Andersonian Library | |
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55°51′48.38″N4°14′26.29″W / 55.8634389°N 4.2406361°W | |
Location | University of Strathclyde (Curran Building) 101 St. James Road, Glasgow G4 0NS [1] , Scotland |
Type | Academic Library (Reference and Lending) |
Established | 1796 |
Collection | |
Items collected | Books, manuscripts, journals and electronic resources |
Size | Over 1,000,000 volumes |
Access and use | |
Access requirements | Staff, students and alumni of the University of Strathclyde |
Members | Approx. 15,000 |
Other information | |
Website | The Andersonian Library |
The Andersonian Library is the university library of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Established in 1796, it is one of the largest of its type in Scotland.
Access to the Library is restricted to Strathclyde student and other library membership card holders, [2] retired staff and corporate members. [3]
The Andersonian was formed in 1796 on the death of John Anderson when he bequeathed his collection, which consisted of over 2000 volumes. This is what formed the nucleus of the library. [4] The Andersonian was originally housed within the buildings of Andersons Institution on George Street, before being relocated to the Royal College Building upon its opening in 1912. The library moved to the new McCance Building designed by Ralph Covell on Richmond Street in 1964 shortly before the Royal College gained its Charter to become the University of Strathclyde.
However by the mid 1970s, the library was outgrowing the McCance Building, and by this point the University had purchased the former printing works of William Collins, Sons [5] on Cathedral Street. The newest building on this site was a giant warehouse and printing press building that was originally constructed in 1961, and while much of the rest of the Collins estate was demolished by the University, this structure was converted into the third home of the Library. The former library area in the McCance Building became the home for Registry and main administrative functions of the university.
The building itself is named after Sir Samuel Curran, the Principal who had oversaw the University's foundation and growth from the former Royal College and served between 1964 and 1980. The current location into which the Andersonian moved in 1980 [6] for the 1980–81 academic year – the new library was officially opened the following year. The building's naming took place shortly before Curran's retiral and his succession by Sir Graham Hills in 1981, who would lead Strathclyde through the next decade.
John Anderson, a Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow University, left his personal library of 1,500 volumes which formed the basis of the Andersonian Library's historical and nurtured items. Two other important collections were added to the library's stock in the following century: 500 volumes from the library of Alexander Laing, a Professor of Mathematics at Anderson's University, and 1,400 volumes from James Young of Kelly and Durris, who was President of Anderson's College. The library of the Royal College had strong collections in the fields of applied sciences and technology. [7]
During Summer 2012 the first phase of the University Library redevelopment project was completed. In recent years the floors of the Library were upgraded. During June 2012 the Jordanhill Library was closed and stock and services were integrated into this Library on the John Anderson campus. This project brought all Library and information services into a single location. There are more group study areas and improved silent study spaces. Digital collections are continually being enhanced, opening hours are being increased and heating, lighting and ventilation have all been upgraded.[ citation needed ]
The Andersonian Library is split up into several different zones, spread over 5 levels. Levels 1, 4 and 5 are designated for silent study. Level 3 is the entrance floor and hosts the Library and IT helpdesk as well as the majority of the library's computers, and is designated a 'quiet' study area. Level 2 is the group discussion floor and has a number of facilities for group study, such as bookable rooms and large tables. A new group study area opened in 2014 as part of the library's ongoing renovation. There are small group study rooms, discussion areas, an Assistive Technologies room and Education Resources Centre for the university's education students.
The Library provides free internet access through the desktop computers, eduroam Wi-Fi, or through a handful of hardwired Ethernet ports.
The library's 'SUPrimo' catalogue search interface allows students and staff to search the library's database to find print or electronic copies of books which the library keeps in stock. SUPrimo also allows users to reserve books and requisition material from storage. [8]
The entrance foyer houses a take-away coffee kiosk, and a branch of the university-run Nourish café.
For most of the term time the library is open between 07:00 and 00:00 on weekdays, and from 09:00 to 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Enquiries services are staffed between 08:30 and 20:30 during the week and from 12:00 until 17:00 at weekends. [9]
During examination periods the library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [10]
The library holds around 3,200 volumes from John Anderson, Alexander Laing and James Young collectively, all from a period between 1490 and the end of the 19th century. There is also one incunable of note. German and Latin imprints are also available within the library and hold a modest 20 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
The Scottish Mountaineering club (established in 1889) has also deposited books within the library. Throughout the years, members, authors and publishers have all donated books to the collection making most publications, journals and famous guidebooks available within the library. This collection is on deposit from The Scottish Mountaineering though, meaning at any-point a member of the club can borrow items from the collections (on production of a club membership card).
One of the more interesting pieces of work within the library's Special Collections is the James Young Collection, an industrial chemist and originator of the paraffin and shale oil industry in Scotland. The collection contains books and manuscripts on alchemy and early science dating from the 15th to the 19th century and is listed in a printed bibliography, Bibliotheca Chemica (Glasgow, 1906) by John Ferguson.
The library is home to many rare books (many with less than 3 copies in existence); however, these books are not available for removal outwith the library. The use of these books are only available for use within the library. Among other notable works within the library there are some by Agrippa Von Nettesheim and a volume by the grammarian Joannes Claius on rural economy.
Finally, the Andersonian Library also contains a "Strathclyde Collections" section which was created to conserve as complete a record as possible of publications relating to the University. It contains works by members of staff, official publications of the University, its departments and faculties and publications about the university.
Floor 1 | Books:
Closed Access Collections:
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Floor 2 | Contains a variety of group discussion space including:
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Floor 3 | Main entrance:
Facilities include:
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Floor 4 | Subjects included on this floor are: Applied Sciences; Biological Sciences; Building; Business; Chemistry; Computing; Criminology; Earth Sciences; Economics; Education; Engineering; Hotel Studies; Language; Leisure & Tourism; Library and Information Science; Management; Marketing; Pharmaceutical Science; Philosophy; Physical Sciences; Politics; Psychology; Public Administration; Religion; Social Sciences; Technology. Reference Collection for all subjects located on this level. Services:
Facilities:
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Floor 5 | Subjects included on this floor are: Arts and Architecture; Children's collection; Geography; History; Humanities; Literature; Law; Maps and Atlases; Media & Music collection; Planning. Services:
Facilities:
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The University of Strathclyde is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first technological university in the United Kingdom. Taking its name from the historic Kingdom of Strathclyde, its combined enrollment of 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students ranks it Scotland's third-largest university, drawn with its staff from over 100 countries.
Jordanhill College of Education was a higher education college in Jordanhill, Glasgow, Scotland. It opened as a teacher training college in 1921. The college merged with the University of Strathclyde in 1993, becoming its Faculty of Education. In 2012 all educational activities were moved to the John Anderson Campus and the campus closed.
The ancient universities of Scotland are medieval and renaissance universities that continue to exist in the present day. Together, the four universities are the oldest universities in continuous operation in the English-speaking world after the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The majority of the ancient universities of the British Isles are located within Scotland, and have a number of distinctive features in common, being governed by a series of measures laid down in the Universities (Scotland) Acts 1858–1966. The Universities (Scotland) Act 1966 uses the term 'older universities' to refer to St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The four universities are generally regarded as the country's most selective, eminent and well-ranked universities.
John Anderson was a Scottish natural philosopher and liberal educator at the forefront of the application of science to technology in the Industrial Revolution, and of the education and advancement of working men and women. He was a joint founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and was the posthumous founder of Anderson's College, which ultimately evolved into the University of Strathclyde.
Townhead is a district within the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of Glasgow's oldest areas, and contains two of its major surviving medieval landmarks – Glasgow Cathedral and the Provand's Lordship.
Established in 1889, the Scottish Mountaineering Club is a club for climbing and mountaineering in Scotland.
The Royal College of Science and Technology was a higher education college that existed in Glasgow, Scotland between 1887 and 1964. Tracing its history back to the Andersonian Institute, it is the direct predecessor institution of the University of Strathclyde. Its main building on George Street now serves as one of the major academic and administration buildings of the University of Strathclyde.
Glasgow University Library in Scotland is one of the oldest and largest university libraries in Europe. At the turn of the 21st century, the main library building itself held 1,347,000 catalogued print books, and 53,300 journals. In total, the university library system including branch libraries now holds approximately 2.5 million books and journals, along with access to 1,853,000 e-books, and over 50,000 e-journals. The University also holds extensive archival material in a separate building. This includes the Scottish Business Archive, which alone amounts to 6.2 kilometres of manuscripts.
The Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow is a learned society established in 1802 "for the improvement of the Arts and Sciences" in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It runs a programme of lectures, starting its 222nd Series in October 2023. The Society formerly owned a building on Bath Street.
The Livingstone Tower is a prominent high rise building in Glasgow, Scotland and is a part of the University of Strathclyde's John Anderson Campus. The building was named after David Livingstone. The address of the building is 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow.
Strathclyde Students' Union (Strath Union) is the representative body for students of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, since its founding in 1964.
The University of Strathclyde’s Faculty of Education was housed at the renowned Jordanhill campus in the west end of Glasgow until 2012. Since relocating to the city centre campus the faculty has become the University’s, and Scotland’s first, Institute of Education.
Edinburgh University Library is the main library of the University of Edinburgh and one of the most important libraries of Scotland. The University Library was moved in 1827 to William Playfair's Upper Library in the Old College building. The collections in Edinburgh University Old College were moved in 1967 to the purpose-built eight-storey Main Library building at George Square, one of the largest academic libraries in the world. Today, Edinburgh's university-wide library system holds over 3.8m books, e-books and e-journals in total.
Sir Samuel Crowe Curran, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish physicist and academic who was the first Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde – the first of the new technical universities in Britain. He is the inventor of the scintillation counter, the proportional counter, and the proximity fuze.
The James Weir Building is an academic building in Glasgow City Centre, Scotland, United Kingdom and is part of the University of Strathclyde’s John Anderson Campus, situated between the Townhead and Merchant City districts of the area. It was completed in two stages between 1956 and 1964 as an extension to the Royal College Building. It is the third largest building on the John Anderson Campus in terms of overall floor area after the Royal College and the Curran Building. In addition, the stair and lift tower on the south east corner of the building is the second highest structure on the campus after the Livingstone Tower, and is highly visible throughout the eastern side of the city centre.
The John Anderson Campus, the main campus of The University of Strathclyde, is located in Glasgow, Scotland. The campus is self-contained in its own area which straddles the Townhead and Merchant City districts on the north eastern side of the city centre, while being only minutes from the M8 Motorway, George Square and is located midway between Queen Street Railway Station and High Street station on the North Clyde Line.
The University of Strathclyde Sports Union is an organisation coordinating sports for students at the University of Strathclyde. As such it is made up of many other smaller sports clubs, each participating in a particular sport. Its main centre of activity is the University of Strathclyde Centre for Sports and Recreation located on the John Anderson Campus of the University.
The Strathclyde Telegraph is a student newspaper which was founded in 1960 and is edited, written and produced by students at the University of Strathclyde. It is the University of Strathclyde’s only printed student newspaper and is produced on campus.
The Faculty of Engineering is one of the four faculties which make up the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. The faculty contains multiple departments offering different undergraduate and postgraduate courses. These range from BEng, MEng and MSc courses to doctorates throughout the faculty.
The Graham Hills Building is a major building on Strathclyde University's John Anderson Campus, located in Glasgow, Scotland. The structure, originally known as Marland House, was completed in 1959 by the General Post Office (GPO) and was acquired by the university from the GPO's successor – British Telecom (BT) in 1987.