Aktuellt på Biblioteket

The GDR collection catalogue at Linköping University Library has been given an overhaul. Info and help texts have been updated. The interface, available in a Swedish version and in English, has been given a new look. The catalogue has also been provided with a new order feature.

A card from the GDR catalogue — An example of a catalogue card with the order feature in the top right corner.

The GDR collection originates from the GDR Culture Centre (DDR-Kulturzentrum) in Stockholm, which was the German Democratic Republic’s official culture institute in Sweden, established in 1967. The institute was closed after the reunification between West and East Germany in 1990. Its collection of books and journals was acquired by Linköping University Library and is today kept in closed stacks at Valla Library in Linköping. Via a digitized card catalogue, available online, it is possible to search and order books included in the collection.

The GDR collection comprises books in German in a wide range of subjects. The fiction section holds many twentieth century classics, but also older fiction. Most of them are by German-language authors, but there are also translations from other languages into German. As a whole, the collection mirrors culture and society in the former German Democratic Republic. Subjects such as history, comparative literature and art history are especially well represented.

The catalogue available online is a scanned replica of the original card catalogue that was used by the GDR Culture Centre. Its book collection was classified according to Klassifikation für Staatliche Allgemeinbibliotheken und Gewerkschaftsbibliotheken (KAB), a classification system in use in East Germany from 1978. In a similar way to many other classification systems, such as the Dewey Decimal Classification System, the KAB System orders books by subject. As with all classification systems, the historical context is discernible in its structure. For example, the first subject category (A), and presumably the most important subject in the GDR, was Marxism-Leninism. In comparison, the Dewey Decimal System assigns Marxism-Leninism a much lower priority (the equivalent DDC code is 335.43).

The catalogue is a fascinating relic from yesterdays libraries and the GDR itself. By browsing it, you can find out which of your favourite authors that were published in the GDR, or which hobbies the culture centre had books on. You can find guide books to a country that no longer exists. If you are a fan of the iconic East German car Trabant, you can find books on that subject as well.

Search the catalogue

By: Peter Igelström, librarian, Valla Library

October 14, 2022February 1, 2024

DDR-samlingens katalog i ny version

**This blog post in English**

Katalogen över bibliotekets DDR-samling har fått en ansiktslyftning. Hjälp- och informationstexterna har uppdaterats och gränssnittet har fått ett nytt utseende. Det har också tillkommit en beställningsfunktion som gör det enkelt att via varje katalogkort lägga en beställning på respektive bok.

Katalogkort till bok i DDR-samlingen — Exempel på katalogkort ur DDR-samlingens katalog med beställningsfunktionen uppe till höger.

DDR-samlingen består av böcker och tidskrifter från det forna DDR-Kulturcentrum i Stockholm, som var Östtysklands officiella kulturinstitut i Sverige. Kulturcentret inrättades 1967 och upphörde i samband med den tyska återföreningen 1990. Vid nedläggningen köpte Linköpings universitetsbibliotek DDR-Kulturcentrums boksamling. Samlingen förvaras i dag i ett slutet magasin på Vallabiblioteket, men det går alltså att söka och beställa fram böckerna via den inskannade katalogen.

Samlingen innehåller både fackböcker och skönlitteratur på tyska. Bland skönlitteraturen återfinns många välkända klassiker, både från 1900-talet och andra tidsperioder. Åtskilliga tyskspråkiga författare finns representerade, men också författare som översatts från andra språk. Samlingen utgör i mångt och mycket en spegel av det östtyska samhället och innehåller i synnerhet många böcker inom historia, litteraturvetenskap och konstvetenskap.

Den katalog som finns tillgänglig på webben är en inskannad version av den kortkatalog som DDR-Kulturcentrum förde över sitt bestånd. Böckerna klassificerades enligt ett östtyskt system, Klassifikation für Staatliche Allgemeinbibliotheken und Gewerkschaftsbibliotheken (KAB), vars ämnesstruktur påminner om andra klassifikationssystem såsom det svenska SAB-systemet och det amerikanska Deweysystemet. Men varje klassifikationssystem speglar förstås sin kontext och historia. Som exempel kan nämnas att i det östtyska KAB-systemet utgörs den första kategorin (A) av ”Marxism-Leninism”; i SAB-systemet och Deweysystemet kommer motsvarande ämne betydligt längre ner i hierarkin, under Ocgde respektive 335.43.

Så om du exempelvis är nyfiken på vilka svenska författare som fanns utgivna i DDR, vill hitta guideböcker över ett land som inte längre finns eller litteratur om den kultförklarade bilen Trabant kan du använda dig av den nu uppgraderade katalogen.

Sök i DDR-samlingens kortkatalog

Läs mer om DDR-samlingen och DDR-Kulturcentrum:

DDR-Kulturcentrum och dess bibliotek

Skrivet av Peter Igelström, bibliotekarie, Vallabiblioteket

October 3, 2022February 1, 2024

Introducing Byggmästare John Mattson Library – on Lidingö

**Detta blogginlägg finns också på svenska**

What did you say? Byggmästare John Mattson Library? On Lidingö?
Yes, in Stockholm, or on the island of Lidingö to be precise, is LiU’s smallest campus, equipped with its own library.

Situated on Campus Lidingö is Malmstens Linköping University (a division within the Department of Management and Engineering) which offers three bachelor’s programmes: Furniture Design, Cabinetmaking and Upholstery. These programmes have their origins with Carl Malmsten, a designer who started the school that is today Malmstens in 1930. A lot has happened at Malmstens since then. Some education programmes have been added, and some have been cancelled.

Byggnader vid Malmstens Linköpings universitet — Malmstens Linköping University. Photo by: Maria Leijonhielm

Carl Malmsten himself is most famous for furniture designs such as the Windsor-style chair model Lilla Åland and the armchair models Samsas and Farmor. Not equally well known is that he had an interest in pedagogy, which probably stemmed from his own somewhat difficult experiences at school. The pedagogy that is practiced at Malmstens today still has things in common with Carl Malmsten’s motto “hand and mind in creative combination.”

In the autumn of 2000, Malmstens became part of Linköping University. Since then, it is possible to study craft and design in an academic environment at Malmstens and acquire a bachelor’s degree and thereby qualify for master’s studies. At Malmstens, practical and academic elements not only exist side by side but rather dance together in harmony. To learn by doing and to continuously reflect upon one’s work is a hallmark of Malmstens.

What about the library then? When Malmstens outgrew its facilities on Södermalm in Stockholm, an opportunity arose to acquire new facilities perfectly adapted to its needs through the real-estate company John Mattsons Fastighets. Byggmästare John Mattson’s Memorial Foundation was established. The foundation donated funds to the library and is also a contributor to a professorial chair and awards scholarships to students who have excelled in their degree projects. The scholarships are usually handed out every year on Carl Malmsten’s birthday on the 7th of December.

Byggmästare John Mattson Library holds literature in design, craft, materials such as wood and textiles, as well as an array of publications about artisans, designers and artists. It offers a range of Swedish and international journals on these topics as well.

Ett runt bord omgivet av stolar och bokhyllor — Byggmästare John Mattson Library. Photo by: Maria Leijonhielm.

The library also houses Åke Livstedt’s Collection. Åke Livstedt, who donated his collection to the library, was an art and cultural historian with a keen interest in twentieth century design, and especially the Home exhibition at Liljevalchs in 1917, the Stockholm exhibition in 1930 and the H55 exhibition in Helsingborg. The collection comprises print material – searchable in Libris – and items such as porcelain and glass artifacts.

In the library, there is also a piano (recently tuned) that was designed and built by Georg Bolin, who was a teacher and headmaster at the former Carl Malmsten apprenticeship school.

Byggmästare John Mattson Library is open to the public as a reference library on Wednesdays between 1 pm and 5 pm. Only students and personnel at Malmstens Linköping University are eligible to borrow items.

By: Maria Leijonhielm, Senior Coordinator at Malmstens Linköping University

Translated by: Peter Igelström

September 30, 2022February 1, 2024

En presentation av Byggmästare John Mattsons bibliotek – på Lidingö

**This blog post is also available in English**

Va sa du? Byggmästare John Mattsons bibliotek? På Lidingö?
Javisst, i Stockholm, eller för att vara exakt på Lidingö, finns LiU:s minsta campus och självklart finns här också ett bibliotek.

På Campus Lidingö huserar Malmstens Linköpings universitet (en avdelning inom IEI) som ger tre kandidatutbildningar: Möbeldesign, Möbelsnickeri och Möbeltapetsering. Utbildningarna har sitt ursprung hos formgivaren Carl Malmsten som 1930 startade den skola som idag är Malmstens. Mycket har hunnit hända genom åren, utbildningar har både kommit och gått.

Carl Malmsten är mest känd för möbler som pinnstolen Lilla Åland och fåtöljerna Samsas och Farmor. Det är kanske inte lika känt att Carl Malmsten också hade ett stort intresse för pedagogik. Säkert sammanhänger det med hans egna erfarenheter av skolgången som nog bitvis var lite kämpig. Den pedagogik som praktiseras på Malmstens har fortfarande beröringspunkter med Carl Malmstens kända devis ”hand och tanke i skapande samverkan”.

Hösten 2000 tog Linköpings universitet över som huvudman för utbildningarna och sedan dess är det möjligt att studera hantverk och design i en akademisk miljö och få en kandidatexamen, vilken ger behörighet att studera vidare på masternivå. På Malmstens går inte det praktiska och akademiska sida vid sida utan dansar snarare tillsammans. Att lära genom att göra och att hela tiden reflektera kring sitt görande utmärker i hög grad utbildningarna.

Men biblioteket då? Jo, när Malmstens växte ur sina lokaler på Söder öppnades en möjlighet att flytta till lokaler helt anpassade efter verksamhetens behov och önskemål genom fastighetsbolagets John Mattsons Fastighets försorg. I samband med det instiftades Byggmästare John Mattsons minnesstiftelse som har bidragit med en stor donation till biblioteket. Stiftelsen delfinansierar även en professur och delar ut stipendier till studenter som gjort särskilt excellenta examensarbeten. Stipendierna delas ut vid Malmstens examenhögtid som brukar äga rum på Carl Malmstens födelsedag den 7 december.

Byggmästare John Mattsons bibliotek rymmer litteratur om design, hantverkstekniker, material som trä och textil och en uppsjö litteratur om hantverkare, designers och konstnärer. Dessutom finns här en rad svenska och internationella tidskrifter inom området.

I biblioteket finns också Åke Livstedts samling. Materialet i samlingen är donerat av Åke Livstedt som var konst- och kulturhistoriker med stort intresse för 1900-talets formgivning och inte minst de stora utställningarna Hemutställningen på Liljevalchs 1917, Stockholmsutställningen 1930 och H55 i Helsingborg. Samlingen innehåller både tryckt material som är sökbart via Libris och föremål som porslin och glas.

I biblioteket finns även ett piano (alldeles nystämt för övrigt) som är byggt och konstruerat av Georg Bolin som en gång i tiden var lärare och rektor på dåvarande Carl Malmstens verkstadsskola.

Biblioteket håller öppet för allmänheten för läsning på plats onsdagar klockan 13.00–17.00. Hemlån är bara möjligt för studenter och anställda på Campus Lidingö.

Skrivet av Maria Leijonhielm, koordinator vid Malmstens Linköpings universitet

August 26, 2022November 15, 2024

We search, we find… The Search Team at Linköping University Library

**Detta blogginlägg finns också på svenska**

In this blog post, we would like to introduce you to the library’s Search team and share some of our experiences and best advice about how to refine your searches in order to find what you are looking for.

Behind every literature search there is not only a host of algorithms but also a human being. Is it not the searcher who could be said to have most experience of what is searched? Because after all, the searcher is also the one who finds – or put differently, the searcher knows what could possibly be found.

However, a researcher sometimes needs to get on track with his or her searches. This applies to PhD students and senior researchers alike. That is why the Search team at LiU is here to help you sharpen your search skills. No matter where you are in the research process, you are welcome to contact us – but it is an advantage if you have prepared a research inquiry to get as much as possible out of your session with us.

It is also important to have realistic expectations. The library can provide guidance in systematic literature searches, which means that we do not conduct searches for you but show you how to search as efficiently as possible yourself. The library can help you to search more efficiently, but doing searches often requires a lot of work. After all, well-structured searches are more than a quick Google search.

The Search team’s members are Joakim Westerlund, Magdalena Öström, Kerstin Annerbo, Marie-Louise Axelsson, Isolina Ek and Cia Gustrén.

Creativity and hard work

Joakim Westerlund provides search guidance for researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in various search topics and areas – both larger, systematic searches, introductions and repetitions for new as well as experienced researchers in the field of medicine.

Joakim has worked with searches of different kinds, within different subjects and with different intensity during the whole of his career as a librarian, which is now 24 years. His professional search expertise is within medicine, but he also has a background within technology and the natural sciences.

Joakim emphasizes that creativity, or sometimes “thinking unusual thoughts,” is important but that searching also means hard work. It is a challenge, which also makes it all the fun.

The value of collaboration

Magdalena Öström guides and supports researchers in literature searches within the social sciences (law, economics), behavioural sciences (psychology, pedagogy), natural sciences and technology.

With many years of experience from different units of the University Library as well as the Library of the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), she has developed an eye for the field of interdisciplinary studies. Professional life has also given her the insight that researchers’ specific subject expertise along with librarians’ skills in information searching, provide added value to the collaborative work of searching for information in a more structured or systematic manner.

Different experiences and backgrounds

Kerstin Annerbo has worked at LiU for more than 20 years. Her current position is mainly directed towards research support. As a member of the Search team, she guides and teaches in information searching and search-related issues within most subjects except law and medicine.

Kerstin agrees that searches require creativity as well as systematicity and patience. Subject specific knowledge and language skills will help, as well as familiarity with search resources, search strategies and techniques. But the primary subject expertise is in the hands of the researcher. This is what makes for good collaboration between researchers and librarians.

The different backgrounds and experiences of the members in the Search team, who also cooperate and work together, is a strength as well. Kerstin, and the rest of us too, wish that more PhD students and senior researchers would find it easy to contact the us whenever they have search-related questions, whether they are minor or of a more comprehensive kind. Or why not book a session with the library for your research group or department?

The importance of documentation

Marie-Louise Axelsson at Campus Valla Library offers search guidance within the behavioural sciences, social sciences and humanities, whereas Isolina Ek at Medical Library mainly guides researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and offers introductions to reference management software like EndNote. Isolina has worked as a librarian within the area of health care for more than 20 years, both at the university library and the hospital’s library.

Both Isolina and Marie-Louise underscore the importance of careful documentation for every search. This affects the final result of the search process. A literature search must be done in several batches, with several complementary searches that add to each other. Documentation facilitates that process. It is also important to document searches for your own benefit, since it is virtually impossible to reconstruct a search afterwards, unless you have saved it and documented how you went about it.

Information searches impact research results

Cia Gustrén has worked as a librarian in the Search team at Campus Norrköping Library since January 2022. Except for being a librarian, she has spent more than 20 years in the academic world and received a doctoral degree in media and communication studies in 2021.

Cia mainly provides search guidance within the humanities, behavioural sciences and social sciences. Above all, she has learned that information searching of the more structured or systematic kind can be a crucial fundament for research as well as the formulation of a research inquiry and eventually research results. Librarians are skilled information searchers and Cia highly recommends researchers to consult the library for good advice whenever they need it.

Her advice is to try different search terms and strategies in order to find those that yield the desired result. Searching is far from a linear process – it can vary depending on which databases or other resources you use. Also, let your search take the time and effort that it requires.

That was a quick introduction to the Search team. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you have any questions. You can reach us through the form Search support for researchers.

Kind regards,
the search team at Linköping University Library

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GDR Culture Centre catalogue upgrade