RASCAL (Research And Special Collections Available Locally)

Overview

RASCAL is a two-year research project to create a fully searchable, web-based directory of research and special collections available throughout Northern Ireland containing material of significant benefit to researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Its principal function will be to act as a one-stop shop for researchers providing, for the first time, an electronic gateway to the wide range of research and special collections held in libraries, archives and museums across the region. It will be of particular importance in relation to collections that have been relatively under-utilised in the past.

Collections to be included will have been judged to contain rare or unique material, irrespective of format, or to have attained a critical mass, which would make it attractive or perhaps essential for a researcher to visit. Important collections already targeted consist of the Somerville & Ross manuscript collection at Queen’s University, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum’s collection of Harland & Wolff ship plans and the Linenhall Library’s Northern Ireland Political Literature Collection. In addition to providing comprehensive top-level descriptions to such collections, RASCAL will also provide links to institutions’ online catalogues and digital resources. An associated objective will be to identify collections particularly strong in Northern Ireland publications.

Aim

The primary aim of the RASCAL project is the creation of a web-based directory of sources that researchers in the humanities and social sciences will be able to use to uncover resources within Northern Ireland, which are relevant to their research. This will allow them to exploit more completely the wealth of material to be found locally.

Deliverables

In addition to the detailed map of research collections in Northern Ireland that the Directory will provide, RASCAL will also:

• clarify the access which researchers may have to collections and, where necessary, facilitate negotiation of improved access;

• identify cataloguing or retro cataloguing priorities;

• identify priorities for conservation;

• identify priorities for digitisation;

• assist in the evaluation of the UKOLN template; and

• provide a model for similar projects elsewhere in the British Isles.

It is also anticipated that RASCAL will:

• enhance awareness among researchers of the resources available within Northern Ireland;

• encourage collaboration among information providers in Northern Ireland;

• demonstrate the contribution which Northern Irish collections can make to the vision of distributed national collections of library, archive and information resources for the research community;

• increase the use made of local collections in Northern Ireland;

• give practical support for further co-operative projects; and

• provide greater accessibility to Northern Irish resources for researchers based outside Northern Ireland.

Partners

• Queen’s University Belfast

• University of Ulster

• Library and Information Services Council (Northern Ireland)

• Belfast Public Libraries

• The Linenhall Library

• The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Methodology

The RASCAL Project has been designed to follow three main stages of development towards final completion in July 2002. These are

1.    Identification and location of collections employing available directories and guides to sources in Northern Ireland and conducting a special RASCAL Scoping Survey to determine the potential number of collections to be included in the final directory.

2.    Preparation of collections descriptions by Project Staff in co-operation with contributing institutions using the recommended RSLP/UKOLN Collection Description Schema.

3.    Creation and implementation of web-database by staff at Queen’s University Belfast in conjunction with a local web-design company.

A number of predefined project milestones were determined against which progress throughout each phase has been monitored. Publicity has been an on-going feature throughout the project.

Achievements (June 2002)

Principal achievements of the RASCAL Project have included:

• Identification of approximately 595 collections for inclusion in the final RASCAL Directory;

• Compilation of approximately 272 descriptions of collections held in all major repositories throughout Northern Ireland including QUB, the University of Ulster, Belfast Central Library, the Linen Hall Library and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, in addition to a wide range of local information resource centres.

• Design and implementation of RASCAL web-database on http://www.rascal.ac.uk.

• Establishment of a Virtual Focus Group of interested academics and postgraduate students;

• Joint survey with the Northern Ireland Museums Council of archives held in local museums

• Establishment of a Celtic Collections interest group of related RSLP Projects (SCONE and Mapping Wales)

• Presentations to a number of interested bodies and associations including the Committee on Library Co-operation in Ireland (COLICO), Collection Description Focus, the Irish Universities Information Services Colloquium (IUISC), and the Forum for Inter Lending etc.

Contact Details

RASCAL Project Manager

RASCAL Project Officer

Project website

http://www.rascal.ac.uk

Content: Gill Davenport
Last updated 2 July 2002