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The article focuses on Charlemagne's, King of Franks, court library. The penultimate section of the Emperor's testamentary "breviarium," with which the "Life" concludes records that: 'he decreed that the books of which he had assembled a great collection in his library' (magnam in bibliotheca sua copiam congregavit) were to be available for purchase at the appropriate price by anyone who wanted them, and the proceeds distributed to the poor. Most of those luxury books were, almost certainly, created to be given away to specially favoured recipients, like gold rings and jewelled belts.

For some decades now, galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) institutions have provided access to information resources in digital format. Although some datasets are openly available, they are often not used to their full potential. Recently, approaches such as the so‐called Labs within GLAM institutions promote the reuse of digital collections in innovative and inspiring ways. In this article, we explore a straightforward computational procedure to identify emerging topics in periodical materials such as newspapers, bibliographies, and journals. The method is illustrated in three use cases based on public digital collections. This type of tools are expected to promote further usage by researchers of the digital collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the last 50 years, neuroscience has enjoyed a spectacular development, with many discoveries greatly expanding our knowledge of brain function. Despite this progress, there has been a disregard for preserving the history of these discoveries. In many European countries, historic objects, instruments, and archives are neglected, while libraries and museums specifically focusing on neuroscience have been closed or drastically cut back. To reverse this trend, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) has organized a number of projects, including (a) the History of Neuroscience online projects, (b) the European Brain Museum Project (EBM), (c) the History online library, (d) the FENS meeting History Corner, (e) history lectures in historic venues, and (f) a series of history seminars in various European venues. These projects aim to stimulate research in, and increase awareness of, the history of European neuroscience. Our seminars have attracted large audiences of students, researchers, and the general public, who have supported our initiatives for the preservation of the history of neuroscience for future generations and for the promotion of interest in the history of neuroscience. It is therefore urgent to develop new methods for preserving our history, not only in Europe but also in the rest of the world, and to increase greatly teaching and research in this important aspect of our scientific and cultural legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Katie Nicholas presents the findings of a very topical piece of research into the use of eBooks in health libraries, which she completed for a Masters dissertation. Katie graduated with an MA in Library and Information Management (Distinction) from Manchester Metropolitan University in July 2017. She would like to acknowledge the support of her supervisor, Rachel Delbridge, in helping her to gain a Distinction in her dissertation. In the article, she points out that the use of eBooks in the NHS is low compared to other sectors and she presents the findings from her research, which help to explain this. She outlines the development of an electronic tool to help library and information staff make sense of the complexity around eBooks and makes further very practical recommendations for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data, like MOOCs, altmetrics and open access, is a term that has been commonplace in the library community for some time yet, despite its prevalence, many in the library and information sector remain unsure of the relationship between big data and their roles. This editorial explores what big data could mean for the day-to-day practice of health library and information workers, presenting examples of big data in action, considering the ethics of accessing big data sets and the potential for new roles for library and information workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To visit leisure reading collections in academic science and health sciences libraries to determine how they function and what role they play in their libraries. Methods The author visited seven libraries with leisure reading collections and carried out a semistructured interview with those responsible either for selection of materials or for the establishment of the collection. Results These collections contained a variety of materials, with some libraries focusing on health-science-related materials and others on providing recreational reading. The size of the collections also varied, from 186 to 9700 books, with corresponding differences in budget size. All collections were housed apart, with the same loan period as the regular collection. No collections contained electronic materials. Although there was little comparable statistical data on usage, at the six libraries at which active selection was occurring, librarians and library staff felt that the collection was well used and felt that it provided library users with benefits such as stress relief and relaxation and exposure to other perspectives. Conclusion Librarians and library staff at the libraries that undertook active selection felt that their leisure reading collection was worthwhile. It would be interesting for future work to focus on the user experience of such collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harper PS, Pierce K. The Human Genetics Historical Library: an international resource for geneticists and historians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development of open source system to open libraries. It reflects the creation of freely available digital libraries independent of end-user services or any specific usage made by end users. Libraries argue that the resources should be pooled to get access to non-free information for community members. Increasing free access information resources is considered the most trend libraries faced by libraries. It notes that libraries have opportunity to participate in creating open libraries the provide structural information on behalf of community members for free reuse by others which can be a value-added business model for them.

The concept of a 'publication' no longer applies only to printed works; information technology has extended its application to several other types of works. This article describes a facility called the Common Knowledge Library that publishes modules of formally structured information representing facts and knowledge of various kinds. Publications of this new type have some characteristics in common with databases, and others in common with software modules; however, they also share some important characteristics with traditional publications. A framework for citation of previous work is important in order to provide an incentive for contributors of such modules. Peer review – the traditional method of quality assurance for scientific articles – must also be applied, although in a modified form, for fact and knowledge modules. The construction of the Common Knowledge Library is a cumulative process; new contributions are obtained by interpreting the contents of existing knowledge sources on the Internet, and the existing contents of the Library are an important resource for that interpretation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the techniques used in locating a specific type of image or file in the U.S. Because of the existence of different types of images which varies in color, type and description, it is difficult for user to locate a specific image that he wants. Previously, the Library of Congress uses Thesaurus for Graphic Materials I and Thesaurus for Graphic Materials II in cataloguing and retrieving images. With the onset of new technology, collaborative tagging is used in assigning keywords to textual documents and image resources. Such a tool is used by sharing sites such as Flick because it allows massive image storage and web diffusion wherein users upload their own images and index them using their own tags.

The authors propose a bibliometric model for discarding journal volumes at academic libraries, i.e., removal to offsite storage as part of the library's serials collection. The method is based on the volume as the unit of measurement and on user satisfaction with given titles. The discarding age, calculated for each volume, from the year of publication to the year of decision to discard, is dependent on citation half-life, relative productivity, knowledge area, and residual utility (potential consultations). The model makes it possible to predict the approximate size of a collection when a stationary state is reached in which the inflow of journal volumes is equal to the outflow from discarding. The model is also able to determine the rate of growth of the holdings. This information can be used to optimize future use of available space and economic and maintenance resources; thus promoting efficient management of the collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined users’ views about the usability of digital libraries—current and perceived importance. Age, gender, prior experience with the Internet, college status, and digital library proficiency are the independent variables. Users’ current views about the usability of digital libraries and users’ perceived importance of digital library usability are treated as dependent variables. The Digital Library Usability Survey, a Likert-type instrument developed by Koohang, was used. The study's participants were 107 undergraduate students enrolled in an interdisciplinary and cross-functional degree programme at a large state university in the Midwest, USA. The collected data were analysed through statistical procedures. The overall results yielded significant differences for the variables of users’ prior experience with the Internet and users’ proficiency level with the digital library. The univariate results indicated a significant difference on the users’ perceived importance of digital library usability. However, digital library proficiency produced a significant difference on users’ current views about the digital library's usability. These results are discussed. Recommendations are made for practice and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the purpose of libraries after technology has been incorporated in the environment for learning in the U.S. Features of the libraries; Changes in operations of library due to application of Internet in education; Definition of cyber library.

A decision model for book acquisitions has been developed to simulate the intellectual processes used in acquiring these materials in academic libraries. It consists of a flow chart, weighted inputs and an equation, which when solved indicates whether a library should add the title to its collection, refer it to a cooperative group, defer the decision or drop it altogether. Inputs to the model need further study and development, but the model is a step in defining and quantifying the decision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part III. Evaluates the ways in which nursing bodies can build up libraries and library resources for the profession. Statistical guides for the profession; Plea for inclusion of basic training in the use of library tools and in professional writing in nursing education.

This article reports that in the future it may become commonplace for some documents never to be issued in "original" or printed form, but to be reproduced from typewritten or "cold-type" copy directly by one of the processes of micro-photography. While it may also become commonplace in the future for every home and office to be equipped with its own reading machine, right now it appears that the best customers are librarians. Some of the libraries suggested that a retrospective "micro" publishing program should have a higher priority than a program to publish current materials.

This article presents information about the Fifteenth Annual Conference of the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago, which was organized in July 1950. The conference was based on the subject of bibliographic organization. The program consisted of the presentation of fourteen papers presented over a period of six days. The primary objective of the conference was not to present a survey of existing facilities but rather to bring together a wide variety of points of view concerning the problems of bibliographic organization, and thereby to try to bring about an understanding, if not a consensus of opinion regarding basic problems which must be solved before an effective organization of the world of recorded materials can be developed.

Presents an abstract of the article "Physics Literature: A Reference Manual," by Robert H. Whitford. Information on a survey of physics literature at the college level; Description of efficient library methods; Comment that background materials have been interspersed for greater interest and information.

Presents an abstract of the journal ""Some Photographic Copying Methods Useful in Libraries," by Karl M. Weigert. Information on the use of photographic copying by the library visitors who wish to record quickly and cheaply small parts of articles or books for further study; Description of different methods of making photographic copies; Report that Leica Auxiliary Equipment is applied where only ordinary room light was available.