My favourite things

Marshall Library crew a AM's grave, 2015

Fear not, this is not a Sound of Music-inspired farewell song or poem. However, as I’m trying to tie up loose ends, and tidy up my to-do list, inbox and desk, I’m just looking back a bit – before the end of my last full day at work at the Marshall (30 September 2015), after 1 year, 9 months, and 28 days (or 667 days and 8 hours if you prefer; I used a nifty online tool to “calculate” this!).

One of my favourite things – also pretty unusual – was the annual visit and tending to Alfred Marshall’s grave; my colleague, Simon Frost, informed me that this had already been a tradition: the Marshall Library staff going once a year to pay homage to the very gentleman without whom the library would not be what it is today. A minor detail was that the tradition had lapsed for about 21 (or more) years prior to the summer of 2014, but for Cambridge that’s a minor hiccup in a tradition usually measured in centuries. I have to admit though that a) it helps if you are a keen gardener, or b) like to have an outdoor picnic (which happens afterwards). This year’s event was made all the more memorable by being thoroughly drenched on the way back to the office/work, and that I will never forget this thought-provoking shower!

Page of Sponsorship Document

Another activity I had never done before but which turned out to be fun, was to develop – with strong input from Simon and the team – a document of sponsorship opportunities at the Marshall Library (our approach and final version also benefited hugely from the input of Laura Greenfield, a colleague at the UL). Even though none of the potential sponsors we approached at the annual Economics Careers Fair [link only works with a Raven user name and password, i.e. for current members of the University] were that keen, and none ended in sponsorship, it was useful to think of potential ideas for improving our provisions and services, if only we had external funding. It was fun to consider what potential partnerships the Library could engage with, with organisations and companies.

Finally, my initial idea of some guerrilla marketing, to create a stronger awareness amongst students and lecturers that the Marshall Library is very happy to receive recommendations for new books, or more copies of textbooks, resulted in Simon’s suggestion to approach lecturers with the idea of including our PR slide and flyers in their lectures. Again, our colleague Lisa provided the memorable visualisation here of our “cry for ‘HELP!’”.

There are a couple more things I could bore you with, such as the Focus Group we convened, and that thanks to this group of students our Social area now has breakfast bar-type tables and chairs (which are very popular in term time); but in the end, I promised myself to keep this short.

If you are interested in following up on the Sound of Music reference after all, here is a link to the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IagRZBvLtw

CG 

(Marshall Librarian 2 December 2013 to 30 September 2015)

Library Survey 2015 – some thoughts

This is the second year we have asked our users for feedback on the Marshall Library via a Survey. This year saw a great increase in Part I students replying (up 10%!), but this goes with a decrease in participations from all other students. Whereas the small increase in number of respondents by 1%, to 24%, is positive, and maybe above response rates for similar surveys, it means that we are not being given a full mandate to follow some of the quantitative questions. However, the following will aim to present some of the noteworthy trends. For a fuller picture, please look at our Marshall Library 2015 Survey Highlights at Piktochart.

63% of all undergraduate students who responded claim to visit the Library twice or more per week (up by 5%). This is interesting, as the overall book borrowing (as for most libraries) has decreased, yet the number of renewals has gone up by 45% for the academic year 2014-15! When we take the students’ word for this activity, the overall trend of lower book borrowing is continuing:

Book borrowing at Marshall Library

Our total number of visitors (gate figures are up by +15%, compared to 2013-14) also backs up the students’ statement that they continue to use the Library as a place of study, and that this function of the library remains to be very important. Naively, one could assume that each student having a college library, and that the Marshall being in close proximity to the UL and other medium to large libraries, such as the Squire Law Library and Seeley History Library, would mean that students are not too fixated on being in their ‘home’ Library, but it seems that a lot of Economics students prefer studying with their peers. For those who are not sure where “home” is: SpaceFinder might be useful.

There is definitely a fan-base for us as a Library, which is maybe indicated by the more than 70% of respondents who say that they have used the Social Area in the Marshall at least once a month or more often. Our increases in opening hours from 54 to 67 hours per week (during term time, 2014-2015 compared to the previous academic year) got a big stamp of approval: 76% of students (up by 24% from 2014) believe that the opening times are okay (apart from 24/7 libraries, most libraries will probably get complaints about their opening hours). Us buying a significant amount more of textbooks between January 2014 and October 2014 has also led to now 74% of students being ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ (up 8% from 2014).

Marshall Library Issue Desk with box for book suggestions

When it comes to the crucial textbooks and how happy students are with these being available to them, again 74% of respondents are happy, but it is noticeable that in 2015 no one stated that they were very dissatisfied – an acknowledgement, perhaps, that we are providing significantly more copies of most textbooks than most college libraries. We are always, however, happy to have further suggestions, either for more copies of textbooks (if such copies are available), or of books which might be useful for someone’s dissertation or research (either email us, leave a suggestion form at the Issue Desk, or fill out our online form at http://www.marshall.econ.cam.ac.uk/contactus/book-purchase-suggestion-form)

There are many more observations which could be made – also relating to ebooks usage – but I cannot end this post without busting a myth about student library use in 2015: nearly 80% of respondents ‘disagree’ or ‘strongly disagree’ with the statement that they ‘do not consult physical books much any more’ – making a bit of breathing space for traditional library provisions and librarians:

From Marshall Library Survey 2015

If you found the above interesting, you might also want to read the 132 individual suggestions given by respondents – and our comments.

CG

Something completely different to what I expected

Honestly, since I started year 10, work experience was one of the things I was dreading. I thought it would be two weeks of just doing nothing. However when I came to the Marshall Library I found myself quite surprised with the considerable amount of work to be done, with the varied tasks and jobs required to keep the library running.

On my first day of working in the Marshall Library I was kindly introduced to the staff team by Sue, whom all of which were welcoming. My first day proved to be the most difficult as I was getting into a new routine, as well as in a new place with people I didn’t really know. But as the days went on, work began to get easier and I feel like I made a closer connection with the staff.

Getting to work took me a while as I had to get the 8:11 train and then walk from the station, which took around 25 minutes. However, I soon realised that the library was reasonably close to the town centre, which gave me the opportunity to see my friends at lunch as I had a whole hour, which I took from 13:00-14:00 every day.

During the week my work varied with the tasks I was doing. Firstly I learnt how to issue and receive books to university students as well as collecting book references and checking where they are kept. On one particular day, I was introduced to Anita’s work and how she does cataloguing, which took me by surprise as to how much thorough work has to be done. I found that the work became easier as I became more confident, and it gave me a better understanding of the library environment as well as a work environment.

Aside from all the work, Sue was kind enough to organise visits to other libraries for me. The Cambridge University Library was astonishing; when I was told there were around 8 million books, I found this hard to believe. Finding one specific book which we needed for the Marshall Library was actually enjoyable, and something completely different to what I expected. Because of my particular interest in physics, specifically Cosmology and Astronomy, Sue organised a visit to the Moore Library and the Library of Astronomy. This was exciting for me as I hope to pursue a career in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, specialising in Cosmology.

Overall, working in the Marshall Library was, admittedly, quite intimidating at first as my knowledge of the library work environment was limited. However, as the days progressed I began to get more comfortable with working and found it easier to undertake any new challenges I was given. I was particularly enthusiastic when Clemens asked me if I would like to do a project which revolved around Economics, so I thought I would use my knowledge of the German Economy from 1919–1929 and apply it to the subject of Economics to create a display for the library.

Display at Marshall Library: 'German Economy from 1919-1929''

Even without any knowledge of working in a library, I still found my two weeks at the Marshall Library particularly enjoyable, and I now feel like I have a much clearer understanding of what work may entail in the near future.

Jodie (work experience 6 to 17 July 2015)

Austin Robinson - World War One aviator - Part 2

Austin arrived at RNAS Cranwell in mid June 1917 for advanced flight training. This consisted of one week each on the Avro 504, the BE2c and the Bristol Scout. During this time he would also have received instruction in advanced navigation, aerial photography, use and maintenance of machine guns and basic bomb dropping. He successfully passed out as a flight sub-lieutenant on July 11th and was posted to RNAS Killingholme on the Humber for further training on seaplanes.

A photo of a Bristol Scout taken by Austin at Cranwell (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/4)

Killingholme was both a seaplane school and an operational station and it might have been because of this that few aircraft were available for training purposes and, as a result, Austin's opportunities to fly were very intermittent. Nevertheless he passed out successfully on August 10th and was then sent to RNAS Calshott on Southampton Water to complete his seaplane training.

An aerial photo taken by Austin of the flying boat slipways at Killingholme (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/5)

Austin was not impressed with Calshott. It was in his words, a 'complete disaster'. Firstly, there were hardly any aircraft available for flight training and, secondly, there was a massive back log of personnel waiting to be passed out and assigned elsewhere. The situation was so grave that when it became known that a high ranking RNAS officer would be inspecting the station Austin and his fellow officers decided to mount '... the nearest thing one could have to a demonstration'. In order to draw attention to the enormous number of unposted officers in training everybody assembled in one massive long queue for lunch at the mess hall. The visiting officer obviously took note and all personnel were posted the very next day. 

Austin, who had developed considerable affection for twin engined seaplanes, was delighted to find himself posted back to Killingholme for operational training.

SHF

Accessing micro-data (part I)

data.path / FlickR user r2hox (CC BY 2.0)

Obtaining micro-data can be tricky, take time and might actually be virtually impossible (i.e. sometimes it is just not available in the way one thinks it could be available: e.g. either it’s not online, or it has never been collated or presented in the way needed). Hence, if you are thinking of embarking on a research project where your approach relies exclusively or heavily on having access to such data, please do not commit to undertaking such research unless you already have such data. (That is generally a good approach for any data-led or data-centred research, but with micro-data it is absolutely crucial).

The reason for organisations not just handing over such detailed levels of data lies in the data itself: protecting a discrete group of people who might be identifiable by postcode or other means might translate into them not being disadvantaged or singled out. Most organisations have a two-part approach to granting or denying access to such data:

1. Can you prove that you are a bona fide researcher? This might seem obvious, and depending on the stage in your academic career this can be tricky. However, it is easy to see this step not only as a stumbling block, but also as quite snobbish, or even an elitist stance on the part of the organisations holding such data. But to look at it from the perspective of the guardians of such data: they want to know whether you can make use of the data (i.e. have you got the experience and skills to analyse, present and discuss this data in a way which will provide new insights for scholarship, or even for policy makers). Depending how big, or detailed the data, the organisation asking for your credentials might demand quite a high level of proof to be certain that you can handle such a project academically and in a scholarly manner.
2. The second part of an application for micro-data can often provide more technical and legal challenges for giving access to such data. Can the researcher guarantee that the data will not be used by anyone else (unless they individually have applied for access too)? Often data may not be stored in open networks, sometimes not even on any local servers or computers; apart from the minimum time required to consult and analyse the raw data itself, the data usually needs to be destroyed once the project is finished. Again, taking the perspective of those who are responsible for keeping such data safe from abuse, one can understand their position.

So, when you have found a micro-data source,

do

• have enough time to investigate how to apply for access.
• work on the assumption that you need to apply for access and that this might relate to the two aspects as outlined above.
• appreciate the position of those responsible for guarding this data
• accept that such data is usually only disclosed to an individual, not a library, a faculty or a team of researchers.

and do not:

• waste time in trying to find alternative sources of data, or relying on someone who has access to the data to let you (“quietly”) have access to it too – if this micro-data is worth consulting, then it probably is only available from one source.
• take the procedure personally; as some of the data relates to real people and their lives, it is deemed worth protecting.
• plan to have access to such data without having applied for it (just assuming that you will get it quickly is not realistic).

screenshot of  http://bit.ly/1JLbHUh

Just to give one recent example where I was asked for my opinion: the ONS’ Wealth and Assets Survey  is the kind of data where one must apply for Approved Researcher accreditation.
Admittedly, this all is tricky and definitely time-consuming, but the earlier in the process of your research you appreciate the above, the better it will be for deciding whether you can manage to conduct the research you are hoping to do. There are one or two notable exceptions to the above, of which in another post.

CG

Surprisingly more interesting than it seemed...

My first thought of finding out my work experience was at Marshall Library made me think I was going to have a boring two weeks. Working from 9am to 5pm in a library sounded like a dull option but it was surprisingly more interesting than it seemed.

On my first day I met the library staff. They were welcoming about my arrival and the work atmosphere seemed relaxed and friendly. I was taught how they organised books and learnt to issue and return items to students. While I worked part-time doing a newspaper round, this was a new experience for me as I had never acquired the experience of doing a full-time job, nor have I worked in such an environment comparable to a library. The library system was efficient and coordinated; everything was precisely laid out making collecting books simple and easy. Since I am studying economics in school, I decided to take advantage of the resources around me; reading up on certain subjects and looking at the weekly The Economist news. During my stay here, I gained a good understanding of how a standardized library works, learning about the catalogue system and finding out about the extensive collection of dated books hidden away in the basement.

Going to work was quick and easy since I lived in Cambridge.  Travelling by bike, I could avoid most of the morning traffic, allowing me to get to work in roughly 20 minutes. I took a lunch break from 1pm-2pm, often going to meet up with my friends to have lunch on Parker's Piece.

During the week, Sue kindly organised for me to visit the Geography Library, and the Maps Department at the University Library. Andrew from the UL showed me one of the oldest atlases, and I saw the Map's basement, where I saw old maps of Cambridge. Geography is one of my GCSE subjects making it a good opportunity to understand what higher level geography is like. I was given a quick tour of the Geography Library and was shown example pieces of university dissertations.

It was interesting learning the catalogue system and how useful it is to the library. With a few words from the title of the book, we could find out the exact location of the book, alongside a description and publishing date etc. Before going to the University Library with Sue, we searched for a book in the catalogue  before finding its  physical location on the library shelf. It was impressive seeing how large the library was while still being able to home in on specific books easily.

Display case on Brazil: Poverty and Income Inequality

While most new experiences were fun, there was still a bit of repetitive data entry work to be completed, however I soon got used to the routine and became more efficient at it. That's what work is all about. Overall, I learnt a lot from my time at Marshall Library. It was a great experience which has benefited my understanding of work life. Not only have I gained an understanding of how a library works, it also increased my self-confidence and my appreciation of the work environment.

Garrett (work experience 15 to 26 June 2015)

Austin Robinson – World War One aviator - Part 1

Most people are probably unaware that Sir Austin Robinson, famous Cambridge economist, was an aviator with the Royal Naval Air Service during World War One. As we are now in the midst of the 100th anniversary commemorations relating to this conflict I thought it might be interesting to draw upon some of the documents and unique unpublished photographs held in the Marshall Library archives to illustrate the flying career of this prominent Cambridge economist. In this and subsequent posts I'll describe his entry into military aviation, his training and experiences of combat and, finally, his time as a RNAS test pilot.

Austin had just entered the Upper Sixth at Marlborough College when war broke out in 1914. He remained there for a further two years before applying to the RNAS - a decision prompted, no doubt, by his fascination with all things mechanical - he had dismantled and rebuilt an old Humber motorcycle at school - and a desire for speed.

Late in 1916 he was accepted for pilot training but was allowed to defer joining up until after sitting the scholarship examination at Cambridge in which he won a scholarship in classics to Christ's. In February 1917 he was appointed Probationary Flight Officer and ordered to report to HMS President - the RNAS establishment at Chrystal Palace - for basic training.

Austin's letter of appointment as Probationary Flight Officer with the RNAS (Austin Robinson Papers 1/2/1)

Austin’s training lasted for three weeks and consisted of parade ground drill interspersed with instruction in the theory of flight. The latter was performed by instructors with white beards who "... were much too old to have flown, and what they taught us was very little".  However doubtful he may have been about the value of the training he received at Crystal Palace, Austin does not seem to have let it dent his enthusiasm and his conduct there was described as being "very satisfactory”.

Austin's certificate of conduct from Crystal Palace (Austin Robinson Papers 1/2/2)

In March 1917 Austin was posted to the main flying training station for RNAS pilots at Chingford aerodrome. During its operational career it helped to train over 1,000 naval pilots. Opened in May 1915 Chingford aerodrome was described as 'a strip of fogbound and soggy meadowland ... between a reservoir and a sewage farm'. It was not an auspicious location for a station whose primary purpose was the initial training of neophyte aviators. The geographical constraints of the site made landings particularly difficult and a small boat was permanently moored on the nearby King George V Reservoir for the rescue of pilots who routinely crashed into its waters. Nearby Epping Forest provided another natural hazard for unwary pilots.

Austin's flying training was typical of that offered to may other RNAS trainees at Chingford. He took to the air for the first time as a passenger in a Graham White 'Boxkite' on the 31st March 1917. There followed about two months of dual instruction which culminated in Austin being allowed to taxi the aircraft alone and to make a few short 'hops'. The latter involved removing a few spark plugs from the aircraft's engine to reduce its power so that pilots could open the throttle and lift themselves, briefly, into the war within a single length of the aerodrome. On May 30th Austin made his first solo flight, although the exact duration is not known.

Rare photograph of a Maurice Farman Longhorn taken by Austin at Chingford in 1917 (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/4)

A Henri Farman biplane flown by Austin (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/4)

In June Austin moved onto flying the Maurice Farman 'Longhorn' and then the much more capable Avro 504. With a top speed of nearly 100 mph the Avro 504 was Austin's first experience of an aircraft with real power and altitude performance. Although by 1917 Avro 504s were being used primarily as trainers or to equip Home Defence squadrons the RNAS had originally used them in a front line capacity. In November 1914 four 504s had successfully bombed the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen - the first ever bombing raid on Germany. Austin does not appear to have had any problems learning to fly the Avro and he went solo on it within two weeks.

An extremely rare photo of an Avro 504e taken by Austin at Chingford, 1917 (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/4)

A much more common Avro 504k, Chingford, 1917 (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/4)

 That Austin completed his flying training without any apparent mishaps must be regarded as something of an achievement. Although the aircraft being flown at Chingford were very slow by modern standards flight training at this time  was notoriously dangerous, and Austin's sojourn there coincided with a period dubbed 'bloody April' when an above average number of fatalities occurred. In fact, seven trainee pilots lost their lives between April and September 1917.

Another of Austin's photos, this time illustrating one of the many accidents that occurred while he was at Chingford (Austin Robinson Papers 12/5/4)

Although there is no detailed record of Austin's performance as an aviator at Chingford, his certificate of conduct for this period indicates that he conducted himself 'satisfactorily'. This was sufficient to ensure his posting, in June 1917, to RNAS Cranwell for advanced pilot training.

 

Austin's certificate of conduct from 'H.M.S. President II' which was the RNAS name for Chingford at this time (Austin Robinson Papers 1/2/2)

SHF

An insight into library working life

Despite not being granted any of my initial work experience choices, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed working at the Marshall Library of Economics.

Admittedly I was a little nervous for my first day of work. On my induction I met Sue and was introduced to a couple of the members of staff. Everyone seemed pleasant, but nonetheless I feared that people would be unaccommodating; after having heard work experience ‘horror-stories’ from older students. Fortunately my fears were needless – all faculty members were polite and accepting of me and any mistakes I made. By the end of the day I’d learnt how to catalogue, figured out how to issue and discharge books, had been given a tour of the basement and had organised out-dated registration forms.

Conveniently my parents work in Cambridge, and were able to pick me up and drop off at their work on Hills Road, and from there it’s a 15 – 20 minute walk to the Marshall Library. My break and lunch hours were flexible - typically I took a half an hour break at 11:00, and an hour lunch break from 1:00 – 2:00. For lunch I either walked into the city centre to meet friends, or grabbed lunch at one of the restaurants along the river with my parents.

I particularly enjoyed myself on Friday of the first week. In the morning I worked with Sue on end of week banking procedures, was shown the university bank, and was given a tour of the University Library. During the induction I expressed an interest in English, so Sue kindly arranged a visit to the English Faculty Library for me in the afternoon; where I was given a tour of the library by a school classmate. Everyone was again very welcoming in the English Faculty, and I was given the opportunity to ask questions about the undergraduate English course.

During my time at the library I was made aware of the library’s presence on social media, and the importance of maintaining a creative and contemporary business via advertising their services. Although the library has a smaller building and less storage space than those of other departments, the Marshall Library is an essential faculty for the economics students to have as a primary working space and resource.

I’ve never had a ‘proper’ job before aside from babysitting, which evidently is nothing at all like working in a university library for ten days. There were a few very quiet times during the two weeks, but ultimately I grew to understand the challenges and advantages of working in a library. I am now encouraged to persevere with my own academic aspirations for the future.

I have undoubtedly learnt a lot during my placement at the Marshall Library. I feel as if I’ve gained a lot more independence, confidence and developed an understanding of university life. I now have a further appreciation for libraries – particularly Marshall Library – as I now know first-hand how much work and dedication it takes to sustain a library that is, perhaps, a little overlooked.

Selin (work experience 1 to 12 June 2015)

2039, Alfred Marshall and copyright

A lot of people will know that the Marshall Library of Economics contains quite extensive archival materials. Papers by and relating to Alfred Marshall (1842-1924) are one of the bigger parts of our manuscript and type-written collection. 22 archival boxes, various larger volumes and objects give a good picture of Marshall’s prolific life as a writer, academic, and author.

Whereas a fair amount of his writing was published, and some of these publications are even available online, not all has been made available to the public. As with many authors who left us with a substantial quantity of writings, in Marshall’s case we have quite a few unpublished texts in our collection.

PG in May 2015

Very recently, Philomena Guillebaud, Marshall’s great-niece, transferred ownership of copyright to the Marshall Library. For most published works this is of little significance, as the copyright of published texts by Marshall ran out on 31 December 1994 (70 years after his death); however, in the UK any unpublished materials remain “in copyright” until 2039, a date set in 1989 to discontinue perpetual copyrighting of unpublished writings.

PG and CG in May 2015

Thanks to Ms. Guillebaud’s actions, the Marshall Library will now be in a position to respond to scanning and copying requests, as well as to enquiries about publishing unpublished materials, in a more direct manner. The Library is very grateful to Ms. Guillebaud’s generous gift, and hopes that this will help the Marshall Library to assist scholars better. If you have any interest in Marshall’s papers, please contact us.

CG

Work Experience 9th – 20th March 2015

There was a huge lead up in the week before work experience. The majority of my friends were going to work at local primary schools. I had chosen a University library in Cambridge as I have an interest in books and have worked at my school’s library for 4 years; however, I wasn’t sure what to expect, as every library is different and has different systems to get used to.

I woke up at 06:30 every morning to catch the 08:20 train, before walking to arrive at the Faculty about an hour later. I have regular breaks and lunch at midday to 13:00 and leave at about 16:40 to get home at about 18:30-ish.

I slowly got used to the issuing system, which helped immensely and I learnt a lot about what my school’s library didn’t allow its students to do, such as processing and cataloguing books. The people there were friendly, did the usual work in libraries, such as issuing and returning books and had a look at Bloomberg and Datastream analysis. At the beginning of my second week, I went on a trip with some of the rest of the library staff to the Magdalene Library, to see how things are run there. This gave me a more rounded view of the world of University libraries and showed me the different approaches different libraries have to the same tasks.

Overall, work experience has been a nice change from usual schoolwork and has shown me what it is like to have a job. It has helped me begin to decide which careers I would like to do in the future and taught me a lot about the workplace.

Imogen (work experience 9 to 20 March 2015)

Cambridge Economists: Marjorie Tappan Hollond

The Cambridge Economists series on this blog will feature scholars who have had some kind of connection with Cambridge’s Faculty of Economics; some of these will be famous, others are unknown, or have been forgotten.

I am neither the greatest cataloguer nor a librarian who gets excited about cataloguing: after all, cataloguing is primarily helpful for readers to find what they want, and for librarians to know what is held in ‘their’ library. Because there is a basic record somewhere in the world for almost all the books I have had to catalogue so far, it is primarily a fairly uneventful affair. When I recently was about to catalogue a copy of D.H. Robertson’s Money, I found that we already had a copy of an edition in the library (Marshall Library: Rare Books 31 A 13). As the original record of this copy was not very good, I had to consult it. When I opened it, I saw the following pencil annotation:

Marshall Library book: [Rare Book] 31 A 13, showing M. Tappan Hollond's name

Because I could not quite read the name, I started googling, and with the right spelling I found eventually a page from the Archives hub, which told me that someone called Marjorie Tappan Hollond (1895-1977) had been a lecturer in Economics at Cambridge University from 1926, as well as being a Director of Studies and Lecturer at Girton College from 1923. She also was a Fellow from 1924. Some archival material relating to Tappan Hollond is held by the Girton College Archive (GCPP TAPPAN HOLLOND).

Tappan Hollond was born in New York in 1895, and came to the UK at the end of the First World War. She married Henry Arthur Hollond in 1929. Tappan Hollond published articles and reviews. She was a contemporary and colleague of the (now) more famous Joan Robinson, and seems to have been more interested in teaching than in publishing economic theories (compare to Marjorie Shepherd Turner, Joan Robinson and the Americans, M. E. Sharpe, 1989, pp. 22-24, Marshall Library: B10 G 26).

To give you a flavour of Tappan Hollond’s writing and thinking, I quote from her review of The Law and the Constitution by W. I. Jennings (review published in The Cambridge Law Journal, Vol. 5, No. 2 (1934), p. 300):

‘Legal study and the several branches of political and economic science are conspicuous by their absence from the volume. Presumably the lawyer and the economist proved, each in his way, too hard a nut for even the most competent of editors to crack. No meat, at least, has come forth. But workers in these fields are not to infer that the book is not for them unless, indeed, they claim to be exceptionally dull dogs or all-knowing ones. […] The book as a whole serves, as its editor intended, to break down the principle of 'the closed shop,' and to unite its readers upon the common ground of good learning.
TAPPAN HOLLOND.’

So don’t underestimate the work of a cataloguer! S/he might discover an economist who has been forgotten!

CG