Wednesday 18 April 2007: peripatetic librarian

One of the best bits about my job is getting to visit other libraries. I've been to Edinburgh University library for an update on searching databases. The walk to the University library is just across the Meadows for me. A Pleasant stroll.
I've been investigating new library management systems and have met with staff at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Our meeting was in Dingwall at the Theology College. That involved a trip up the A9 and a stop over in Fort William visit my mum: hard work, but someone's got to do it.
Stirling University library is in a gorgeous campus under the Wallace Memorial, situated around a loch. That was followed by another visit to Fort William. More hard work. Especially as the weather was brilliant sunshine.
And just last week I had to go to Napier University, Craiglockhart campus. The immediate work reason was to preview and hear about the development of the University's information literacy website and modules. That was certainly informative, useful and interesting. What stole the day for me however was a guided tour of the War Poets Exhibition. The Craiglockhart Campus has been redeveloped and a contemporary building (www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/craiglockhart_campus.htm) joins the old Craiglockhart Hydropathic Centre which was taken over during WW1 as a war hospital for officers suffering from shell shock.
The film of Pat Barker's novel, Regeneration was actually shot at Craiglockhart and concentrates on Dr Rivers' work and the meeting of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. For a bit more on this read http://www.news.napier.ac.uk/press/articles/article_10251.htm I found it an absolutely fascinating exhibition. As well as works of the War Poets, there are photographs of the staff and patients and film footage of the differences in how shell shock affected soldiers differently from officers, and information on the different psychiatric approaches to treating shell shock. The War Poets' librarian really knew her subject and how to put it over in an engaging and exciting manner - real "living" history.