Library and Archives - General

International Women's Day: Pioneering engineers and scientists in the IET Archives

Sarah Hale — 2013-03-08T15:08:50 00

'errors are notoriously hard to kill, but an error that ascribes to a man what was actually the work of a woman has more lives than a cat.'
Hertha Ayrton

The twentieth century saw rapid change in the rights of women to vote, have equal rights with men and to work. It might surprise you that the first woman to become a Member of the IET (then the Institution of Electrical Engineers) was elected as early as 1899.

That woman was Hertha Ayrton (1854-1923). Born Phoebe Sarah Marks, when she was in her teens a friend renamed her Hertha from a Swinburne poem. Hertha attended Girton College and Finsbury Technical College, where she met Professor William Ayrton. They married in 1885. Hertha was able to carry out her own scientific research thanks to a legacy from her friend and mentor Barbara Bodichon, which allowed her to employ a housekeeper. Her husband encouraged her to research the electric arc lamp after one of his own research papers was lost. As soon as Hertha's independent research began, William stopped his own research into that area as he was worried he would be credited with his wife's work.

It was for her research on 'The Hissing of the Electric Arc' that Hertha Ayrton was elected an IEE Member in May 1899. She was later proposed for Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1902: this application was turned down on the grounds that she was a married woman, and therefore had no status under the terms of the Royal Society's original charter.

Another pioneering member and woman engineer was Dame Caroline Haslett (1895-1957). Caroline Haslett joined the Cochrane Boiler Company in 1914, first as a secretary and later training as an engineer in the company works. In 1919, she left to become the first Secretary of the Women's Engineering Society and served as President in 1939. In 1924, Caroline Haslett co-founded the Women's Electrical Association, later renamed the Electrical Association for Women (EAW). Its aim was to lessen women's domestic burden by encouraging the use of electricity in the home. She was awarded a DBE in 1957.

Both women played an active role in encouraging equality. In 1914, a young Caroline Haslett was caught chalking 'Votes for Women' slogans outside the House of Commons. The policeman told her she was too young to be sent to prison and to 'be a good girl and get along home'. Her subsequent career focused on the rights of women in business and politics.

Hertha Ayrton was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union and in 1910 marched on Downing Street, but like Caroline Haslett she failed to be arrested. When she was accosted by a policeman, her daughter Barbara shouted, 'You dare not hurt that lady, she's Mrs Ayrton!' The police had been instructed not to arrest her and she went free. Barbara was not exempt, and after the 1912 demonstrations Ayrton wrote to a friend, 'Barbie is in Holloway ... I am very proud of her.'

For more information on women in engineering and technology, have a look at the resources on the IET Archives website, including exhibitions and biographies.

By Anne Locker, IET Archivist

40 e-books on Measurement

Cathy Firebrace — 2013-03-08T12:59:37 00

IET members may access online at any time the full texts of some 40 books on measurement, instrumentation and sensors. This is a free service to members available through the IET Virtual Library.

This specialist technical information resource is useful for study and work. In particular there are a number of handbooks which give an overview of subject basics, design guides, construction and application details.

One example of such a handbook is that by Jacob Fraden’s “Handbook of Modern Sensors: Physics, Designs, and Applications” .The third edition published in 2004 is available in the IET Virtual Library’s Knovel e-books collection There are 600 pages of material in total. Chapters on sensor characteristics, physical principles of sensing, optical components of sensors and interface electronic circuits, are followed by twelve chapters on sensors for specific measurement quantities. A final chapter on sensor materials and technologies covers surface processing and nanotechnology. The 25 appendices provide lots of data on materials and devices. Each chapter has a list of references.

A full up-to-date overview of measurement science and technology has recently been written by IET Vice President and Trustee Barry Jones, Emeritus Professor of Manufacturing Metrology, Brunel University, The three articles appear in the May 2013 issue of the journal Measurement and Control available in the IET Library.

Members and non-members can now join the new IET International Measurement Community on the MyCommunity platform. This contains a list of the 40 e-books on Measurement.

Calling all student members......

Cathy Firebrace — 2013-02-18T16:17:28 00

With the pressure on to write effective projects and prepare for dissertations, where do you go for help? ……

The IET library of course! Here are some examples of the resources open to you:

The IET virtual library – is just a click away. Log on to the IET website and you gain immediate access to a host of electronic resources. There are full text electronic books through Knovel, Wiley and the Engineering and IT Reference Library (hosted by books 24x7) which include handbooks and very up to date publications which are useful for your studies. For articles, reports and company data look at the seven EbscoHost databases which have each been selected for their suitability to electrical and electronic topics as well as a huge business database. Much of what is available is full text. You can do all sorts of in-depth searches and you can even adjust the interface to suit you. If you are exploring the employment field you might want to try checking out the datamonitor company profiles on EbscoHost – just click on “more” in the blue bar at the top. Another virtual library resources is Faulkner databases which provides expert reports and tutuorials on industry developments and technologies.

The IET library has literally thousands of books to borrow. Search the library catalogue to find out what’s available on your topic and then make use of the free postage to have the books sent to you by courier.

The Library reading room is at the IET in London so if this is convenient , you can have a browse on the shelves for books as well as accessing thousands of print journals. We also have the IEEE Xplore database and some British Standards online in the reading room – with these you can search full text IEEE and IET articles and standards. If you like we can also give you a demonstration of the Virtual Library (by appointment).

If you would also like to make use of the Library’s research service please email libdesk@theiet.org . We can often point you in the right direction for your studies but please no essay titles – be specific! The service is often free for small pieces of information but charges may apply depending on what we can offer.

For further details please contact the IET Library on libdesk@theiet.org T: +44 (0)20 7344 5461

Graphene

Cathy Firebrace — 2013-02-01T15:33:10 00

Graphene is supposedly the world’s thinnest, strongest (stronger than diamonds) and most conductive material (even more so than copper). It could herald exciting new developments for numerous technologies for example smart phones. Its potential seems to have no bounds – so much so that the Chancellor, George Osborne, has just allocated £50m to graphene research.

To find out more about graphene take a look at some of the e-books on Knovel brought to you from the IET library’s virtual library: Properties of Amorphous Carbon edited by S. Silva and P. Ravi © 2003; Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology by Bharat Bhushan © 2004; Coaxial Electrical Circuits for Interference-Free Measurements by Awan Shakil, Bryan Kibble and Jürgen Schurr © 2011.

Also see articles from EbscoHost databases – also from the virtual library:

A graphene-based broadband optical modulator by: Ming Liu; Xiaobo

Yin; Ulin-Avila, Erick; Baisong Geng; Zentgraf, Thomas; Long Ju;

Applications of nanotechnologies in communications by: Krishnaswamy, Dilip; Helmy, Amr and Wentzloff, David;

Graphene and Carbon Nanotube Applications in Mobile Devices by

Voutilainen, Martti; Seppala, Eira T.; Pasanen, Pirjo; Oksanen,

Markku;

Mobile Computing A New Turn-on for VC Eyes by Amit Sudarshan; and

New flat lighting panels fabricated from graphene by Andrew Turley.

For a more ‘newsy’ take find out what the media is saying about this most astonishing material by reading these recent articles:

From Electronics weekly http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/27/12/2012/55265/graphene-research-gets-21.5m.htm

From E & T magazine http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2012/jan/graphene-magnetic.cfm

and http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2012/oct/graphene-roadmap.cfm

From CNET http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57567045-94/nokia-begins-work-on-graphene-worlds-strongest-material/

And a different take from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21014297

Graphene is a “watch this space” item – if you are doing research on this topic or any other in our field please contact the IET library libdesk@theiet.org.

Happy birthday to the tube!

Cathy Firebrace — 2013-01-18T12:13:36 00

The London underground has turned 150 years old and there is no end to fascinating facts relating to its current state and history. Did you know that over two miles of the Central Line was converted into a fighter aircraft factory in WW2 and had its own railway system? This was an official secret until the 1980s? After reading these snippets, you will probably look upon your tube journey with renewed interest.

What have the engineers got to say about our current tube? See articles from the E & T magazine: Wifi on the tube and another air conditioning on the tube.

And what has the IET library got for you to borrow on this topic? Take a look at

Making headway on the underground, 2007 IRSE seminar and The subterranean railway: how the London Underground was built and how it changed the city forever by C Wolmar

From the IET Library’s online resource EbscoHost read these full text articles:

Geology and the London Underground by Paul, Jonathan D. Geology

Hazmat/CBRN Incident: London's King's Cross Underground Station by Scott Ritter

A quiet success published in the Pandrol supplement of the Railway Gazette

Remaking the roundel by: Angus Montgomery

Steam trains on the Underground in Logistics & Transport Focus

Watch this space for a future blog on what the IET Archives have in their collection on the history of the London Underground. Here is a picture from the archives to wet your appetite. There is currently an archive display on this topic next to the lecture theatre at the IET’s Savoy Place HQ. It is an uncanny coincidence that the architect (Charles Holden) who was a partner in the firm who re-designed the interior of Savoy Place when the IEE moved in in 1909, also became one of the major architects used by London Underground and designed many of its tube stations in the 1920s and 30s. Take a look at the display next time you are passing Savoy Place.

If you would like the library’s information staff to carry out small pieces of research on IET related topics please get in touch: http://www.theiet.org/resources/library/services/research/index.cfm

Shale gas

Cathy Firebrace — 2013-01-09T11:09:27 00

So, what’s all this rumpus about shale gas? Well it’s highly topical at the moment – see the guardian’s recent top story. It’s all about natural gas trapped in shale formations with a method known as fracking to enable extraction. It’s controversial for all sorts of interesting reasons but congruently a potential major source of alternative energy. Big in the States and Canada but also being tested out in the UK.

If you want to read more about this new technology, try the IET Virtual Library resource. Knovel has two Engineering Cases:

And take a look at these articles and many more on EbscoHost databases

Benefits of Shale Gas Outweigh Risks; 8 In 10 Americans Connect

Natural Gas with Jobs. March 2012 in the Pipeline & Gas Journal

Impact of Shale Gas Development on Global Gas Markets.

By Medlock III, Kenneth B. Natural Gas & Electricity. April 2011

Is Shale Gas Shallow or the Real Deal? By Maize, Kennedy in Power.

December 2012

Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale

formations. By Howarth, Robert W.; Santoro, Renee; Ingraffea,

Anthony. Climatic Change. 2011

Splitting rock vs. splitting atoms: What shale gas means for nuclear

power. By Levi, Michael. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. July 2012

The Shale Gas Extraction Process and Its Impacts on Water

Resources. By Reins, Leonie. Review of European Community &

International Environmental Law. 2011

In March the IET’s Clerk Maxwell lecture is on this topic so why not read up about it before you attend?

If you have a specific research enquiry please see http://www.theiet.org/resources/library/services/research/index.cfm and use the online form to send your request.

Happy searching in 2013!

SCADA

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-12-19T12:02:52 00

So what’s Scada all about? It stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and it plays a vital role in our everyday lives. It’s these computer systems which control huge industrial systems such as water treatment plants, power plants and transportation. In fact almost every critical system that we are dependent on – it’s all quiet behind the scenes stuff that we don’t realise exists and take for granted, but when this breaks down perhaps due to a breach in the security setups….. we will certainly know about it!

So you want to know more and read up about it? Take a look at what the IET Library has to offer.

What is there that you can look at anytime, anywhere?….. Try our electronic resource The Virtual Library. For example Knovel’s electronic book:

Cybersecurity for SCADA Systems by William T Shaw published by PennWell published in 2006. This provides a detailed overview and readers will understand the vital issues, and learn strategies for decreasing or eliminating system vulnerabilities.

And another resource within the Virtual Library is The Engineering and IT Reference Library which has over 440 electronic books. Such as Ronald L Krutz’s Securing SCADA Systems published by John Wiley & Sons in 2006 and looks at how security can be applied to ensure the safety of the nation’s infrastructure.

EbscoHost databases have some great articles on the topic:

A log mining approach for process monitoring in SCADA (2012)

Secure SCADA framework for the protection of energy control systems (2011)

Developing a Multi-Layer Strategy for Securing Control Systems of

Oil Refineries (2012)

iDSRT: Integrated Dynamic Soft Real-time Architecture for Critical

Infrastructure Data Delivery over WLAN (2011)

And finally what books has the IET library got for you to borrow on this topic?

Alarm management: a comprehensive guide by B.R. Hollfield of Research Triangle Park, NC: International Society of Automation (2011)

Cybersecurity for industrial control systems: SCADA, DCS, PLC, HMI and SIS by T. Macaulay (2012)

Industrial network security: Securing Critical Infrastructure Networks for Smart Grid, SCADA, and Other Industrial Control Systems by E.D Knapp (2011)

You may also want to consider this conference on SCADA – taking place in February 2012: http://conferences.theiet.org/cyber-ics/about/index.cfm

Enjoy learning about SCADA.

Offshore wind technology

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-12-06T16:21:31 00

Offshore wind technology is a hot and much talked about topic, but what is it all about and what sort of progress are we making with this alternative source of energy? The IET library has lots of useful publications to borrow which will take you through the complexities. For example:

P.Tavner’s Offshore wind turbines: reliability, availability and maintenance. Published by the IET( 2012)

E. Thomsen’s Offshore wind: a comprehensive guide to successful offshore wind farm installation (2011)

C. Gillis’s Offshore windpower. (2011)

P.A. Lynn’s Onshore and offshore wind energy: an introduction. (2012)

T. Burton’s Wind energy handbook

The library also holds this interesting report: European supergrid: seventh report of session 2010-12, volume 1: report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence, HC Paper 1040. 2011 but if you prefer you can read it online……

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenergy/1040/1040.pdf

For electronic books please take a look at this one published by the IET and available on Knovel: Wind Power Integration - Connection and System Operational Aspects - The rapid growth of wind power and the implications of this on future power system planning, operation and control, has become an even greater challenge in today's liberated electricity market conditions. This essential book examines the main problems of wind power integration and guides the reader through a number of the most recent solutions based on current research and operational experience of wind power integration.

Something for everyone at the IET library on this fast evolving subject! To see the full range of free to members electronic resources use the IET’s virtual library

Unexpected tangents in the IET Archives

Sarah Hale — 2012-11-27T15:23:22 00

The IET Archives contain a number of personal archive collections of significant engineers and Presidents of the Institution. These papers naturally contain relevant technical information but researchers can often be surprised to discover unexpected references to areas not normally associated with engineering.

One such example is the collection of Professor John Flavell Coales, President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) from 1971 to 1972, whose papers are held in the manuscript special collections (Ref. SC MSS 168).

John Coales was Professor of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and the fourth President of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), with which he was closely associated. His collection therefore contains papers and correspondence relating to control and automation, as well as material on the subject of engineering education and training, a subject dear to his heart. However, it came as a surprise to discover some miscellaneous files within this collection containing correspondence from the 1980s with the high profile media figure Robert Maxwell, and his wife Elizabeth.

The link between Maxwell and Coales is Pergamon Press, the scientific publisher founded by Maxwell, and which had a publishing agreement with IFAC which was negotiated by Coales. The friendly relationship that can be seen between Coales and Maxwell in these letters is a reminder of the unexpected historical references that are often unearthed in archival holdings.

To find out more about Coales, who left Government Service in 1946 to found the research laboratories of Elliot Brothers, an important contributor in the areas of military radar and the emerging field of digital computers and industrial instrumentation in post-war Britain, researchers can consult the J F Coales collection.

Long term evolution (LTE)

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-11-22T16:33:28 00

Nothing to do with what we, humans, will become in future centuries as that is still a mystery unfolding. However, there are similarities as LTE is the term given to the next generation technology for mobile communications. LTE has new features many of which do not exist yet but may do in the future.

4G (fourth generation) is the most recent new telecoms standard in the UK, currently only provided by EE (Everything Everywhere). 4G has some of the new features of LTE. An example is the ability to handle greater data throughput providing the cells are available and not congested. This is a good step forward but remember – the M25 is a pretty good road – providing not too many us it at the same time! It is said that LTE can handle downloads at 300 Megabits per second – only time will tell how data download rates will work out in practice.

We have lots of books to borrow in the IET library on this exciting new development, such as:

Cox’s An introduction to LTE: LTE, LTE-advanced, SAE and 4G mobile communications. (2012)

Agtilent’s LTE and the evolution to 4G wireless: design and measurement challenges. (2012)

Holma’s LTE-Advanced 3GPP solution for IMT-Advanced. (2012)

And from the IET’s virtual library, highly acclaimed EbscoHost databases, check out these articles:

‘LTE: What happened and what's next. (cover story)’

‘Downlink Resource Allocation in Long Term Evolution (LTE)’

‘Performance Comparison of LTE Transmission Modes in High Speed Channels using Soft Sphere Decoder’

Or try Borko Furht and Syed A. Ahson’s electronic book in the Engineering and IT Reference Library : Long Term Evolution: 3GPP LTE Radio and Cellular Technology

Buses, bankers & the beer of revenge

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-11-08T15:43:35 00

There is a new, exciting IET publication hot off the press: Justin Pollard’s Buses, bankers & the beer of revenge. It’s available for loan in the IET Library and you can buy a copy from the Library reading room too! Perfect for that elusive Christmas present? Or just fun and informative to read for yourself.

Justin has been writing the “The Eccentric Engineer” column in E & T magazine since 2007 and this book gathers stories from there to highlight the best of unusual engineering tales. Also included are decidedly off the wall ideas such as aircraft carriers made of ice and cars made of beans. Stories and anecdotes abound such as the story about an exploding toilet in a U-boat which resulted in an order for an emergency resurfacing, prompting a bombing run, which resulted in a life raft evacuation, a crew interned for the rest of the war and one sunk U-boat.

Why is it called Buses, bankers and the beer of revenge? You’ll have to read it to find out…. view a copy in the IET library

38 year history is now at an end. What's all this about?..... Ceefax has done its final broadcast.

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-10-25T17:10:26 00

Many of us tuned in and valued the scrolling pages of Ceefax rolling onto our TV screens with up to the minute news and regional facts.

It all began in 1974 when it was first broadcast by the BBC. Its’ name is derived from the phonetic “see facts”. With the digital switchover completed 23:32:19 BST on 23 October 2012 in Northern Ireland the interactive service finally breathed its last analogue “breath” or should we say “dots”. Its digital replacement is the “Red Button” – easier to use and with ability to show images as well as text and quite a different animal.

Many a breaking news story was first put out on Ceefax – sometimes erroneously – see 10 facts that you are unlikely to know about Ceefax

Surprisingly, little is published about the much respected Ceefax but here are some articles which can be viewed on EbscoHost databases:

BBC News Lands on French Teletel Videotex Network

BBCi adopts page numbers for interactive TV to aid navigation

ETV in print

Auntie is a dab hand with the Web

Teletext and Viewdata Services In British Public Libraries

Televisions hidden resource

And here are some items to view in the IET library:

Broadcast and wired teletext systems - CEEFAX, ORACLE, VIEWDATA (IEE colloquium published in 1976)

CEEFAX (A series of information sheets 1975)

Let’s enjoy the good memories of ceefax!

Masdar City

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-10-17T16:13:49 00

Read recently about this fascinating initiative. Masdar city is not a car spelt incorrectly but a circa. 2.7 square mile city built in the desert outside Abu Dhabi which aims to be totally green. The very first of its kind.

Masdar has zero carbon, powered by solar panels and other renewable energy sources. Electric cars – even battery powered driverless vehicles are planned to run through underground tunnels.The businesses chosen to inhabit the city are selected for their greenness.There is purported to be an LED tower which changes colour when the city is using too much power.

Around 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters moved in to Masdar a couple of years ago – OK, they have made a few concessions – they use surface level electric cars, not yet the driverless ones but the green concept and city is still there! Perhaps it is heralding a future that other cities can replicate in some way, however small?

The IET Library’s subscription to Ebsco databases has a few articles on this city – log on if you are an IET member to gain immediate access.

The IET magazine – Renewable Energy Generation is available through the IET digital library or in person at the IET library reading room.

Did you know that Ada Lovelace day was 16 October 2012?

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-10-02T16:46:18 00

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852), more often known now as Ada Lovelace was a mathematician, involved in pioneering work on the analytical engine with fellow scientist, Charles Babbage. She is sometimes known as the world’s first computer programmer! Coincidentally, she was also the only legitimate daughter of Lord Byron, the poet.

On 16^th October there will be an entertaining Ada Lovelace day event (ticketed) held at the IET Savoy Place. The IET library has books on both Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage. Why not, pop in and take a look sometime. Search our library catalogue to check what we have.

The IET Archives has original (and quite eccentric) correspondence from Ada Lovelace to Michael Faraday, for whom she had much admiration. The IET Savoy Place houses a portrait of a portrait of Ada – so we have a lot of “Ada connections”!

Enjoy Ada Lovelace day and support the hundreds of women in science and technology both in the past and today.

The IET's virtual library and smart card technology Read all about it...

Cathy Firebrace — 2012-09-27T14:32:19 00

Do you want to find out what's behind all this smart card this and smart card that? The IET's virtual library is the place for you. With your much prized IET membership you are one step away from accessing some quality stuff.

Take Wiley's book: Smart Card Handbook by Wolfgang Rankl, Wolfgang Effing; this book has new international standards and specifications - this 4th edition includes smart cards for passports and ID cards, health care cards, smart cards for public transport, and Java Card 3.0. New sub-chapters cover near field communication (NFC), single wire protocol (SWP) and multi megabyte smart cards (microcontroller with NAND-Flash).

And then there's Knovel which has a great book on Smart Cards, Tokens, Security and Applications by Mayes, Keith E, Markantonakis, Konstantinos; this book combines a cross-discipline overview of smart cards, tokens and related security and applications, plus a technical reference to support further research and study. A step-by-step approach educates the reader in card types, production, operating systems, commercial applications, new technologies, security design, attacks, application development, deployment, and lifecycle management.

Do you prefer to borrow a printed book from the IET library? Not virtual at all! Try The engineering handbook of smart technology for aging, disability, and independence by A Helalor or RFID and contactless smart card applications by D Paret.

Perhaps you want to see some articles and reports on smart stuff? Here's what you could be reading:Haptic feedback control of a smart wheelchair orPersonalized Services over the iTV Platform through Non-conditional Smart Card Technology. Where do you find these? On EbscoHost databases... A few more? Health Care Implementation by Means of Smart Cards. Or........ Acceptability of Multipurpose Smart National Identity Card: An Empirical Study.

There's heaps of stuff here for you. If you have any questions please email the Library at libdesk@theiet.org or call 020 7344 5461.

Jump the first hurdle

Hazel Jones — 2012-08-08T14:45:49 00

The moment has arrived and the London Olympics 2012 have finally begun but have you thought of any hurdles that you need to jump to get that vital edge over your competitors?

Get ahead with your research by accessing thousands of electronic books and full text articles on engineering and technology topics, as well as business and company data through IET virtual library.

As our thoughts are on the games here’s what’s available right now – full text and bang up to date, on the London Olympics using the IET virtual library’s Ebsco databases

London 1948: the sites and after-lives of the austerity Olympics by Penrose, Sefryn. World Archaeology, June 2012

London Olympics to Spark Explosion in Mobile Data Traffic by PR Newswire. PR Newswire Europe, 16/5/2012

Telecompaper UK: UK - Samsung Galaxy S III to be Olympic Games Phone Telecompaper UK, 2012

Skills Olympics must leave legacy by Brook, Ian. Works Management, Oct 2011

Samsung Launches U.S. Olympic Genome Project, an Innovative Social Media Platform that Connects Fans with Team USA Athletes by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Business Wire (English), 04/10/2012

Samsung and Visa Showcase Mobile Payments at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by Visa. Business Wire (English), 09/05/2012

SES: Sky, Freesat from Sky and Freesat to Broadcast 48 Dedicated BBC Channels Created for the London 2012 Olympics by SES. Business Wire 04/04/2012

BT to back 'London Live’ Olympic entertainment by Chapman, Matt. Marketing 8/2/2012

Do you prefer to hold a ‘real’ book in your hands? Use the sumptuous Library at the IET’s Savoy Place to view or borrow thousands of up to the minute books and reports. Here’s what’s there on the London Olympics…

Reliability, survivability and quality of large scale telecommunication systems, case study: Olympic Games.
By P. Stavroulakis
Published by Wiley, UK

Delivering London 2012: ICT enabling the games.
Published by the IET, UK

If you have research that you would like the information professionals at the IET to look into on your behalf please contact the research service

Don’t waste time - get ahead of the game!

Written by Cathy Firebrace

IET London:Savoy Place - Olympic host venue, 12th July - 19th August

Hazel Jones — 2012-07-10T22:22:12 00

Planning on visiting the Library and Archives at IET London: Savoy Place during the Olympics? If so, then there will be a few changes that you need to be aware of in preparation for your visit. We have an exciting opportunity of being a host venue for a National Olympic Committee (NOC) during the actual Olympic period (30th July- 10th August 2012). If it goes ahead then most of the building will be unavailable to staff, members and visitors. The building will start to prepare for this event from Thursday 12 July 2012 and will end on the 19th August 2012.

The Library on the first floor will still be open to members during this time but will be operating a reduced service between the core hours of 10am to 4pm to allow for staff travelling to and from London during the games period. As most of the building access is restricted whilst the NOC are occupying the building, we ask that if you are still preparing to come in during this period that you contact the library or archives at least 24 hours before your visit. If you require any items fetched from our store rooms they will be retrieved every morning in preparation for your visit.

Your visit will require you to access the building via the Savoy Street side door and not the main entrance. Reception staff will be there to give you a warm friendly greeting into the building. Please be aware that security checks will be in force, so it will be advisable to bring with you your IET membership card or any other form of ID. A member of library staff will come down to escort you up to the library area.

The Library will be operating a quiet tabled area to the left of the main enquiry desk and to the right, a comfy seating area to hold discussions with your friends and colleagues. There will be coffee/tea making machine, so you can still get your caffeine fix whilst the Kelvin and Appleton Rooms are closed. Please note, that this is a self-service machine.

The Library and Archives aims to run as full a service as possible during this time and we hope that your visit to the Library and Archives at IET London: Savoy Place is enjoyable. Please contact the Library and Archives for further information or check out the Unique opportunity for IET London: Savoy Place web page.
To plan ahead for your travel during the Olympics, please visit the Get Ahead of the Games website.

Recent UCL student placement

Hazel Jones — 2012-06-19T14:36:57 00

IET Archives hosts UCL student placement to develop skills in archival management.

In May 2012 a student on the Master's course at University College London completed a two week placement at the IET Archives. The aim was to further the students' cataloguing skills and experience within an archive repository. The IET Archives was fortunate enough to employ the skills of Paula Togher who took on the challenge of listing, sorting and cataloguing the personal papers of Frederick Skelland on to Adlib, our archival cataloguing software, and to make the catalogue description available online for future researchers.

Frederick Skelland was an electrical engineer and the papers had been donated to the archive in 2011 by a member of his family. The papers include details of his education and employment - in 1928, Skelland moved to England from India to further his career as an electrical engineer. He enrolled with The Technological Institute of Great Britain (a correspondence college) and undertook courses to prepare for the exam to become an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. The records themselves show the education system that Skelland went through in an attempt to secure membership to the Institution and how important it was to gain the required skills in electrical engineering. Skelland eventually settled on the Isle of Wight where he worked as an Installation Inspector with an electricity board and with a boat-builders' firm during World War II. He was killed in a motorcycle accident in Ryde at the age of 50, and was greatly missed by his family.

In addition to the cataloguing project Paula was given a tour of the archive strongrooms and Savoy Place. Highlights of the collections included seeing Michael Faraday's original notebooks and tea towels produced by the Electrical Association for Women informing women on the electrical consumption of their kitchen appliances. Paula successfully completed this project and reported back that she found her time at the IET Archives interesting and rewarding. She has furthered her knowledge of cataloguing practices and has observed how the IET Archives operates and the variety of services it offers.

From all of us at the IET Archives we would like to thank Paula for her help in this project and for making this collection available to researchers.

Written by Asha Gage, IET Archivist

Electric vehicle resources available in the library

Hazel Jones — 2012-05-29T14:25:18 00

Our technical and business Information Officer at the IET would like to draw your attention to the services the IET Library has to offer which will assist with your transport projects.

Let’s focus on “Electric Vehicles”, the IET Virtual Library has a wealth of resources. In the E book collection, Knovel alone has titles such as:

Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Vehicles

Author: Miller, John M.

Institution of Engineering and Technology

Battery Operated Devices and Systems - From Portable Electronics to Industrial Products

Author: Pistoia, G.

Elsevier

Electric Vehicle Technology Explained

Author: Larminie, James; Lowry, John

John Wiley & Sons

See also thousands of full text articles from EBSCO databases:

Internal combustion engine control for series hybrid electric vehicles by parallel and distributed genetic programming/multiobjective genetic algorithms

International Journal of Systems Science; 2011, Vol. 42 Issue 2, p249-261

Electric Vehicle Noise: Are They Too Quiet?

Professional Safety; 2011, Vol. 56 Issue 1, p34-38

Application of ECQFD for enabling environmentally conscious design and sustainable development in an electric vehicle.

Clean Technologies & Environmental Policy;2011, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p381-396

Applying the Environmental Propensity Framework: A Segmented Approach to Hybrid Electric Vehicle Marketing Strategies.

Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice; 2010, Vol. 18 Issue 4, p377-393

The Value of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles as Grid Resources.

Energy Journal; 2010, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p1-23

For more information and help with specific research projects please email cfirebrace@theiet.org or searchservice@theiet.org

tel: T: +44 (0)20 7344 8429

Written by Cathy Firebrace, Information Officer.

Don't forget to use your library!

Hazel Jones — 2012-05-23T16:16:12 00

Dawn White, Senior Library Assistant at the IET Library, explores the essentials services on offer to all our customers...

Unknown to most IET members, we have a very traditional, but modern library at their disposal in our IET London: Savoy Place building with free WiFi access and internet terminals available. It is open for members to borrow books and for research purposes. Members of the public can also use our facilities for reference/research purposes. For those who do not qualify or do not wish to become a member of the Institution, the library offers a Library Only Membership. This allows non-members to have access to borrowing books and electronic resources via the Virtual Library.

Our print stock contains journals and conferences from the IEEE dating back to the 1950’s and more current items can be located online via the IEEExplore database, which is accessible from the library only. It’s also worth noting that we hold more IEEE stock than the IEEE themselves actually hold! Relevant BSI standards are also available in the library via the BSI standards online database, with older print copies available to view at request. With over 70,000 print books for you to choose from, there is something for everyone. Yes, most of our books are at student level or above, but we do have some really good biographies like Michael Faraday’s letters and our history section is a must read, even for us laymen.

The IET Library also gives members access to electronic resources, e-books and e-journals from EBSCO, Wiley, Keynote, Knovel and Faulkners, via the Virtual Library. All you have to do is log into the IET homepage using your username and password then follow this link. Of course if you do not find what you want or need then we can offer you further assistance. All you have to do is contact our Research Service and we will try and help. In some cases there may be a small charge, just ask and we can provide you with a quote.

So don't hesitate, either come and pay us a visit in person or look at our comprehensive online catalogue on the IET library website to open up a world of interesting electronic and print books and journals.

Written by Dawn White, Senior Library Assistant

Items found in library books

Hazel Jones — 2012-05-14T14:47:11 00

As a long term member of staff, I have now been working in the IET/IEE Library for over 21 years and in that time we have had numerous items either left in books on return or items used as books marks. Most of the items we find we try and locate the owner and reunite them with the items they have misplaced.

The funniest item was a 1960’s seaside tongue in cheek postcard, with a naughty lady in her swim suit and a man licking an ice cream, with a bubble balloon message. I shall leave the rest to your imagination; this was obviously used as a book mark. After we had passed it around the office, it went in the recycle bin as no member of staff would own up to wanting it!

About 10 years ago we found a pretty handmade cross stitch bookmark from mother to daughter, it was really beautiful with a poignant message, “To Kathy with love mummy. You are always with me wherever you go” we tried to find the owner of this, but were unsuccessful.

Bank statements, credit card receipts, bills to be paid have all found the original owners and no longer clutter up inside our books.

As an in-house project we have been cataloguing our pre-1980’s books kept in our Basement area. In one of the books we found a 1940’s Bus ticket, from Putney Bridge to Cheam costing 3d, it was in perfect condition and had been punched by the ticket inspector. We were able to locate a collector on the Internet of bus tickets and we sent this to him for his collection. If you would like to view some of his collection, see his Vintage Bus Tickets website

Of course if you would like to borrow any of our books and/or not leave us a surprise inside on its return, please follow this link to our online library catalogue, it will open a world of knowledge for you.

Written by: Dawn White, Senior Library Assistant, IET Library.

Time Team v The X-Files

Hazel Jones — 2012-05-04T10:50:53 00

Eric Everatt, MIET, has been volunteering for the IET Archives since 2009. For the past 6 months he has been cataloguing the collection of Evershed & Vignoles (E&V), an electrical testing equipment manufacturer, and unveiling some mysterious records, as he writes below…

‘The year is 1216. The place is the Wash estuary in Lincolnshire. The lost treasure belongs to King John who was engaged in a running fight with the Barons. King John was heading North with his army and baggage train and was assembled in Kings Lynn. The baggage train with the treasure made their way separately across the Wash probably via a Causeway. However, they were overtaken by the tide and the baggage train and everyone with it were lost. Prior to this disaster King John was in the habit of depositing his treasures with various monasteries and the Abbots received receipts for the articles handed over.

Fast forward to the year 1956. The Wash Research Committee, during the previous 50 years, had made an exhaustive study of all available evidence, historical and geographical, and decided that the evidence in favour of the disaster was very strong. At this point enter the firm of E&V who manufactured Earth Testers. E&V were tasked by the Wash Research Committee with trying to find the position of the Causeway across the Wash estuary. This was not as simple as it sounds because over the years the estuary had been gradually filled in as the Wash receded. In 1956 there was only arable land where the Causeway was thought to be. The research team put together by E&V was led by G. F. Tagg, BSc, PhD, MIEE, FInstP

The research team provided a summary of their work in which they wrote: ‘When carrying out tests in a particular field, parallel lines of electrodes were laid out, and measurements made at successive stations along the line, the trolley being pulled from one station to the next. For some of the time a tractor was employed to do the pulling, particularly on ploughed fields, a van was used at other times when working on grass fields and the trolley was pulled by man power in awkward situations such as orchard farms.

The various farmers were very co-operative and a total of about 200 traverses were run, requiring about 6000 instrument readings. As a result of this work, there is definite evidence of the existence of a formation below the surface which might quite well be the pathway in question. This evidence is now in the hands of the Wash Research Committee, and the exact location cannot yet be made public.’

So why ‘X-Files’ in the title? The E&V records only say so much, and provoke more questions than answers: Who sat on the ‘shadowy’ Wash Research Committee and was the treasure ever found? Was there a sudden move to remote tax havens? The records are silent however and so the mystery lives on.’

Written by Eric Everatt, MIET, Archives Volunteer

The IET Research service

Hazel Jones — 2012-04-30T15:26:08 00

Have you tried our research service yet?

The service is there to help you with your business and technical queries. We are a small team of information professionals who can dig around for the right material for your work or student project or just a snippet of knowledge.

What do we get asked about? Which standards are applicable, the latest papers on a particular technology, what a specific technology is used for, statistics on engineering topics, which companies sell a product. The list is endless and every day presents us with a different challenge.

At our disposal we have access to online databases, a huge resource of technical handbooks, an online electronic library, specialist websites and sometimes experts who can advise further. Let us take the pain out of your research while you get on and do your job.

If it’s a quick and simple question we don’t charge. If it involves more time or research or an online database charges may apply. It is open to everyone but IET members receive an enhanced service and half price fees. Student members warrant a further discount.

Get in touch and give it a whirl……email searchservice@theiet.org or phone +44 (0)20 7344 8429. Further information can be located on the Research Service website.

Written by Cathy Firebrace, Information Officer, IET Library.

Alan Turing papers finally released.

Hazel Jones — 2012-04-24T14:42:13 00

Alan Turing enthusiasts will be pleased to read in the news recently that two 70 year old papers written by the mathematical genius whilst he was working at Bletchley Park, are now available to be viewed at the National Archives at Kew.

Both papers talk about mathematical approaches to code breaking and are titled: “The Applications of Probability to Crypt” and “Paper on the Statistics of Repetitions”.

They had previously been restricted by GCHQ, who have now completed all projects involving these papers and have released them to the general public as part of celebrations being held this year on the centenary of Turing’s birth. Further information on this can be found on the GCGQ Press Release web page.

You can find an interesting and informative biography on Alan Turing on the Archives website, written by our experienced Archivists.

There is also information regarding the history of code breaking which covers Turing and the work he did whilst at Bletchley Park during WW2.

The IET also holds an annual Prestige Lecture in honour of Alan Turing and this year, because of his centenary, the IET got together with the BCS (British Computer Society) to celebrate his great work. A live webcast of the lecture which was held on the 21^st February 2012 is available to view on this page with additional references available for further reading.

Did you attend this lecture? Let us know how you felt the event went via this blog.

Further information on Alan Turing celebrations ongoing this year are available on the 2012 Alan Turing year website.

Written by Hazel Jones, Senior Librarian, IET Library.

The IET Library Document Supply and Reprographics service

Hazel Jones — 2012-04-20T16:11:09 00

If you are conducting research, whether it be for commercial, academic or personal purposes, and need quick access to journal articles or conference papers on engineering, technology and related subjects, the IET Library Document Supply Service can help.

For a small charge we can provide copies in pdf format (or via fax or post) from our unique collection of publications to users anywhere in the world. Our world-class collection ranges from the most up-to-date publications on developments in modern technologies, through to publications of historic interest added to our stock since the foundation of our organisation 140 years ago.

Although you do not have to be an IET member to access the service, members do receive a substantial discount. Please view our website for full details of this service and the related charges. If you have any questions, or wish to request a copy of an article or publication, please email libdesk@theiet.org or call 020 7344 5449.

Written by Ted Kemp, Library Assistant, Document Supply.

Sir Arthur C Clarke

Hazel Jones — 2012-03-19T16:09:15 00

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, died 4 years ago today on the 19th March 2008.

As well as being a successful British Science Fiction writer, most famous for his novel “2001: A Space Odyssey” he was also a former IEE employee between the years of 1949 to 1950.

Read all about his time working for the IEE in our Archive biography on Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

Written by Hazel Jones, Senior Librarian, IET Library

Michael Faraday and World Book Day

Hazel Jones — 2012-03-01T14:48:26 00

Happy World Book Day!

Today is a day to celebrate all things book-related so today we relate a tale that illustrates the power of books to change your life.

Michael Faraday is today known as one of the most influential scientists in history, but growing up he received no formal schooling and at the age of fourteen he became apprenticed to a local book-binder, George Riebau. During his seven year apprenticeship Faraday learnt all the skills necessary to become a professional book-binder, but he was also given the opportunity to read through some of the books he was working on. With the permission of Riebau, he would copy and make notes from the books that caught his imagination, such as Isaac Watts’ The Improvemente of the Mind (a work that would itself inspire Faraday to create the commonplace notebooks that are now held at the IET Archives).

He also developed a keen interest in science and electricity, and so his kindly employer allowed him to attend lectures given by Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution. After impressing Davy by sending him his notes on the lectures, Faraday was offered a job as Davy’s secretary and chemical assistant, and so began a long and fruitful relationship with the Royal Institution. Faraday had left behind his book-binding days but he recognised how important they had been to his scientific career, and so he later dedicated a book to his previous employer George Riebau.

Whilst we are discussing Faraday, a quick mention also that the IET Library now has for loan and for sale the 6th volume of The Correspondence of Michael Faraday, volume 6, 1861-1867, written by Frank James. Why not immerse yourself in this fascinating book, whilst also celebrating World Book Day.

Contact the library and archives for further information.

Hello from the Archives!

Hazel Jones — 2012-02-21T15:12:05 00

This is the first official post from the Archives on the shiny new Library and Archives blog and so we thought we would take the opportunity to introduce ourselves.

The IET Archives department is based at Savoy Place in London and are Anne, Asha and Sarah. We are all professionally trained archivists with a love of history and things from the past, and our job is to care for the historical record collections that are contained in the IET Archives.

The Archives contain records that date back to the 1300s , but the majority of our collections are from the 19th and 20th centuries. These contain information about a wide variety of people and subjects related to the history of the IET and the electrical engineering industry, including the history of the development of electrical telegraphy, the rise of electrical supply, and the role of women engineers.

An average day in the life of an IET archivist can vary hugely, but our main duties include answering enquiries, assisting researchers and that perennial archival activity, cataloguing! We also provide tours of the Library and Archives and the historic Savoy Place, create displays of archival material, and organise outreach activities such as family history events.

We also have a responsibility to look after the historic artefacts that are dotted around the building, such as portraits and busts of IET past-Presidents and other notable engineers, and we also sometimes get called upon to help with other, rather obscure, requests, such as providing information about Savoy Place’s resident ghost!

We will be using this blog to write about our varied activities and to let our followers know about the discoveries we sometimes make within the Archives, so please watch this space! If you would like to learn more about the Archives and the collections, please get in touch: archives@theiet.org

Written by Sarah Hale, Archives Assistant, IET Library

IET Archives - Valentines Day - Fascinating Fact

Hazel Jones — 2012-02-14T13:17:49 00

In keeping with the romantic mood of this month, did you know that the IET Archive has love letters stashed away in its collections? Correspondence written between a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and his wife reveal that engineers do have a romantic side.

On the morning of their wedding day he wrote:

"I may not, because it is so decreed, see you until 12.30 today, so I write to you on this the morning of our day to send you, in advance, all my love, my thoughts, my everything."

True to his mathematical background, however, this engineer signed off all his letters to his wife with kisses to the power of infinity.

Written by Sarah Hale, Archives Assistant, IET Library

Looking for information on past members?

Hazel Jones — 2012-02-13T12:22:00 00

Are you interested in someone who used to be a member of the IET? Maybe you’ve been doing some family history research and found an MIEE in your family tree. We can help you find further information.

What do you have?We have records of past members of the IET and its constituent bodies, including:
The IEE (Institution of Electrical Engineers)
The IERE (Institution of Radio Engineers)
The IProdE and IMfgE (Institution of Production Engineers, later the Institution of Manufacturing Engineers)
We also have a small amount of information on past members of the IIE (Institution of Incorported Engineers) and other institutions which merged with it (see IIE History for further details). Some information on members of the Women’s Engineering Society can also be found in the WES collections.

What don’t you have?
We look after the records from 1871 to around 1997: modern records are held by the IET’s Membership Department. We do not have any original membership forms after 1901, but we do have lists. We do not have copies of certificates either: if you want a copy of a certificate you will need to contact City and Guilds.

What other useful information do you have?
If you are interested in how someone became a member, we have records relating to the changing membership requirements of the IET and the examinations held for Associate and Graduate Members. We also have obituaries of past Members: an index can be found on the Archives website, along with indexes to obituaries of IEE members who died in the First World War. We may also have records relating to the person you are researching in our Archive collections, especially if they were prominent in their field and/or a past President or Honorary Fellow. Try searching the Archives catalogue for more details.

What next?
Look at the information on members on the Archives website. If you have any questions, or would like to order copies of something you have found, please contact us

Written by Sarah Hale, Archives Assistant, IET Library

Case file solved: the mystery of the missing books

Hazel Jones — 2012-02-09T15:33:13 00

The second hand bookshop Skoob based in London, recently had delivered a house clearance. In amongst the numerous crates, 33 IEE/IET Library books were found, these books were purloined illegally, but were returned without charge by the kind people at Skoob,

Out of the 33 books returned, 5 had been replaced as they were very popular 7 were no longer in print so we were unable to replace and the majority of the rest were marked as missing which meant a member had wanted to borrow them but couldn't..

So if in your travels you come across any of our books either on second-hand books shelves or at car boot sales they may still be part of the Institutions property.

Written by Dawn White, Senior Library Assistant, IET Library

National Libraries Day (NLD) - Saturday 4th February 2012

Hazel Jones — 2012-02-03T12:47:25 00

We couldn't have picked a more appropriate time to start up a shiny new blog site for our library users! Saturday 4th February 2012 is National Libraries Day (NLD), set up by the The Collections Trust, The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) http://www.cilip.org.uk and other library related societies and institutions.

NLD celebrates everything library-related, whether it is a public, commercial, specialist, or school one. After all, where would we be without the knowledgeable, friendly librarians who inhabit the enquiry desk assisting us? For hours they trawl through websites and library catalogues to locate that one important book or piece of information needed for your latest project or report. This day is for them and the work that they do to promote learning and the many services they provide to you the user.

So why not go to your local public library this Saturday and experience the many varied and unusual events they have planned for you to have fun with. If you have kids, then let them share in all the "funtastic" events on offer. For instance, Liphook Library in Hampshire , is offering a free family drop-in activity morning, where you can make a "Where's Wally" hat, find the Wallies around the library, colouring, word searches and a children's quiz. How cool is that! The kids might even enjoy it also!

Check out the National Libraries Day website for further information and to find out what your library has planned for you and your family. It's all about embracing your library and supporting the work they do for the community. Go on...hug a librarian this weekend and share the love!

Follow National Libraries day on Twitter @NatLibrariesday.
Do you have a favourite book you would like to share with us, or a general comment about libraries and how they have played a part in your life? Let us know here by submitting a comment.

Written by Hazel Jones, Senior Librarian, IET Library