It's been a busy year, full of conferences, updates, press releases and projects, from data to digital and everything in between. No time to make videos. But as the holidays approach a surprise is never far away...
We wish our library and publishing colleagues a very happy holiday season and serene start to the new year!
In every community one finds common quirks, ways and words. Ours is no exception. We invite you on a light-hearted, linguistic tour of our premises, where the people that make up our community will share our unique characteristics through a selection of words, terms that over the years have taken on a definition within our walls that is wholly and quintessentially Casalini Libri. From the instantly recognisable and emblematic red brick tower that represents us, to the stunning local setting and bustling internal operations, this tour will illustrate our work to protect and promote the richness and variety of scholarly and cultural publishing realities across Europe - with a splash of local colour!
Another year has sped by and 2025 is just around the corner.
As the holiday season approaches we'd like to thank all of our library, publishing and technological partners for your continuing collaboration, wish you well for the coming year and invite you to join us as we... make time for wonder!
As we reach the end of 2023, we've enlisted a little help from a seasonal apprentice to bring you thanks and greetings and a pinch of magic for the holiday season and to wish you well for the coming year.
With our very best, from all of us at Casalini Libri
Casalini Libri was founded by Mario Casalini in 1958 in response to a need for timely bibliographic information and supply of Italian publications. With over sixty years of experience, we are one of the leadings in sourcing and supplying research publications from across Mediterranean Europe. We provide a complete range of services for libraries and publishers Our Torrossa Digital Library hosts and provides access to an ever-increasing catalogue of important HSS scholarly content. We produce catalogue records to the standards set by RDA and BIBCO and support libraries in their transition to linked data through innovative solutions that facilitate and improve authority control. In 2020 we formed a new corporate group, comprising Erasmus Boekhandel, Houtschild International Booksellers and @Cult. Although we remain separate and independent, we share the same mission and together we combine excellence in library supply with software solutions for information management.
As we come to the end of another interesting and productive year, in which we have had the opportunity to travel more frequently and greet many of you in person, we would like to send our warmest greetings virtually to all those we have the pleasure of working with. Thank you all for your ongoing collaboration.
Our seasonal donation, as in previous years, has been made to Nati per Leggere, a national campaign promoting early years reading, and the Associazione Tumori Toscana, a local organisation supporting cancer patients and their families, both of which are extremely important to us.
And we couldn't resist sending a little magic to take you into the holiday season..!
Why is Linked Data important for the future of libraries? Linking bibliographic data increases the dissemination and discoverability of a vast quantity of resources that, until now, have often remained hidden from sight in catalogues and archives.
Over the decades times - and fashions - have changed, communications have improved, and information is much more easily accessible, but bibliographic information remains absolutely essential for academic librarians. One of the very first services we provided has always been one of our strengths and priorities, as well as the foundation for many of our later services.
The Share - Linked Data Environment transforms bibliographic information into Linked Data, revealing it to a wider audience and encouraging greater engagement with library, archive and museum collections.
The Share family library driven initiatives are promoted by the Share-VDE Advisory Council, its working groups, by the international community of participating institutions, by Casalini Libri and its sister company, @Cult.
As this challenging year draws to a close, we'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration and to wish you well in 2021.
Instead of sending our traditional greetings this year, we've made donations to two causes very close to our hearts: Nati per Leggere, an Italy-wide initiative for promoting early years reading and encouraging children to develop a love for books and reading, and the Associazione Tumori Toscana, which gives invaluable medical assistance and support to cancer patients and their families in the local area.
And since 2020 has proved to be the year of all things virtual, this short video is our way of wishing you a magical holiday season!
Casalini Libri is one of the leading suppliers of publications from across Southern Europe to libraries and institutions worldwide.
A major bibliographic agency, we produce original catalogue records to the standards set by RDA and BIBCO.
We provide an efficient and personalised service for libraries
combining the supply of publications with a range of solutions that facilitate selection, acquisition and processing workflows.
The Torrossa Digital Library aims to offer institutions a resource that gives access to scholarly e-books and e-journals.
We firmly believe in communication, co-operation and collaboration to optimise new opportunities.
and are involved in the development of cataloguing practices for the future, and the use of Linked Data and BIBFRAME in libraries.
In 2020, Casalini Libri joined forces with Mr Dirk Raes to acquire Erasmus and Houtschild, combining experience and expertise,
and with Tiziana Possemato of @Cult,our long-standing technological partner specialized in information management and knowledge sharing.
All services are implemented according to each individual library's requirements, from traditional hand binding by Florentine craftsmen, to the application of electronic security devices. Options include:
Choose RDA cataloguing in conjunction with processing options for fully shelf-ready books, and make publications available to your patrons as soon as they arrive.
A look back at the last few months.
Florence has been strikingly empty but perhaps all the more breathtaking for it.
We've taken our work home, creating unique office spaces, maintaining contact with you through many different channels...and enjoying a variety of stunning views from our desks!
We've established an exciting new partnership, joining forces with Mr Dirk Raes to acquire Erasmus and Houtschild, to combine the experience and expertise for which we are known.
And we've released a new and improved Torrossa digital library to further support libraries building electronic collections.
Publishers have also been busy... continuing to send us new and interesting works.
While office life has visibly changed to ensure the safety of team members working on site as they prepare volumes for their onward journey to you.
Each year roughly 300,000 volumes arrive at our offices.
The books come from over 4,000 publishers, university presses and museums.
We source and receive many different types of printed material, such as monographs, journals, essays and proceedings.
Not to mention facsimiles, catalogues, out-of-print items and limited editions.
We focus particular attention on scholarly research in Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Greek, both from Europe and from further afield.
Once they've arrived, each volume is checked, added to our catalogue and prepared for its onward journey to you.
Our bibliographers profile around 40,000 titles every year.
These titles are selected specifically for their relevance to academic libraries.
The bibliographic records we create are added to our online database and included in personalised new title information updates.
We also create full original catalogue records, book in hand, to the standards set by RDA and BIBCO.
Our cataloguers contribute descriptive cataloguing, subject headings and authority records to the Program for Cooperative Cataloguing.
All of our records can be personalised according to your local requirements and are sent so that they are ready in your system when the books arrive!