Knowledge Matters blog

Behind the scenes at the British Library

07 January 2016

Exploring the British Library’s research collections – Doctoral Open Days

In January and February 2016 the Library is hosting a series of open days for first year PhD students. Always popular, these events are a staple of our postgraduate programme, and an important component of the Living Knowledge vision to support and stimulate research of all kinds. The series is now into its 9th year, with some 667 researchers from both UK and European universities attending in 2015. Places at the 2016 events are already being quickly snapped up!

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The British Library is a large – albeit fascinating – building with an even larger collection. We know it can be rather overwhelming when visiting for the first time as a new researcher.

Our Doctoral Open Days provide a helping hand. They enable research students to find their way around the collection, both physical and digital, and to make best use of our resources and expertise. They play a particularly important role in highlighting content and collection areas that may be less familiar to many students, such as sound and vision, datasets and web archives, as well as our international collections.

Each day is also a valuable opportunity to network with the Library’s experts and fellow early-career researchers working on related topics and with shared research interests.

Here’s the schedule for 2016:

  • Asian & African Collections – 18 January 2016
  • News & Media – 25 January 2016
  • Pre 1600 Collections – 01 February 2016
  • Music – 05 February 2016
  • Social Sciences – 12 February 2016
  • 17th & 18th Century Collections – 19 February 2016
  • 19th Century Collections – 22 February 2016
  • 20th & 21st Century Collections – 26 February 2016

Each day offers a rich interdisciplinary perspective on a specific area of the Library’s collection and research resources. Sessions feature presentations from guest speakers and ‘hands on’ advice from Library experts, including our digital curators, current collaborative doctoral students and the reference teams.

Further details and registration instructions.

To whet appetites for these events (and to provide some support to those who cannot attend) here are some useful links for anyone carrying out or planning doctoral research:

  • EThOS – access over 400,000 PhD thesis records online for free

You can discover more about our collections and resources online on our Subject Pages, through our dedicated Collections Guides, and across our full range of Blogs. And finally, if you have not already done so, make sure to Register for a Reader’s Pass and learn how to use our reading rooms.

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Many thanks to everyone, from inside and outside the Library, who is contributing to the Doctoral Open Days in 2016. And thanks too to everyone who is registered to attend. We look forward to meeting you and to supporting your research over the years ahead.

James Perkins

Research and Postgraduate Development Manager

 

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