PhD Studentship Evaluating the Intellectual Assets of the Scholarship and Collections Directorate at the British Library, UK

July 9, 2010

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Job Description: We are seeking a PhD student to investigate the intellectual assets of the Scholarship and Collections Directorate at the British Library. You should have experience of working in an academic or research library, an interest in library collections and a Masters degree in librarianship or a related subject. The position is available from October 2010 and offers an outstanding opportunity for a dedicated and motivated student to undertake groundbreaking research in collaboration with the national library of the UK. The studentship is funded (fees and maintenance) for three years by an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA), based on a partnership between the British Library and the University of Sheffield Information School.

The project supervisors are:
* Sheila Corrall, Professor of Librarianship & Information Management, University of Sheffield
* Barbara Sen, Lecturer in Information and Library Management, University of Sheffield
* Oliver Urquhart-Irvine, Cultural Property Manager, The British Library

Closing date for applications: midnight on Friday 16 July 2010.
Interviews will be held in London at The British Library on Thursday 22 July 2010.
Project details
The research will investigate the application of intellectual capital concepts and frameworks to the collection-based scholarly activities of national libraries, using the British Library (BL), the national library of the UK, as a case study. It aims to establish which intellectual assets are vital to deriving future benefits from the Directorate of Scholarship & Collections at the BL, increase our understanding of motives and criteria for evaluating intellectual assets and develop a model for identifying assets, defining performance indicators and selecting measurements, which can be used by other national libraries, research libraries and heritage organisations with large collections (such as museums and galleries).

The project objectives are to:
* review existing intellectual capital frameworks and assess their suitability for the context;
* identify and classify the core intellectual assets of strategic value to the BL;
* determine the main purpose and focus of intellectual asset evaluation in the project context;
* develop indicators and measures for monitoring and managing library intellectual assets;
* test the applicability of the scorecard process model as a method for evaluating the assets.
The proposal builds on a recent PhD project that evaluated the intellectual assets of university libraries in Thailand. Proposed research methods include document analysis, interviews/focus groups and questionnaires, using the BL´s contacts to involve key stakeholder groups.
Qualifications and Skills

* A good honours degree at undergraduate level (first class or high upper-second class) and a Masters degree in librarianship/information science (with good performance in the research component). Students due to complete a Masters degree this summer may apply.
* Knowledge of and experience of working in an academic or research library, together with a demonstrable interest in library collections and an understanding of the role of national libraries and their contribution to research and scholarship.
* Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods.
* Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; effective interpersonal skills, to liaise with project participants and other stakeholders; and good organisational skills, with proven ability to work to and meet deadlines.

Funding details
The award covers student fees and maintenance at the standard AHRC rate (£3,466 for fees and £13,590 for maintenance in 2010-11, rising incrementally thereafter).
CDA award holders receive an additional payment of £500 per year from the AHRC and additional maintenance from the partner (£1000 per year from the BL).
Only UK and EU residents are eligible. Candidates must meet the AHRC eligibility criteria (see http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/CollaborativeDoctoralAwards.aspx).

How to apply

Please email your application direct to Prof Sheila Corrall (s.m.corrall@sheffield.ac.uk), no later than midnight on Friday 16 July 2010. Your application should
* a covering letter explaining your motivation for undertaking doctoral research, your interest in this particular project and the expertise that you can bring to the project
* a full curriculum vitae
* an example of recent written work that demonstrates your research ability and writing skills (for example, a student assignment, project report or published article)
* contact details, including email addresses, for two referees, at least one of whom should be able to comment on your academic ability.
More information
Please address questions about the project or the application process to Prof Sheila Corrall (email s.m.corrall@sheffield.ac.uk or tel 0114 222 2632).
Further Scholarship Information

Scholarship Tags: British Library, PhD studentship, UK