My Experience with In2research at UCL by Hamde Warsame

By Ian Evans, on 8 November 2024

My time with the In2research program at UCL was transformative, reshaping not only my future career aspirations but also my confidence in my ability to grow, improve, and make a meaningful impact. Walking through UCL’s doors for the first time was daunting, but the experience quickly proved to be rewarding beyond measure. I began my journey in the Information Studies department, diving straight into a research open day. Here, I was immersed in the vast world of academic research, where professionals explored diverse topics in fascinating depth. It was inspiring to see firsthand how these researchers were addressing real-world problems, providing me with a glimpse into the dynamic role of academia in society.

The internship’s core focus involved creating an AI system using the ResNet50 neural network to analyze pediatric pneumonia X-rays and predict early-stage lung cancer, a project with profound implications for healthcare. The idea of aiding in the early detection of lung cancer was especially meaningful to me, as early diagnosis is one of the most powerful tools in improving patient outcomes. The project’s goal was to reduce the invasiveness of diagnostic processes and streamline patient care, enhancing the chances for successful treatment. These themes of improving patient care and easing the diagnostic journey which deeply resonated with me and underscored the broader purpose of our work.

This project stood out to me not only for its health implications but because it challenged my understanding of healthcare’s intersection with technology. With a background in Biomedical Science, I had previously assumed that the main aspects of patient care rested solely with medical professionals working directly with patients. However, I quickly came to realize that effective treatment requires an entire ecosystem of support, from the tools and technologies aiding diagnosis to the innovative systems transforming patient management. The saying “good tools make a skilled craftsman better” took on new meaning as I saw how technology could become a silent but vital partner in healthcare, empowering medical teams to provide higher quality care.

This internship also introduced me to Python coding, something I had little experience with before. At first, programming felt foreign, like learning a new language from scratch. But with guidance and practice, I began to appreciate the process of developing and refining code as a way to solve complex problems. I found that coding had a rhythm and logic that felt surprisingly intuitive over time, and there was something deeply satisfying about troubleshooting, finding solutions, and ultimately contributing to an AI model capable of analyzing medical images.

The challenges I faced in learning Python were real, yet they fueled my motivation to push beyond my comfort zone. I came to see programming as more than just writing lines of code; it was a tool that could be used to make tangible improvements in people’s lives, even those facing the gravest of diagnoses. The experience showed me that technology, particularly AI and machine learning will be increasingly essential in shaping healthcare, making it less invasive, more efficient, and ultimately more compassionate.

Reflecting on my time with In2research, I can say it was an invaluable journey. I am now more open to embracing new skills and less intimidated by the technical aspects of research. My career aspirations have broadened significantly, and I’m excited by the potential to work at the intersection of healthcare and technology, where innovation can truly change lives. This program not only gave me technical skills but also a renewed sense of purpose in pursuing a career where I can make a difference.

The In2research experience has been a powerful reminder of the profound impact that curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to learn can have on our lives and careers. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a project with the potential to improve patient care and eager to continue my journey in the world of research and technology.

Highlights throughout my journey at UCL:

• Explored UCL’s research environment through an inspiring open day.
• Worked with Dr Daniel Onah on an AI project using the ResNet50 model to analyze Pneumonia X-rays images for early detection of lung cancer disease.
• Learned Python programming from scratch to develop and refine the AI system under Dr. Onah’s guidance.
• Gained insights into how technology can revolutionize diagnostics and patient care.
• Connected my Biomedical Science background with AI, broadening my understanding of healthcare innovation.
• Found new confidence in tackling technical challenges and pursuing a career in healthcare technology

In2research is a one-year programme developed by In2scienceUK and UCL, designed to enhance access to postgraduate research degrees and career opportunities for people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and under-represented groups“.

My Transformative In2research Journey at UCL By Fardeen Rahman Anan

By Ian Evans, on 16 October 2024

As I look back on my time in the 2023/2024 In2research programme, I’m reminded of just how much it has reshaped my academic journey and future aspirations. This programme has been a gateway to new experiences, challenges, and invaluable connections that I will carry with me for years to come. My research placement at UCL’s Department of Information Studies has been particularly impactful, offering me a platform to engage deeply with my area of interest: the preservation of Bengali archives and heritage here in London.

Having grown up in a Bengali household, the opportunity to work on a project so closely tied to my cultural heritage felt incredibly meaningful. My research centred around uncovering and documenting the experiences and histories of the Bengali diaspora, a topic that is often underrepresented in mainstream heritage discussions. This placement allowed me to explore how historical narratives are shaped, archived, and shared, opening my eyes to the immense value of preserving cultural heritage for future generations.

One of the most enriching aspects of the placement was the trips I took to key heritage sites in the UK. Visiting the British Library and the Black Cultural Archives not only broadened my understanding of archival practices but also challenged my previous notions of how histories—especially those of minority communities—are preserved. At the British Library, I explored extensive collections of materials related to the South Asian diaspora, giving me an appreciation for the meticulous work that goes into preserving such histories. The Black Cultural Archives, on the other hand, offered a community-driven perspective on heritage, where local histories are preserved to ensure that the contributions of minority communities are recognised and celebrated.

These visits had a profound impact on my research approach. I started to see archives as more than just repositories of documents and artefacts; they are living, breathing testimonies to the experiences of people whose stories may otherwise be forgotten. Engaging with these materials gave me a deep sense of responsibility to ensure that the stories of the Bengali diaspora are preserved for future generations, not just as a historical record but as a source of pride and identity for the community.

Of course, the journey was not without its challenges. A key difficulty I faced was engaging with some of the local heritage groups and individuals I had hoped to collaborate with. Cultural preservation is a sensitive issue, and navigating the balance between academic research and community engagement proved tricky at times. Some groups were reluctant to share materials or participate in interviews, which initially felt like a setback. However, this challenge taught me one of the most valuable lessons of the entire experience: the importance of persistence and building trust with communities.

Throughout this period, I was incredibly fortunate to have the support of my supervisor, Dr. Andrew Flinn at UCL. His vast knowledge of archival studies and community-driven heritage work was a constant source of inspiration. Dr. Flinn helped me navigate the complexities of my project, offering advice on everything from research methodologies to ethical considerations in community engagement. His guidance played a pivotal role in helping me push through difficult moments and broaden my understanding of the power of archives in preserving cultural narratives. Additionally, I received mentorship from Dr. Purva Tavri at Kingston University, whose insights helped me refine my research methods and contributed significantly to the depth of my analysis.

One of the standout moments of my journey was attending the Community Archives and Heritage Conference at UCL. The event brought together academics, archivists, and community representatives to discuss the role of archives in preserving local histories. Being part of these discussions gave me a broader perspective on the challenges and opportunities involved in archiving minority histories, as well as the role that younger researchers like myself can play in this important work.

My placement at UCL also included practical experience in a wide range of tasks, all of which deepened my understanding of the archival process. From collecting archive materials to conducting desk-based web research, interview, transcription, and data analysis, I was involved in every stage of the research process. This hands-on experience was invaluable in developing my research skills, particularly in interviewing and transcription, where I learned how to engage with participants in a meaningful way and accurately capture their voices. I also had the opportunity to present my project findings to PhD students and staff members at the Department of Information Studies, which boosted my confidence in academic communication and strengthened my ability to articulate complex research topics to diverse audiences.
Beyond the academic skills I gained, this experience has had a profound impact on my future plans. It has solidified my desire to pursue a postgraduate degree, particularly in areas related to cultural heritage, archival studies, and community-driven research. The programme has equipped me with the tools and knowledge to continue exploring these fields, and I’m excited to see where this journey will take me next. I now feel more prepared to take on the challenges of postgraduate study, and I’m eager to apply the skills I’ve gained to new projects and initiatives in the future.

In closing, I want to express my gratitude to the In2research programme for giving me this opportunity. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both personally and professionally. For anyone considering In2research, I wholeheartedly encourage you to apply. It’s a unique opportunity to grow, connect with like-minded individuals, and explore your research interests in ways you might not have imagined. Whether you’re interested in academic research, cultural heritage, or simply looking for a way to challenge yourself, this programme offers something for everyone. It’s a decision you won’t regret, and I’m grateful to have been part of this incredible journey.

Key Highlights:

• Full-time research placement at UCL within the Department of Information Studies
• Supervised by Dr. Andrew Flinn (UCL) and mentored by Dr. Purva Tavri (Kingston University)
• Responsibilities included collecting archive materials, conducting desk-based web research, interviewing, transcription, and data analysis
• Participated in external events such as the Black Cultural Archives (BCA), the British Library exhibition, and the Hong Kong Diaspora in London community archives workshop
• Attended the Community Archives and Heritage Conference at UCL
• Shared project findings with PhD students and department staff at UCL

A UCL-NHM collaboration on the cataloguing and digitisation of the NHM John Reeves Chinese Export Watercolours collection c.1812-1831

By Jin Gao, on 2 July 2024

Jin Gao, Karoline Hansen, Andrea Hart, Kunwei He, Rebecca Keddie, Charlotte Mang, Jon Nicholls, Ruirui Sun, Jinghang Zhang

Figure 1: Painting selection of the Natural History Museum (NHM)’s John Reeves botanical Chinese Export Watercolours collection, designed for the UCL-NHM CEW project by Karoline Hansen

This blog introduces a collaboration between University College London (UCL) and Natural History Museum (NHM). Co-authored by staff and students, it discusses the Phase I of the UCL-NHM Chinese Export Watercolours (CEW) project, which was carried out in May 2024. It focused on the cataloguing and digitisation of the Museum’s John Reeves botanical drawings collection (c.1812-1831), which comprises 1,057 original watercolour paintings of both wild and cultivated Chinese plants. Interestingly, this project mirrors the collaborative spirit of 200 years ago, when European naturalists and Chinese artists worked together to document and understand the natural world of China (Fan, 2004). Today, our Chinese project members contribute their special knowledge and perspectives, which continues the rich tradition of cultural and scientific exchange that began in the 19th century.

Context

Chinese Export Watercolours (CEW) are a type of paintings produced in China for export to Europe and the North America during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The John Reeves drawings collection at the Natural History Museum (NHM) comprises a unique selection of botanical, zoological, and entomological drawings depicting the natural history of China  (Magee, 2011). John Reeves worked for the East India company as Assistant Tea Inspector in Canton but through his interest in natural history he actively worked to further European knowledge of Chinese natural history developing contacts with merchants, officials and craftsmen. He would proceed to commission local artists to depict the flora and fauna he encountered. The drawings produced differed from the traditional artwork created for the European market, referred to as Chinese export paintings, with Reeves and then his son, John Russell Reeves, providing instruction on the subject, detailing the conventions for botanical and zoological illustration. The result is a collection of outstanding paintings which are important not only for their striking beauty and accuracy, but also for their scientific significance (Figure 1). John Russell Reeves inherited his father’s collection of natural history drawings and after his death in 1877 they were presented to the British Museum by his wife.

To enable this collection of botanical drawings to be made more accessible for study and research,  in Spring 2024, UCL (University College London) and NHM came together and developed the UCL-NHM Chinese Export Watercolours (CEW) project. Co-led by Jin Gao, Lecturer in Digital Archives at UCL, and Andrea Hart, Library Special Collections Manager  at the NHM, the resulting project involved 4 staff from both institutions and 5 students from the MA/MSc Digital Humanities programme as their optional work placements (See Figure 2).

Figure 2: The project team photo. From left: Karoline Hansen (MA student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Kunwei He (MA student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Ruirui Sun (MA student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Rebecca Keddie (Digital Special Collections Librarian, NHM), Charlotte Mang (MA student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Jinghang Zhang (MA student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Jin Gao (Lecturer in Digital Archives, UCL), Jon Nicholls (Digitisation Technician, NHM), Andrea Hart (Library Special Collections Manager, NHM)

Insights from project members

The diverse reflections of the project members, especially students, showed the collaborative nature of this project, where each brought a unique perspective to understand and appreciate the Reeves botanical drawings collection.

The cataloguing team shared their experience of handling and discovering from the original paintings:

Karoline Hansen  – “Handling original paintings created by Chinese artists centuries ago allowed me to more deeply comprehend the history of natural history. The human element was brightly evident through the style of the paintings, layers on layers of inscriptions, hidden watermarks revealed only by torchlight, and now by our own contributions of cataloguing and metadata (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Karoline Hansen was handling the painting and inspecting its watermark.

The style of the paintings was especially interesting to me, as they diverged from the classic Chinese pursuit of the perfect image which I am more used to. Flat lay cross-sections accompanied browning leaves, and roots stretched from the stems of flowers. This was the clear mark of a Western interpretation of local flora. I grew familiar with strangers’ recurring handwriting as I honed my interpreting skills. Working on a diverse team with so many skills was an incredible boon to the project, and we relied on each other for our varying specialties. I even found myself texting my mother for her well of knowledge about Chinese history, and her contributions joined our own in the translation section of some local flower names.

It was a true pleasure to nurture my curiosity in the natural world. But, even more so, I gained a massive appreciation for how history is not only recorded, but made.”

Charlotte Mang – “As part of the Cataloguing Team for the NHM John Reeves CEW collection, I learned to decipher difficult handwritings and inscriptions while carefully handling artworks. Although measuring the artworks’ dimensions and verifying information can be repetitive, it allowed me to engage closely with the art, whether by examining or admiring it, and to gain interesting botanical knowledge while contributing to its preservation and digitisation within a museum setting. We discovered intriguing watermark variations, such as the prominent J WHATMAN mark, often accompanied by the year of paper production and sometimes “TURKEY MILL,” denoting its origin at the original J WHATMAN paper mill. James Whatman revolutionised papermaking with wove paper at Turkey Mill in the 1750s, enhancing its strength and smoothness through innovative techniques involving gelatine baths. This superior quality not only preserved artworks better but also facilitated artistic experimentation. Another fascinating discovery was a watermark featuring “V E I C” atop a heart-shaped logo, symbolising the United East India Company’s legacy and luck.

Figure 4: a watermark featuring VEIC logo with heart-shaped mark and 4 on top (Plate no. 980).

Beyond the watermarks, the languages used, particularly in the names of Chinese plants and fruits, reveal cultural connections across Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, Indonesia, and sometimes the Philippines. Each artwork, through its inscriptions or intricate details, offered a deeper appreciation for botanical diversity and historical narratives. The quality of these watercolour paintings never ceased to amaze me, especially the various depictions of fruits that remind me of home, including watermelon, durian (my favourite fruit!), mango, dragon fruit, coconut, lychee, rambutan, mangosteen, and many more. I also randomly discovered that John Reeves and I attended the same school in England. By helping make these paintings more accessible to the public, I feel more connected to this project in more ways than one.”

Jinghang Zhang – “The First Opium War in 1840 between the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire is often regarded as the beginning of modern Chinese history. After this conflict, China, which had maintained a “glorious isolation” for centuries, is believed to finally start to open its doors and clumsily engage with the globalisation tide. This narrative has become so ingrained that the foreign interactions of China before 1840 are frequently overlooked. Most people’s knowledge of this period is limited to the idea that Canton (nowadays Guangzhou) was the sole window for China’s interactions with the outside world.

The export paintings in this project were created during this overlooked era by Chinese artists in Canton, commissioned by their Western patron, which are invaluable primary sources that deepen our understanding of Sino-Western cultural interactions of that time. Whilst rooted in the traditional Song dynasty bird-and-flower painting techniques, these export paintings also show significant Western influences. Such influences can be traced back to the 18th-century Western painters who served at the Qing court, outlining a potential path of artistic technique dissemination from the court to the public. Furthermore, the use of the “Guange” style of Chinese characters in the text inscriptions on the paintings suggests the possible key role of the Chinese intellectual elite in foreign interactions (Figure 5). Additionally, the use of an informal way of romanisation grounded in the Cantonese dialect in these inscriptions indicates that these interactions took place in a relatively unrestrained environment.

Figure 5: an example of the “Guǎn Gé” style of Chinese characters in the text inscriptions on the painting.

These discoveries somewhat challenge the stereotypical view on the Qing Dynasty’s stance towards Western influences before the First Opium War, offering a fresh perspective that allows for a more objective and realistic understanding of that period. For me, the experience of participating in this project has been like a journey of discovery built upon time travel. The process of uncovering long-hidden truths beneath the dust of history has brought me immense satisfaction.

These reflections underscore the collaborative and interdisciplinary essence of the project, bridging past and present through a shared passion for art and history.”

The photography team members provided insights into the technical and collaborative aspects of digitising the Reeves botanical collection:

Kunwei He – “Being part of the Photography Team for the John Reeves collection has been an incredibly rewarding experience. We use colour checkers to ensure accurate colours, conduct focus checks for clarity, and meticulously examine each painting to digitise every detail. We adhere to strict protocols for naming, converting, and saving images. While this may sound straightforward, it demands intense concentration to avoid any mix-ups and ensure high-quality output.

What makes this job truly fascinating are the unexpected discoveries. Opening each box feels like unwrapping a surprise gift — every painting is uniquely captivating and stunning. The joy of stumbling upon depictions of favourite plants or fruits is beyond words (See Figure 6 and 7).

Figure 6 and 7: example paintings from the Reeves botanical collection.

Zooming in to 100% on the screen reveals hidden details and the intricate brushstrokes that bring the artwork to life. It’s a fascinating exploration of artistry and craftsmanship (See Figure 8 and 9).

Figure 8 and 9: Digitisation work station and working monitors.

Additionally, uncovering paintings with striking resemblances has piqued our curiosity about their origins and the skills of the artists behind them (See Figure 10).

Figure 10: example of two similar paintings in the Reeves botanical collection (plate no.512-513).

Working with these incredible paintings has deepened my appreciation for art and the meticulous process involved in preserving it. It’s been a journey of discovery and learning, and I look forward to uncovering more hidden gems in the future.”

Ruirui Sun – “The digitisation of the NHM CEW collection has been a very rewarding experience for me. Our photography team developed an efficient workflow that allowed us to handle and process the artworks swiftly. Initially, the workflow involved sequential tasks that had a lot of waiting time, but we soon refined it to allow simultaneous processing and handling, increasing our productivity. This streamlined approach not only improved our efficiency but also enhanced the overall quality of our work. By adhering to NHM standards and meticulously documenting each step, we ensured that the digitised collection accurately reflects the original works.

Our collaboration with the cataloguing team has been incredibly smooth and productive. The written notes in the boxes allowed us to quickly determine whether any action was needed, making it easier for our digitising team and the cataloguing team to switch boxes efficiently. This seamless cooperation significantly contributed to the overall success of the project. Additionally, I appreciate every insight from the cataloguing team, which inspired us from different perspectives and deepened our collective understanding.

As someone born in central China and having lived in Guangdong, I often found delightful surprises during the work. Every time I see a familiar plant depicted in these artworks, it brings a sense of joy and nostalgia. It’s a special privilege to revisit my cultural heritage through the lens of Western artistic styles during the work (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Ruirui Sun (left) and Kunwei He (right), as part of the CEW project group presentation to the NHM Library team, sharing their experiences of digitising the collection.

This project has not only been a professional challenge but also a journey of personal growth and discovery. It has enriched my understanding of both the technical and artistic aspects of digitisation, and I am very excited to see the future outcomes of the CEW project.”

Conclusion and project success

Over the course of the month of May, the 1057 original watercolours were individually catalogued, a process which recorded each artwork’s dimensions, condition, notations, paper and presence of watermarks as well as the include of any Chinese characters which, due to the expertise in the team were transcribed and translated in the metadata. Each work was also imaged so that now a high-quality TIFF file exists for each item. The students were also able to develop their handling skills including an appreciation for the conservation and preservation of artworks on paper in addition to further developing their team work and presentation skills.

The reflections and insights echo the themes discussed in British Naturalists in Qing China by Fa-ti Fan (2004), which explores the complex relationships between Western naturalists and Chinese society. As Fan notes, the success of British naturalists in the 19th century depended heavily on the active participation and knowledge of their Chinese collaborators, which formed flourishing cultural and scientific exchange. This project mirrors that collaborative spirit from 200 years ago and brought together expertise from across regions and disciplines to document and understand China’s natural history.

As a work-in-progress, the future research could continue such collaboration, engage with Chinese botanists and scientists in the identification and study of the plants depicted to enrich our understanding and appreciation of these paintings and potentially shed additional light on other subjects including society and culture. As we move forward, more project updates will be anticipated.

References

Fan, Fa-Ti. (2004) British Naturalists in Qing China. Harvard University Press.

Judith Magee. (2011) Chinese Art and the Reeves Collection: Images of Nature. Natural History Museum.

P.J.P. Whitehead and P.I. Edwards. (1974) Chinese natural history drawings: selected from the Reeves Collection in the British Museum (Natural History). The British Museum (Natural History).

LIS Student Achievements: 2023/24 (by Dr. Alison Hicks)

By Ian Evans, on 7 June 2024

Congratulations to Library and Information Studies (LIS) students who have been rocking the professional world with all their amazing achievements this year! We are extremely proud of all the many ways in which our students contribute to the field and thank all the many people who make this possible, including UCL staff, professional mentors, award juries, peer reviewers and more.

To begin, it’s been another bumper year for prizes and bursaries, with UCL students receiving several prestigious awards for research and professional development. Congratulations to Oona Ylinen (MA, 2023), who was awarded the Sherif Prize for her dissertation research on international Resource Description and Access (RDA). Oona presented her work at the Sherif annual meeting and is the sixth UCL student in the last seven years to receive this award. Current student, Emily Peart, has been awarded both the 2024 BIALL Student Award and a Music Libraries Trust bursary while we were over the moon that the Rowena Macrae Gibson bursary to attend the 2023 LILAC conference was awarded to current students, Sae Matsuno and Amelia Haire. The 2023 Alan Hopkinson Award to attend the IFLA congress in Rotterdam was awarded to Huzefa Ghadiali (MA, 2022), while current student, Tessa Roynon, received a special mention in the 2023 Anthony Davis Book Collecting Competition.

A huge congratulations also to current and previous students who have published on their dissertation topics over the year, including Brooke Cambie (MA, 2022) who published her research on sexual assault in public libraries in Public Library Quarterly and Maud Cooper (MA, 2021), who published her studies on the information literacy practices of emerging artists in the Journal of Information Literacy (Vol. 17, No.2). Well done, also, to current student, Sarah Pipkin, who published her coursework exploring public perceptions of Special Collections Libraries in the Journal of Library Administration (Vol.64, No.3), and Andy Lacey (MA, 2022), who published his coursework exploring literacy programming in prison libraries in Library and Information Research. Two students were further invited to present cataloguing coursework at the School Library Association’s New Development in School Libraries conference, including Núria Solé-Bonet (MA, 2023), who presented on Engaging Students in Reading Series through Effective Cataloguing and Tessa Roynon (current student) on Adapting Dewey for a Secondary School Library. Beyond coursework, several students participated in UCL Arts and Humanities grant-funded projects this year, with current student Sae Matsuno and Catherine Drewry (MA, 2022) publishing findings from their study of LIS education and EDI in the Journal of Information Science. Current students Joel Davie, Katherine Knight and Emily Peart participated in a Changemakers project designed to leverage AI to reduce the barriers to student engagement with advanced technology topics.

Finally, well done to students who have been appointed to professional committees, including current Naoise Standing, who has been appointed as a committee member on ARLG London and South East as well as the CPD25 Task Group for the M25 Consortium, and Amelia Haire, who has been appointed as Secretary for the Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network. Congratulations, also, to current student, Isabel Evans, whose voluntary work in UCL’s Special Collection was recognised in the Observer in May.

Unveiling the V&A Chinese Export Watercolours (CEW) Collection: A Journey of Digitisation and Discovery

By Ian Evans, on 8 September 2023

Jin Gao, Yangming Zhang, Linminqing Wang, Yawen Li, Feichi Li, Shirley Chang, Jiawei Liu

Figure 1: the V&A’s Chinese Export Watercolours image collection, and the whole list can be found on V&A Explore the Collections.

Chinese export watercolours are a type of objects produced in China for export to Europe and the North America during the 18th and 19th Centuries. They were made by Chinese artists catering to the taste of their customers, and these works typically depict Chinese traditional customs, occupations, manufacture and trades, boats, plants and animals, and they blend Chinese and European painting techniques, resulting in a unique mix of artistic styles. The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) holds a significant collection of the Chinese export watercolours (Clunas, 1984), and despite its importance in global art history, this collection remains relatively understudied.

This blog, co-authored by students and staff, introduces the phase one of the Chinese Export Watercolours (CEW) project, which is a collaboration between the Chinese Iconography Thesaurus (CIT) project team at the V&A’s Asia Department (V&A, 2016) and the UCL Department of Information Studies, and it is funded by the UCL Fellowship Incubator Awards. The project is led by Dr Hongxing Zhang and Dr Jin Gao, and it has involved Molly Fort, a UCL PhD student, nine UCL students from the MA/MSc in Digital Humanities programme (Yangming Zhang, Linminqing Wang, Yawen Li, Feichi Li, Shirley Chang, Jiawei Liu, Xiaohan Jiang, Liyuan Liu, José Pedro Sousa), as well as Yi-Hsin Lin and Bingjun Liu, the CIT data standard editors at the V&A. With the kind support from UCL Digitisation Suite and UCL Centre for Digital Humanities, the project started in May 2023. It has involved cataloguing, auditing, photography, and digital asset management works of over 2,300 Chinese export watercolours acquired by the V&A in the 1870s to 1930s.

Figure 2: The project team photo. From left: Linminqing Wang (MSc student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Xiaohan Jiang (MSc student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Yangming Zhang (MSc student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Yawen Li (MSc student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Molly Fort (PhD Researcher, Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UCL), Jin Gao (Lecturer in Digital Archives, UCL), Liyuan Liu (MSc student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Feichi Li (MA student in Digital Humanities, UCL), Hongxing Zhang (Senior Curator of the Chinese Collections, V&A)

Thanks to the help and guidance by the V&A’s Asia department, the V&A Research Institute (VARI), the Photography and Digitisation, the Collections Care and Access, the Digital Media and Publishing departments at the V&A, phase one of the CEW project has resulted in an updated collection catalogue and digitised images on the V&A Explore the Collections website accessible as teaching and research materials for all, and for phase two, it is carrying out image analysis and archive-based provenance research to trace its history of collecting and investigate the formation of the collection.

Cataloguing and pre-photography

Benefitting from the training offered by the V&A’s curatorial staff in object handling, the initial phase involved basic cataloguing and pre-photography tasks, typically requiring a collaborative effort between two individuals. One person was responsible for measuring the dimensions of albums and paintings using plastic rulers, while another recorded these measurements in a spreadsheet along with additional details such as box notes, inscriptions, and the condition of the paintings. Additionally, prior to photography, the pre-photography staff attached object numbers to small white papers and placed them on each painting to aid colleagues in later stages.

The experience of pre-photography tasks could be described as a mix of enjoyment and precision. The enjoyment stemmed from the chance to closely examine the paintings as they were laid out on the table. This hands-on interaction felt almost like a journey back in time, allowing us to connect with historical figures and get glimpses into their lives. Some paintings evoked laughter, while others challenged our assumptions about what Qing China looked like. However, the process demanded careful attention to detail. For the person measuring, seemingly identical paintings might actually have slight differences in their dimensions. For the cataloguing task, encountering unfamiliar and complex characters in traditional Chinese text was common. Despite these challenges, facing them head-on was essential for improving our digital skills and achieving the precision necessary for museum work.

Figure 3: three students working on the cataloguing and pre-photography tasks of albums containing the Chinese Export Watercolours.

Photography

The photography of these watercolours played an important role in the overall digitisation process, and we would like to express our gratitude to the UCL Digitisation Suite for letting us use their digitisation equipment. We, as students, had received basic digitisation training through the Introduction to Digitisation module as part of the UCL Master programme in Digital Humanities. Benefitting from the further training provided by the V&A Photography and Digitisation department, we learned many practical aspects such as camera setup, lighting adjustments, colour management, and post-processing techniques, which greatly facilitated the project’s initiation. For the specific process, capturing the needed photograph demanded the close coordination of two to three members of our team. One or two of us took charge of positioning the object, adjusting its angle and location on the copy stand, and fine-tuning the camera’s height. Meanwhile, another team member operated a laptop, utilising Capture One — a photography software suite — to remotely manage the camera’s focus and capture settings.

Figure 4: The Kaiser copy stand in the project photography lab

During the initial stages of our project’s pilot test, arriving at consistent camera settings necessitated multiple trials and discussions. While time-intensive, this phase laid a sturdy groundwork. Subsequent shots only required us to adjust the camera height and focus based on the batch’s object sizes. Our primary objective was to capture each artwork with highest resolution, ensuring legibility of labels at the frame edges. Typically, the initial photo in each batch featured a colour checker — a critical tool for colour calibration during post-processing. Following these preliminary steps, we moved on to photograph each artwork individually.

Figure 5: The colour checker put alongside the target object

Occasionally, we encountered objects that posed challenges in terms of capture. While most artworks have flat surfaces, some exhibited signs of aging, leading to wrinkles in their mounts. Thick albums, when opened to certain pages, would bulge at the centre. To minimise this, we employed a large transparent glass panel, an action that often resembled weightlifting due to its heft. Careful handling was essential to prevent damage to the delicate pith paper. In such instances, an extra pair of hands often came in handy for observing, page-turning, and manual straightening. Reflective materials — like gold pigments or protective plastic films — presented a unique hurdle. We would reposition the artwork to eliminate glare and capture these paintings in segments, later stitching them together during post-production. Likewise, for larger paintings, we applied a similar approach, capturing sections and subsequently merging them.

Figure 6: The interface of auto-stitching function in Capture One

In essence, the photography phase was one of the essential stages of our digitisation endeavour. Through careful handling and innovative techniques, we aimed to capture each artwork with the highest fidelity, ensuring their lasting preservation in the digital realm.

Colour management

The raw images underwent post-photography processing utilising Capture One. This phase encompassed the addition tasks of metadata, including creator details, CIS (Common Information Subsystem), copyright information, and related information. Additionally, image rotation and cropping were applied on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the focus remained on the primary subject of the painting and enhancing its aesthetic appeal.

An important juncture in our process was colour calibration, a step that presented numerous challenges. Variations in lighting conditions during photography and variations in camera height could lead to deviations from the original colours. Thus, colour calibration based on the previously captured colour checker was imperative. However, we encountered disparities when using different colour calibration software. Although the same colour checker produced dissimilar ICC files across different software, our extensive comparisons led us to favour the ColourChecker Camera Calibration method. This approach yielded results closest to the original paintings and became our best solution.

Given the variations in Capture One across different computer systems, careful attention was required to standardise subtle options and settings during the collaborative colour calibration process. Any deviation in these settings could lead to significant discrepancies in colour calibration effects. An illustrative example is the Export option ICC Profile, which ideally should be configured to Embed Camera Profile. Selecting Adobe RGB, on the other hand, resulted in heightened vividness and a reddish tint post colour correction.

Figure 7: The screenshot of post-production task on Capture One

The post-production stage proved to be a time-intensive endeavour, with an approximate output of around 100 images per day. Upon completion of the initial tasks, the photography team actively participated in the post-photography phase, further streamlining our efforts.

The image quality check

Ensuring access to top-quality images from the CEW project’s painting collection is crucial for visitors. Our process started with checking each object on the V&A website using its system ID and object number. We began by downloading the first JPG image of the object and evaluating its quality following the V&A websites terms and conditions. If it met the quality standards, we noted the review date in the ‘V&A website check’ column in our tracking spreadsheet to make sure all paintings were covered.

Specifically, we encountered a few issues that need addressing. One common problem was inconsistent cropping, where paintings were not adjusted properly, displaying the object number unnecessarily. Another issue was image quality problems like dots or unclear images. We reported these issues to the V&A Collection Management team and Digital Media team for fixing. After that, we double-checked to ensure the corrections were made properly.

Figure 8: The ‘technical glitch of dots’ during image quality check

Our responsibility for delivering high-quality images and easy access on the V&A website was crucial. It ensures visitors have a smooth experience without any problems while browsing the webpage and viewing images.

The digitisation of the Chinese Export Watercolours collection marks a significant milestone, and it opens up more opportunities to further explore this collection. As we move forward, more project updates will be anticipated.

The annotation via Zooniverse

The digitisation of the Chinese Export Watercolours collection marks a significant milestone, and it opens up more opportunities to further explore this collection.

For example, to facilitate the annotation process, we have used the Zooniverse platform, a citizen science portal managed by the Citizen Science Alliance (Simpson et al., 2014). Zooniverse hosts some of the internet’s largest, most successful crowdsourcing projects, enabling volunteers worldwide to engage in scientific research. The platform provides user-friendly annotation tools that allow participants to mark content and subject matter in drawings, and the CEW project will leverage Zooniverse’s technical support, and project team members will embark on thematic and content labelling for the initial pilot collections.

Figure 9: the Chinese Export Watercolours project homepage on Zooniverse

We will, firstly, employ Zooniverse to thematically annotate the collection, utilising vocabulary derived from the Chinese Iconography Thesaurus (CIT). Given the CIT’s robust descriptive system for Chinese collections, we will be adopting this vocabulary for CEW collection labelling. This approach establishes continuity between our research project and the CIT.

Figure 10: the Chinese Iconography Thesaurus (CIT) Vocabulary

Through annotating this sample collection, we will gain a deeper comprehension of the painted subjects within this digitised CEW collection. Consequently, we will create CEW annotations grounded in the CIT vocabulary but tailored to a more specific focus. Thematic classification not only enriches our understanding but also opens avenues for future in-depth research. For instance, we may be able to explore potential preferences for subject matters across different periods, shedding light on the regions of China that held Western clients’ greatest interest during this time. Moreover, we can investigate variations in style, colour, and subject matter within paintings of the same theme across different periods based on our labels.

Figure 11: the CEW Project annotation workflow on Zooniverse

This annotation process serves as the initial stride in our research team’s endeavour to delve deeper into the collection beyond digitisation. We look forward to uncovering fascinating discoveries from the CEW collection.

Further image analysis

The next phase of research consists of classification and image analysis, which employs digital humanities and machine learning methodologies. Initially, we harnessed deep learning models that had been trained to extract image features, coupled with clustering algorithms, to autonomously classify the entire set of 2,308 images. After some adjustments, our algorithm can now broadly differentiate key image categories, such as figures, flora and fauna, and scenes. Specifically, the distinct framework of the five major subject categories led to nuanced algorithmic variations for each (see Figure 12 and Figure 13). Nevertheless, the presence of colour disparities, textual elements, and frame decorations poses challenges, hindering precise subject classification, particularly in images with subtle distinctions. At this juncture, manual intervention becomes imperative to rectify the categories of these images and subdivide them into finer sub-categories. The official nomenclature for these categories will undergo further refinement in subsequent publications.

Figure 12: The image clustering result in t-SNE visualisation (test result)

Figure 13: The sample of clustering images result (test result)

In our latest work-in-progress report, we have successfully identified a minimum of five major subject categories and 23 sub-themes within the Chinese export watercolours collection at the V&A Museum (as Figure 14).

Figure 14: five major themes and their number of paintings within the Chinese export watercolours collection at the V&A Museum

Topography and Architecture 地貌与建筑（91） 

• Topographical views 地貌 (7)
• Interior scenes 室内场景 (52)
• Gardens 园林 (30)
• Shopfronts 店面 (2)

Manner and Customs 风俗习惯（304） 

• Religious, Historical and Legendary characters 宗教、历史和传奇人物 (147)
• Pageants, processions, ceremonies, etc. 盛典、游行、仪式等 (49)
• Court of Justice 法庭 (3)
• Punishments and Tortures 刑罚 (48)
• Playing Boys 童戏 (48)

Occupations and Trades 阶层与行业（1076） 

• Silk, Tea, Porcelain manufacture 丝绸、茶叶和瓷器制造 (118)
• Scenes of Daily Life 百业 (695)
• Dignitaries 权贵显要 (179)
• Warriors 武将士兵 (37)
• Women Playing Music奏乐 (47)

Flora and Fauna 动植物（438） 

• Plant 植物 (312)
• Baskets of flowers 篮花 (22)
• Birds and flowers 花鸟 (36)
• Flowers and Insects 草虫 (56)
• Animals 动物
• Fish 鱼 (12)

Miscellaneous 其它 (338) 

• Ships 船舶 (159)
• Furniture, shop signs, and Tools and utensils 各类器具 (179)

* Covers (18)

To engage in advanced image analysis, a profound comprehension of digitised images is a fundamental prerequisite, and it is rooted in the earlier stages of pre-photography, photography, and post-production, complemented by careful observation and documentation. Distinct image categories necessitate unique analytical approaches. Taking the sitting position of women and shouldering position of men as examples, images centred on human subjects primarily draw attention to facial features and the image wireframe of body poses (see Figure 15 and Figure 16).

Figure 15: Image processing of the sitting position of women across different sub-categories for similarity analysis, especially the facial features and body poses © Victoria and Albert Museum

In a given set, numerous images may portray individuals in diverse situations, but some are with similar facial features and body poses. Similarly, there may be instances where different individuals wear remarkably similar clothing but in varying colours. The initial step in such analysis involves segmenting the image into recognisable sections, and by utilising feature extraction techniques, intrinsic characteristics and outlines are derived from these segments (Barthel et al., 2019). Subsequently, these images are collectively compared, and by employing such methodologies to analyse image similarity, it significantly enhances the efficiency of subsequent research and data analysis.

Figure 16: Image processing of Shouldering load with a pole in Scenes of Daily Life 市井百态 (695) for similarity analysis, especially the wireframe patterns of the human poses © Victoria and Albert Museum

Another category deserving attention pertains to Ships 船舶 (159) sub-category. In this context, the emphasis on similarity analysis primarily revolves around colour assessment and the evaluation of the overall image outline (see Figure 17). For these types of images, there is often no need to segment and compare individual components. Instead, a comprehensive approach is adopted, focusing on the overall similarity of the entire image. Additionally, there are various image analysis algorithms employed for assessing inter-image similarities, with subtle adjustments made based on the specific features of the images in question, all geared toward ensuring data analysis accuracy (Bengamra et al., 2023).

Figure 17: Image processing of Ships 船舶 (159) for similarity analysis, especially the patterns of boats © Victoria and Albert Museum

In addition, the category of Birds and flowers 花鸟 (36) presents an interesting case, especially when considering the consistent presence of both elements within the paintings (See Figure 18). The recurring motif of pairing birds with flowers carries multifaceted cultural and social meanings deeply rooted in Chinese artistic heritage, drawing on the association of flora and fauna with auspicious meanings and scholarly virtues that dates back centuries, and it also reflects on the CIT terminology (i.e., CIT0284614 花鳥 Birds and Flowers). The correlation between birds and flowers in the CEW collection opens up a fascinating avenue for further in-depth image analysis and cultural interpretation.

Figure 18: Image processing of Birds and flowers 花鸟 (36) for similarity analysis, especially the combination of flora and fauna © Victoria and Albert Museum

In general, the analytical techniques utilised in the CEW project provide invaluable insights, forming a solid foundation not only for the ongoing study of the CEW project but also for other subsequent research in the future. These findings deepen our understandings of the subject matter and also open up new endeavours for exploration and discovery. As we move forward, more project updates will be anticipated.

References

Barthel, K.U., Hezel, N., Schall, K., Jung, K., 2019. Real-Time Visual Navigation in Huge Image Sets Using Similarity Graphs, in: Proceedings of the 27th ACM International Conference on Multimedia. Presented at the MM ’19: The 27th ACM International Conference on Multimedia, ACM, Nice France, pp. 2202–2204. https://doi.org/10.1145/3343031.3350599

Bengamra, S., Mzoughi, O., Bigand, A., Zagrouba, E., 2023. A comprehensive survey on object detection in Visual Art: taxonomy and challenge. Multimed Tools Appl. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-023-15968-9

Clunas, C., 1984. Chinese export watercolours, Far Eastern series. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Simpson, R., Page, K.R., De Roure, D., 2014. Zooniverse: observing the world’s largest citizen science platform, in: Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on World Wide Web. Presented at the WWW ’14: 23rd International World Wide Web Conference, ACM, Seoul Korea, pp. 1049–1054. https://doi.org/10.1145/2567948.2579215

V&A, 2016. Chinese Iconography Thesaurus (CIT) · V&A [WWW Document]. Victoria and Albert Museum. URL https://www.vam.ac.uk/research/projects/chinese-iconography-thesaurus-cit (accessed 9.1.23).

LIS Student Achievements: 2022/23 (by Dr. Alison Hicks)

By Ian Evans, on 23 June 2023

It’s been another successful year for our amazing cohort of LIS students- congratulations to each and every one of our students who have all contributed in so many ways to our thriving academic and social environment this year. We look forward to seeing where your career takes you!

To begin with, congratulations to all our prize winners -it is very exciting to see students’ hard work and thought being rewarded by the broader profession. Heading the list of awards this year is Catherine Drewry (MA, 2022), who was awarded the Sherif Prize for her dissertation work assessing the capacity of the Coronavirus Infectious Disease Ontology (CIDO) ontology as a gold standard for modelling biomedical information. Catherine presented her work at the Sherif annual meeting and is the fifth UCL student in the last six years to be awarded this prize. Congratulations also go to Andrew Frampton (MA, 2022), whose MA dissertation was awarded the E.T. Bryant award for a valuable contribution to music librarianship. The list continues with Matthew Bland (current student), who was awarded a BIALL Professional Studies Bursary; Brooke Cambie (MA, 2022), who was awarded the BIALL Conference Bursary; Lucy Dodge (current student) who was awarded the Rowena Macrae Gibson bursary to attend the LILAC conference, Douglas Knight (current student), who was awarded a Music Trust Bursary to attend the IAML conference, Louise Savage (current student), who was awarded a bursary for the Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference, and Naoise Standing (current student), who was awarded not one but three bursaries, including the Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference bursary, the Academic Libraries North Conference bursary, AND the UK e-Information Group residential bursary for the CILIP Conference. WOW! Lastly, well done to Frankie Marsh (MA, 2020), who was awarded the Journal of Information Literacy’s inaugural Ross Todd Award for Best Research Paper for her dissertation research in April 2023.

Secondly, well done to students who have published their dissertation research in various professional journals this year. Alex Hewitt (MA, 2022) published his dissertation research into affect, emotion, and information literacy in the Special Critical information Literacy Issue of the Journal of Information Literacy (2023), while Ella Burrows (MA, 2022) had her dissertation work examining digital literacy, activism and Instagram published in the regular issue of the Journal of Information Literacy (Vol.17, No.1). This year also saw the publication of Madeleine Ahern’s (MA, 2021) dissertation research into managing works of art in non-art libraries in Collection Management.

Students have further been presenting dissertation and coursework at various conferences, including the CILIP Annual Meeting 2022, where Imogen Loucas (MA, 2022) presented on sustainability and libraries, and the LILAC conference where Naomi Smith (MA, 2022) and Kristabelle Williams Pearce (MA, 2018) were invited keynote speakers, and Andy Lacey (MA, 2022) presented on his dissertation research examining the information literacy practices of the homeless. Students have also presented at the Critical Approaches to Libraries conference, including Jess Jordan (MA, 2021), who presented on best practices for decolonisation in academic libraries, Kris Massengale (MA, 2021), who presented on IFLA LRM, queer theory and Marxism, and Naomi Smith (MA, 2022), who presented her dissertation research on critical approaches to library technology policies. Brooke Cambie (MA, 2022) presented her dissertation research into sexual harassment in public libraries at a CILIP Scotland event to celebrate WINspiration, Feminism and Libraries, while Huzefa Ghadiali (MA, 2022) presented his information literacy dissertation research at the BOBCATSS conference in Oslo.  August also sees presentations from Andrew Frampton (MA, 2022) and Meg Webb (MA, 2022) at the IAML conference in Cambridge.

Lastly, UCL students have also been giving back to the profession through committee work. Andy Lacey (MA, 2022) has been appointed as the Public Library representative for the Information Literacy group, while current student Lucy Dodge has joined the ARLIS Cataloguing and Classification committee. Current student Ellen Woolf helped to launch the ECLAIR Early Career Library and Information Resource Community where she also holds the Digital Coordinator role.

LIS Students in 2021/2022 – by Dr. Alison Hicks

By Ian Evans, on 23 June 2022

Congratulations to current and recently graduated LIS students who have been contributing to our field in so many ways this year! It is testament to their passion, curiosity, and drive that we can celebrate so many fantastic achievements.

Firstly, congratulations to our prize winners, including Amelia Brookins (MA, 2021), who was awarded the 2021 Sherif Prize for her dissertation work examining costume rental houses through the lens of knowledge organisation. Her research revealed “how costume houses reflect the information organisation processes of supporting users, classification and cataloguing in databases” and was presented at the 2022 Sherif AGM. Congratulations also to current student, Sae Matsuno, who was awarded an ARLIS award for research into the use of volunteers in specialist libraries, a project that builds on her INST0021 Managing Information Organisations coursework. Current students Hozefa Ramgadwala, Huzefa Ghadiali and Naomi Hart were also selected to receive an ARLIS conference bursary.

We are additionally pleased to celebrate publications from current and recently graduated students this year, which speaks to the quality of their work as well as the importance of their ideas. It’s also great to see how this work contributes to the advancement of knowledge in a range of sectors and professional contexts. In the field of cataloguing and metadata, Abi Chapman (MA, 2020), who was awarded the 2021 Sherif Prize, published her dissertation research on video game cataloguing in the Journal of Library Metadata, while Gaby Reyes’ (MA, 2020) work on social tagging appeared as a chapter in the Handbook of Research on Emerging Trends and Technologies in Librarianship. Most recently, Frankie Marsh (MA, 2020) and Eve Lacey (MA, 2017) co-authored a chapter on critical decolonising work at the University of Cambridge in the recent Facet title, Narrative Expansions, while Frankie also found time to publish her dissertation research on the decolonisation of information literacy in the June 2022 issue of the Journal of Information Literacy. Congratulations also to Hozefa Ramgadwala, a current student, who published a book review in the same issue of the Journal of Information Literacy.

LIS students have also been active at professional conferences and events, including Sae Matsuno, a current student, who presented at the ARLIS Taking the Plunge professional event and Huzefa Ghadiali, another current student, who spoke about the historical bibliography of an English translated Qur’an at the first Al-Mahdi Institute Graduate Islamic Studies Conference. Sae Matsuno also co-organised and presented the initial stages of her dissertation research at the recent UCL-sponsored Unlocking narratives: The roots of decolonising work in UK libraries and archives online event. We were additionally privileged enough to hear from two recent graduates at the 2021 UNESCO Media and Information Literacy week event; Maud Cooper (MA, 2021) presented on emerging artist information literacy practices while Antony Njuguna (MA, 2021) spoke about teaching strategies for international student information literacy instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, current students Melanie Brown, Alice Bertolini, Arfa Choudhury and Beth Saward presented the digital libraries they created as part of their coursework for INST0024: Using Technology in Information Organisations during the first inaugural online event, Celebrating Students’ Achievement and Work on ED&I: A View from UCL-DIS Digital Collections.

Lastly, LIS students have been contributing to committees and groups: David Smith (MA, 2021) and Frankie Marsh (MA, 2020) have been appointed as inaugural members of the New Professionals Committee on the Information Literacy Group. It is also great to see Jake Hearn (MA, 2019) featured in the CILIP Information Professional Magazine.

Chapman, A. (2022). Trials of Metadata: Emerging Schemas for Videogame Cataloguing. Journal of Library Metadata, 21(3-4), 63-103.

Lacey, E., Skinner, J., Panozzo Zénere, C., Greenberg, C., & Marsh, F. (2021). Cataloguing, classification, and critical librarianship at Cambridge University. In Crilly, J. & Everitt, R. (eds). Narrative Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in Academic Libraries. Facet Publishing.

Marsh, F. (2022). Unsettling information literacy: Exploring critical approaches with academic researchers for decolonising the university. Journal of Information Literacy 16(1), 4-29.

Reyes, G. P. (2022). Social Tagging and Secondary School Libraries: Insights from the AO3 Framework. In Handbook of Research on Emerging Trends and Technologies in Librarianship (pp. 201-231). IGI Global.

Enlightenment architectures: The reconstruction of Sir Hans Sloane’s cabinets of ‘Miscellanies’

By Ian Evans, on 8 December 2020

An open access article by Dr. Julianne Nyhan and Dr. Kim Sloan in Oxford University Press’, Journal of the History of Collections

Abstract: Focusing on Sir Hans Sloane’s catalogue of ‘Miscellanies’, now in the British Museum, this paper asks firstly how Sloane described objects and secondly whether the original contents of the cabinets can be reconstructed from his catalogue. Drawing on a sustained, digitally augmented analysis – the first of its kind – of Sloane’s catalogues, we respond to these questions and offer an initial analysis of the contents of the cabinets that held the miscellaneous objects at Sloane’s manor house in Chelsea. Knowledge of how and why Sloane catalogued this part of his collection has hitherto remained underdeveloped. We argue that his focus on preservation and documentation in his cataloguing did not preclude a research role, but rather was founded on immersive participation. Our work was undertaken as part of a Leverhulme Trust funded research project, Enlightenment Architectures: Sir Hans Sloane’s Catalogues of his Collections (2016–19), a collaboration between the British Museum and University College London.

Permalink (free access).

Global Media and information Literacy Week and a new DIS research group: Forum of Information Literacy (FOIL) by Dr. Alison Hicks

By Ian Evans, on 20 October 2020

UCL Staff and Students will be celebrating Global Media and Information Literacy week this year by co-hosting two free online events designed to explore and celebrate the contributions of the Department of Information Studies to information literacy research and practice. Running from 24^th-31^st October, Global Media and Information Literacy Week is an opportunity to think more closely about the role that information plays within human social interactions, and more particularly, within academic, workplace and everyday contexts. Events will be held online on the 28^th and 29^th October and are free.

These events are carried out under the auspices of FOIL, the Forum on Information Literacy, which is a new information literacy research group that has been cofounded at UCL, Department of Information Studies. FOIL represents a space for academic researchers who are active in the field of information literacy research in the UK, to discuss and challenge ideas, and to engage in critical reflection on theory, practice and praxis-oriented research. Its goals include establishing and nurturing a research environment in which information literacy researchers in UK Universities will discuss theoretical and methodological issues related to information literacy, and advancing a research agenda and programme of works that addresses the theoretical and methodological issues of information literacy in academic and applied contexts. Other members of FOIL include academics at the University of Sheffield, the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

On the 28^th October, DIS staff members Professor Annemaree Lloyd, Dr Charlie Inskip and Dr Alison Hicks will be participating in an event entitled “Information Literacy in the United Kingdom: past and future” alongside colleagues from the University of Sheffield, Strathclyde University, University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. This event will address the questions: (1) What has been the UK narrative about information literacy? and (2) What will be the UK narrative about information literacy?

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/124218423649/

On the 29^th September, recent DIS graduate Tsveta Rafaylova will be presenting on her recently completed MA research on workplace information literacy within a professional tax services firm. Tsveta’s dissertation was supervised by Dr Alison Hicks and focused on exploring the role that information literacy played in helping a professional services firm pivot to home working during the COVID-19 lockdown. Tsveta will be joining MA graduates from the University of Sheffield and the University of Manchester in this panel designed to showcase MA research.
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/foil-masters-emerging-voices-in-media-information-literacy-research-tickets-124536394709

Risk and Resilience in rapidly redefined information environments. ( Lloyd and Hicks)

By Ian Evans, on 16 July 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to radically refine people’s information experiences. The study, Risk and Resilience in Redefined Information Environments, which is being carried out by Professor Annemaree Lloyd and Dr Alison Hicks at UCL’s Department of Information Science, investigates how information literacy practices and literacies of information help people to mitigate risk and develop resilience during a time of upheaval.

The ongoing health crisis has produced complex and multi-layered information environments that span a range of new information sources including scientific, medical, mental health and government advice. This information is further tailored, repackaged and communicated by multiple actors across multiple information channels, including social media, peer review and governmental websites. New ways of interacting with others (in work, education or everyday situations), which are being encouraged as a result of government social distancing policies, further impact how information is shared and disseminated within a community.

The multiplicity, complexity and range of information environments created in response to the pandemic is problematic and has the potential to create social, economic, health and educational risks. New challenges also emerge, including confusion about where to find information when traditional methods and strategies, or established information landscapes are disrupted, or when there is a need to become informed about an unfamiliar topic. Risk may also be created when people are forced to develop rapid new ways of determining the veracity and trustworthiness of rumours and hearsay that they find through websites, social media channels and amongst friends and family. These information problems may further cause people to cut themselves off from or avoid information as a way to manage overload or mediate stress, anxiety and mental health issues. In effect, these ongoing uncertainties can have implications in terms of people’s capacity to understand crisis information environments and build information practices that scaffold informed decision making and broader questions of resilience.

The Risk and Resilience study is a two-phase study that is being carried at UCL’s Department of Information Studies. The study is currently being conducted with participants across the UK and aims to develop a detailed understanding of the risks that people face during the pandemic, including in everyday, workplace and caring contexts; the information sources and information literacy practices that are used to mitigate risk; and the barriers and challenges that enable or constrain the development of resilient information practices.

The findings of this study will enable information researchers to develop clearer insight and understanding of how people develop knowledge of and mitigate risk, construct information landscapes and develop resilience strategies during times of crisis and upheaval. It will establish foundational knowledge about people’s information practices from which to develop future responses for information, civil contingency, emergency services, welfare and public health professions.

If you are interested in participating in this study or would like further information about the study, please contact Professor Annemaree Lloyd annemareelloyd@ucl.ac.uk or Dr Alison Hicks a.hicks@ucl.ac.uk