Science and society at the Wellcome Library

Louise Simon

Information Officer

Wellcome Library

Overview

Public and scienceAudiencesWellcome Library’s collectionA web gatewayOther resources

The public and science

Opportunities for libraries?

Science writers and journalistsScience communication practitionersScientistsStudentsAcademicsScience teachers

Wellcome Trust

Independent research-funding charity Interest in the role of science and

societyPublic engagement awardsCommissions public attitudinal researchSchool science (professional

development; citizenship)Sci-art

Science CentreStage

Wellcome Library

http://library.wellcome.ac.uk/Science and society

Biomedical ethicsScience policyPublic engagement with science and

technology (PEST)Popular science

What we collect

Ethics of human gene therapy. - Walters, L. Forward look 2003: government funded

SET. - OST Evaluation of national programs of science

awareness. - Gascoigne, T. Public Understanding of science; New

Scientist Press cuttings

How has collection developed?

Public engagement issuesChange from “deficit” model to public

participation [PUS to PEST]Government focus on lifelong learningPractical information / what works/

experience of othersScience and art

Reflected by more ...

Citizen participation researchCommunication risk Informal learning researchEvaluations of PEST projectsSci-art projects

Library audiences

Support work of TrustPublic - students, health

professionals, social science researchers, journalists, writers

Outreach activities / promotion

Academic coursesLocal schools and collegesTours and talksOutreach officer

Making the double helix

The web

psci-com discussion forumhttp://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-

com.htmlpsci-com gateway

http://psci-com.ac.uk

psci-com - gateway to public engagement with science

http://psci-com.ac.uk/Database of high quality web resourcesDatabase of journal, newspaper and

book referencesForthcoming events

Part of BIOME hub - RDN

psci-com

Subject coverage

psci-com - what it covers

Practical resourcesAcademic resourcesExemplar web sites

Typical records

psci-comlit

Bibliographic database of journal, newspaper and book references

Monthly bibliography

Journal references

Other sources of information

Government: OSTBA (British Association)Association of British Science Writers

(ABSW)Planet ScienceEmail lists and discussion forums

Thoughts

Science and society information needs are both academic and practical based

Audience is diverseOpportunities for libraries

Louise Simon

l.simon@wellcome.ac.uk

Wellcome Library