHAL
• Embase
• Medline
• Midwifery and Infant Care
– General
• Web of Science
• Scopus
• Current Contents
• Newspapers
www.bl.uk
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8. How can using the Library help you?
• Access to quality peer reviewed journals, books and trade
magazines
• Keeping up to date and refreshing your knowledge on key
topics or background research on new subjects
• Access to specialist resources
www.bl.uk
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9. Finding people/experts/organisations
• Specialist or multidisciplinary databases
– Authors of papers
– Organisation affiliation
Some examples:
– Author analysis
– Organisation analysis
www.bl.uk
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10. Scopus – Author analysis
www.bl.uk
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11. Web of Science – Organization analysis
www.bl.uk
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12. Scopus – Author affiliation
www.bl.uk
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13. Web of Science – Funding analysis
www.bl.uk
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14. Keeping up to date
• Specialist or general databases – literature review
• Newspapers – press coverage
• New books
• Academic journals
• Trade journals
• Some examples:
– Specialist databases
www.bl.uk
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15. Keeping up to date – literature reviews
www.bl.uk
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18. Keeping up to date - newspapers
www.bl.uk
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19. Specialist databases - BNI
www.bl.uk
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20. Specialist databases - CINHAL
www.bl.uk
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21. Specialist databases - MWIC
www.bl.uk
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22. Explore – British Library Catalogue
www.bl.uk
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23. Thank you
• Email: science@bl.uk
• British Library web site: www.bl.uk/science
• Follow us on Twitter: ScienceBL or on Facebook:
Science@BL
• Blog : http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/science/
www.bl.uk
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