Many readers have commented on our visually and intellectually stimulating New Books Displays. Updated on a weekly basis, hard copy materials continue to be essential research tools for Sackler readers and we, too, think it’s important to showcase all the new acquisitions we receive.
The New Books Display is one of the final stages in a monograph’s journey to the Sackler’s shelves. It begins with our four Subject Librarians, specialists in their fields, who decide which new books (and journals) should be acquired. They make these decisions informed by their knowledge of the subject, their familiarity with relevant courses offered within the university, their understanding of readers’ areas of research, study and teaching, and also based on information received via reader recommendations. Our Subject Librarians liaise with Acquisitions staff who place orders with appropriate book sellers (aka ‘vendors’) and create what is known as a ‘minimal bibliographic record’ for each title on SOLO. (Hence researchers can use SOLO to find out whether a publication is ‘On Order’.) When books arrive from vendors they are passed to Cataloguing staff who create the full bibliographic records you see on SOLO. The books are delivered to the Sackler Library, and Reader Services staff transfer them to the New Books Display. (There is a parallel process for journal issues.)
New Books Displays were suspended during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, when the Sackler Library, along with the other Bodleian Libraries, was closed. Once we reopened (August 2020) and books began arriving again, we were able to reinstate our Displays.
While our physical New Books Displays are a great resource our readers have long expressed their interest in another important tool: New Acquisitions Lists. Similarly suspended during the pandemic, these have taken longer to reinstate (largely owing to e-infrastructure changes affecting the Bodleian Libraries as a whole). We are very pleased to re-launch these lists, beginning with a monster group of ‘back-lists’.
This post provides links to lists of all new print acquisitions (monographs and journal issues) received by the Sackler Library since 2020:
– New Acquisitions, 2020-2021: monographs
– New Acquisitions, 2020-2021: journal issues
– New Acquisitions, 2020-2021: offsite material
– New Acquisitions, Michaelmas term, 2021: monographs
– New Acquisitions, Michaelmas term, 2021: journal issues
– New Acquisitions, Michaelmas term, 2021: offsite material
– New Acquisitions, Hilary term, 2022: monographs
– New Acquisitions, Hilary term, 2022: journal issues
– New Acquisitions, Hilary term, 2022: offsite material
Future lists will be released on the Sackler Library blog, on a regular basis.
Jennifer Bladen-Hovell, Senior Library Assistant, Sackler Library
Clare Hills-Nova, Librarian in Charge, Sackler Library