ARLG London and South East Visit to the Science Museum Library

I had an interesting visit to the Science Museum Library. The collection concerns the development and history of science, engineering and medicine from the fifteenth century to the present day. The Dana Research Centre and Library is located round the back of the Science Museum itself. We were welcomed by the librarian who told us a bit about the library.

The collection consists of around 6,000 books and journals, with much more located at the Science and Technology Studies Collection stored at Wroughton. Items from this collection, which is made up of over 80,000 books and periodicals, have been collected over the past century or more. There are various collections of rare books and donated archives, including the Patrick Moore Collection, the John Milne Seismological Library, the Comben Collection of works on animal husbandry, and trade pamphlets.

We were taken into the library itself, which is small but bright and airy. The pattern on the window was inspired by the dappled effect of sunlight through trees (reminiscent of Newton's discovery of gravity when an apple fell onto his head), and old-fashioned computer cards. The Library is open to the public, but not everyone can borrow.

Finally we got to look at some of the rare books and archives in the collection, which was fascinating. My favourite was the flight plan for the Apollo 11 moon mission, signed by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

ARLG London and South East Visit to the Shakespeare's Globe Library

I signed up for an ALRG London and South East visit to the Shakespeare's Globe library which I was very much looking forward to, as I missed out on a visit a couple of years ago. We met in the foyer and made our way to the library by going backstage, which was exciting in itself. The Library and Archive is in a temporary building, but in the next few years a purpose-built building is due to be constructed.

The Library and Archive services are staffed by a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. There is currently no librarian as the previous post-holder has recently left, but the archive staff were very helpful in explaining what was going on. The service is used mostly by academics as well as by those involved in Globe productions. Some actors are particular regulars.

The staff members got some things out for us to look at that emphasised the level of detail and research that went into the construction of the Globe over a number of years. My favourite was the letter from Eddie Redmayne to then-Artistic Director Mark Rylance, thanking him for the opportunity of performing at Middle Temple Hall but reluctantly declining to move with the production to the Globe as he wants to go back to university and finish his degree. There are other letters, pictures and legal records from the Globe's history, as well as books about theatres in Shakespeare's time.

I was really excited to get the chance to visit the library of one of my favourite places in London. Many thanks to ARLG London and South East for organising it.

ISG London & South East Visit to the National Theatre Archive

Recently I got to visit the National Theatre's Archive with the ISG London & South East.

 

The National Theatre has kept archives since it was founded in 1963, but it has only had a "proper" archive since the 1990s, and the current building (the NT Studio beside the Old Vic) has only been in use since 2007. The public reading room is open five days a week, and welcomes around 2,700 researchers each year.

The Archive covers three main areas: the first is the most popular and consists of cultural archives, such as photos, press reviews, stage management reports, programmes, posters, prompt scripts and the costume bible - including, in recent years, high definition photographs of costumes so that they can be recreated later on if need be. Many of these were used during the recent 50th anniversary celebrations. Recordings have been made since 1995 (except where contract negotiations don't allow it) - Platform recordings (where an actor or other theatre practitioner is interviewed in front of an audience) have been undertaken since the late 1980s. The cultural archive is fully catalogued.

The second part is the business archive, including meeting minutes, architectural plans et al: much of this is sensitive material. This archive includes the only plans of the Olivier's drum revolve, as well as information about the founding of the theatre  The third part is the external collections: the largest is the Jocelyn Herbert Collection, the archive of the acclaimed set and costume designer, consisting of around 6000 drawings, notebooks and even masks from one of her productions.

As the Archive is part of the Learning department, it can focus on being an academic resource, and not bringing in money. In any case, everything is in copyright so it cannot be commercialised. The Archive aims to support every level of learning: for those of school age, lots of plays the NT has produced are on the syllabus, and many pupils get the chance to take part in Archive Learning Days, in which they see the play and then explore the relevant resources.

The Archive works closely with the Digital Development department: an app has recently been launched with digitised archive content covering the "best" 50 plays performed at the National. The Archive uses the CALM software, and it is possible to search by production, actor, or a number of other criteria. The press often use the information in obituaries.

The Archive catalogue can be accessed online, and you can also email queries in from the website. Resources are used in exhibitions at the NT, and on the last Friday of every month, the NT Archivist and curator offer a tour of the exhibition in the Lyttelton Lounge followed by a handling session with materials from the Archive.

It's possible to go to the Archive reading rooms to watch a recording of an NT Live or other recorded production: recent popular productions have included Frankenstein and One Man Two Guvnors. I keep meaning to book an appointment to watch His Dark Materials - one day I'll get around to it!

Information Services Group Visit to the Zoological Society of London Library

The CILIP Information Services Group recently organised a visit to the Zoological Society of London Library, which I signed up for really quickly. The Library is located near London Zoo, and we gathered in the Council Room of the ZSL headquarters to begin the visit.

ZSL is the charity behind London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo, as well as being a research institute funded by UCL. We were told a bit about the history of ZSL, which was established by Sir Stamford Raffles and Sir Humphry Davy in 1826. Impressively, women were admitted as fellows from 1827. The Council Room is full of pictures of individuals who have made contributions to the Society, including Prince Albert, who was the President from 1851-61, Harry Johnston (who discovered the okapi and many, many other animals), and Miriam Rothschild. Famous names in the visitors' book include Elizabeth II, Emperor Hirohito, John Paul Getty and Jackie Kennedy.

The Library, which can be reached online at library.zsl.org, is located upstairs in the building and is a rich resource of books and journals about zoology and animal conservation. It is open Monday to Friday, and is open to all for reference purposes, but only Fellows of the ZSL can borrow books. We got to wander around the Library and explore for ourselves. Naturally I went straight to the penguin section:

My favourite part of the visit was getting the chance to look at some of the archives and rare books that the librarians had very kindly got out for us. They included an early "Daily Occurrences" ledger, the very first Council Minutes (with the signature of Sir Stamford Raffles), the animal record card for Winnie the bear (the original Winnie-the-Pooh), newspaper clippings concerning an escapee eagle, and a medieval tome containing pictures of all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures (some real, some imagined).

Daily Occurrences 1865

Council Minutes

Animal record card for Winnie the bear

Goldie the golden eagle

Ulyssis Aldrovandi Monstrorum historia

I really enjoyed the visit, which was fascinating.

ARLG London and South East Visit to the Conway Hall Library

Conway Hall entrance. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

I visited the Conway Hall Library with ARLG. Conway Hall is a building near Holborn, London, owned by Conway Hall Ethical Society. It was opened in 1929, named after Moncure Daniel Conway (1832-1907), an anti-slavery advocate and supporter of free thought. These days it hosts a wide variety of performances, lectures and classes.

The Library contains the Ethical Society's collection, the largest and most comprehensive Humanist Research resource of its kind in the UK. Members of the Ethical Society can borrow books, and the Library is open to the public for research.

The Library is beautiful, as befits a resource contained within a Grade II listed building. The resources it contains include historical texts, artworks, music, pamphlets and archives. We got the chance to look at several items from the collection, including records of previous lectures and events held within the building.

As well as looking around the Library, we also got a tour of the building as a whole. The lecture hall is particularly impressive.

I enjoyed the chance to look around such an interesting and unusual library.

The Wiener Library

Although I've worked close to The Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide for several years now, I'd never actually visited. It wasn't until a colleague told me about the weekly library tours, which take place every Tuesday lunchtime, that I thought to visit. We ended up making it a bit of a work thing: three of us went one lunchtime, to be followed by the other two a week later.

The Library, formed in 1933 by Alfred Wiener, is Britain's Holocaust library and the oldest collection of its kind in the world. It holds over one million items, including illustrated and rare books, press cuttings, photographs and eyewitness testimonies.

Our tour included the main Library reading room, with considerable collections available on open access for the use of readers. Items stored elsewhere in the building, including photographs and fragile items, can be requested. Members of the public can use the Library, open on weekdays, free of charge, though first-time visitors do need to bring some ID. You need to become a member if you want to borrow books.

We were taken downstairs to view the stacks, and were able to see several fascinating items which our guide brought out to show us. One was a Nazi colouring book and another was a book of photographs of Hitler and assorted small children: both were bizarre and rather chilling. There were also some documents relating to Jewish refugees who came to the UK.

The Library runs a programme of temporary exhibitions on the ground floor. The current exhibition is Fragments of a Lost Homeland: Remembering the Armenian Genocide which is on until 25 February. This exhibition focuses on one particular family around 1915 who recorded their experiences before, during and after the genocide in letters, diaries and photographs.

The Wiener Library is well worth a visit, even if you don't need to use the research facilities. Tours run on Tuesdays at 1pm, and you can visit the temporary exhibitions during regular opening hours.

ARLG Southern British Library Tour

Recently I went on a visit to the British Library organised by ARLG Southern. The visit comprised a library tour, which really interested me because although I have visited the BL several times, it's always been as a visitor to the exhibitions: I'm not a member and I've never been in the reading rooms or behind the scenes.

The British Library Piazza. Source: Jack1956 on Wikipedia

The British Library, which is a relatively new institution that only came into being during the second half of the twentieth century, is the national library of the UK and the largest library in the world in terms of items catalogued. The building holds around 170 million items from numerous countries and in every language in the world. Information is held in multiple formats: print books and ebooks, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, audiovisual recordings, playscripts, patents, databases, maps, prints and drawings. The collections include around 14 million books, and the Library holds ancient historical items dating back as far as 2000 BC.

British Library Foyer

The Library is a Legal Deposit Library (the others are the Bodleian at Oxford, the University Library at Cambridge, the Trinity College Library in Dublin and the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales), meaning that it receives a copy of each book produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including several overseas books distributed in the UK.

Our tour, which was delivered by a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide, began in the foyer where we learned about the library's beginnings. The BL originally started out at the British Museum: the famous Round Reading Room is where famous people including Marx used to study. The British Library Act of 1972 enabled the BL to be established in 1973, although materials were dispersed around London and around the country for several years. When deciding upon a location for the eventual library site, there wasn't much choice available: it would have to be within walking distance of the British Museum in Bloomsbury, so that the rarest and most valuable books could be carried there by hand, as they were not permitted to be transported on vehicles. Eventually the site at Euston Road was decided upon: located next to St Pancras Station, it used to be a goods yard.

The Library was designed by Colin St John Wilson, and the building has met with a mixed reception (apparently Prince Charles hates it, but the Queen is a fan). Looked at from the right angle, it resembles a ship. It was made a Grade I listed building earlier this year, so it is now recognised as a landmark of design: however it is not without its problems. Wilson spent so much of the Library budget on expensive marble, containing fossils, to be laid outside on the piazza (meaning that it is extremely slippery in the rain) that there wasn't enough left for decent shelving, resulting in some collapses as the second-hand shelves couldn't bear the huge weight of the books.

It is impressive, however, that most of the books are stored underground: the stacks run several storeys beneath the ground, stopped only by the tube that is even further down. The Fleet River also runs nearby, so that the lowest floor does flood on occasion.

From the foyer we were taken to the Members' Area in which you can register to become a member of the Library. Anyone can register so long as they have the appropriate ID: you don't have to be an academic. Near here, there is a book handling system which delivers books users have ordered to the surface by means of a conveyor belt. Staff collect book requests, remove them from the shelves and send them up to the Library.

The book handling system

We went upstairs and were able to get a brilliant view of the King's Library, made up of 65,000 printed volumes and numerous pamphlets, manuscripts and maps collected by George III between 1763 and 1820. The glass tower was inspired by a similar structure in the Beinecke Library in New Haven, Connecticut.

The King's Library

From the old to the new: our next stop was the news room where readers can view newspapers and watch a live news feed. We explored the Library considerably, taking a look at the many busy - but extremely quiet - reading rooms.

Reading Room

Before leaving, we had a quick look at a Library video in one of the quietest corners of the building - left "unfinished" to show off the brickwork.

I really loved my tour: I learned a great deal about the British Library that I hadn't known before. Public tours are available and I do recommend signing up.

CILIP in Surrey Visit to St Paul's Cathedral Library

On Tuesday I took the afternoon off work to attend a CILIP in Surrey visit to the Library at St Paul's Cathedral. I actually looked at cathedral libraries and archives for my Masters dissertation, so I was really excited at getting the chance to see one. We were shown around by the Librarian, who took us up to the Triforium level behind the South West Tower, where the Library is located.

The original Library was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666: though it was not housed in the Cathedral itself, it was located nearby, and fell victim to the blaze. A few manuscripts were saved, however, and were taken to the new Library, which now contains over 30,000 items. The Library is located in a room designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and the wall carvings make reference to the ecclesiastical subject of the tomes contained within. The Library's collections, which relate to Wren, the building of the new St Paul's, the history of the Church and the Church in the city, can be used by anyone who needs to make use of them.

In some ways the visit was more of a behind-the-scenes tour, as we got to see parts of St Paul's hidden from the average visitor, including the gallery at the back used for TV cameras during special events, the collection of historic fonts, and the large model of one particular design for St Paul's. It was fascinating to be able to learn about this unique library and the space in which it is housed.

ARLG London Visit to the RADA Library

I signed up to the ARLG visit to the RADA Library as I love the theatre, and thought it would be very interesting to have the chance to explore the library of one of the most famous actor training grounds. The Library is located at 18 Chenies Street, London, WC1E 7PA, very near in fact to the CILIP headquarters. It was established in 1904, initially via donation, including some from Bernard Shaw. In 1995 the Library was moved to this purpose-built space. In recent years, a cataloguing programme has ensured that all essential stock is now catalogued.

The Library has over 40,000 items including more than 12,000 plays, which form the core of the Library's service and are sorted, in A-Z order by author, on shelves in the middle of the space. Other books relating to particular authors, such as biographies, are shelved with works by that author, while other supporting material such as history and acting/directing manuals are shelved separately. The Library also has a selection of DVDs and videos, a music collection and links to digital resources including Drama Online, Digital Theatre and the RADA Accents Archive.

We were given a talk by the Library Manager, James Thornton. He explained that the Library is for the use of staff and students, with full-time students able to borrow up to 8 items at once. Books must be returned or renewed within 4 weeks. The Library is open six days out of seven during term time, including some late evenings. A cash deposit is required from students before they are able to borrow, which I thought quite surprising. External researchers are discouraged, as the resources are there primarily to support RADA students: they can use them if needed but are charged £10 per day.

After a look around the Library, we were shown some of the archives: RADA has registers of all students dating back to its founding, and we were able to see some of these including the entry for John Gielgud. It's exciting to think how many well-known actors have passed through RADA's - and the Library's - doors.

Thanks to RADA and ARLG for a fascinating visit.

ARLG London and South East Visit to the Wallace Collection Library and Archive

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to participate in a visit to the Wallace Collection Library and Archive, organised by ARLG London and South East. The Wallace Collection is located within Hertford House, near Oxford Street in London, and is an impressive collection of paintings (particularly 18th century French work), furniture, porcelain and arms and armour. It grew from the private collections of the first four Marquesses of Hertford, and was bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace (widow of Sir Richard Wallace, son of the fourth Marquess) in 1897.

The Library began as a research library for curatorial staff, though it is now open to the public by appointment. It contains around 20,000 books, periodicals and exhibition catalogues relating to the artworks in the collection, as well as the De Walden collection of rare fencing books, which it holds on long-term loan. The Archive has files relating to the history of the collection and related material. Both the Library and Archive employed professional staff only comparatively recently.

We were taken on a tour of the Library, which is more complicated than it sounds: the "proper" library is in the basement, but there are other rare books in a cabinet within the museum, and more on the top floor within staff offices. Like many libraries there is a problem with lack of space, and staff also have to face challenges from members of curatorial staff, who like to have "their" books with them. Like many museums, the Library is not always seen as a priority - museum concerns take centre stage. However, despite this the Library is doing well, with the collection almost fully catalogued. I really enjoyed this fascinating visit.

CILIP South East Visit to the Inner Temple Library

I visited the Inner Temple Library with CILIP South East. The Inner Temple is one of the four Inns of Court, the others being Middle Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn. The Inns are unincorporated associations which have existed since the 14th century, and majorly contribute to the recruitment, training and professional life of barristers. They hold the exclusive rights to call candidates to the bar of England and Wales.

The Library is mainly used by practising barristers, though it is occasionally used by students. It is used by members of all four Inns of Court: each Inn's library specialises in a different kind of law so that the books are not duplicated, a sensible arrangement. The Library itself is very attractive, a calm, quiet place in which to work.

LIHG Visit to The Caird Archive and Library at the National Maritime Museum

I signed up for a CILIP Library and Information History Group visit to the Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. The Library is a research library that specialises in maritime history, and holds the most extensive maritime archive in the world. The visit included a talk on the Library and its collections as well as a tour of the reading room and archives.

Introduction
We were met at the front desk and taken to the seminar room where Gareth Bellis, the Library Manager, told us about the history of the Library. From 1937 until 2011 the Library was organised under one design, and was opened to the public in 1980. In 2011 a new library opened as part of the museum extension, including an open space as well as archive stores. The new library allows up to 46 readers, as opposed to 16, to work in the building.

The Collection
The collection is made up of many and varied items: manuscripts and original documents, including personal papers; admiralty records and business collections (such as the archive collections of P&O); Board of Trade deposits (e.g. Masters certificates); and atlases, maps and charts. The Library also holds printed materials including rare books dating back to the fifteenth century and modern books bought by the museum to assist research. Periodicals, ephemera and eresources complete the rich collection.

Facts and figures
We learned some interesting facts and figures: the Library has 12km of shelving, 60% of the materials are stored in the Sammy Ofer wing at the NMM and 40% are stored off-site. The Library receives approximately 5000 visitors a year, of which around 50% are academic, and 40% are interested in family history or general history. Around 200 written enquiries and 120 phone enquiries are received each month. The NMM has three catalogues in all, one for the archives, one for museum collections including maps and charts, and one for the library itself.

Treasures
My favourite part of the visit was when we got to inspect some of the treasures held by the Library. The NMM's links with the Royal Observatory are demonstrated by John Flamsteed's Historia Celestus, a "corrupt catalogue" published too early by Halley and Newton. Another interesting item was an edition of William Buchan's Domestic Medicine, which belonged to the HMS Bounty and ended up with the mutineers on Pitcairn Island.

An account of the loss of the Royal George at Spithead in 1782, as well as a lieutenants log and some memorial books made of wood from the wreck, were present, as well as a letter from Lord Nelson to Emma Hamilton written on board the HMS Victory on 24 August, 1803. A crew agreement from the Cutty Sark and Board of Trade certificates for Edward John Smith, later of the Titanic, were also present. My favourite item of all, though, was a book by Peter Halkett from 1848 describing the author's rather bizarre invention of a boat-cloak, or cloak-boat. As the name suggests, this oddity was designed to be worn as a cloak and deployed as a boat should an emergency arise requiring this.

Overall a really interesting visit - thanks to all involved.

ARLG London and South East Visit to the Royal Library at Windsor Castle

On Thursday June 26th I took part in an enjoyable afternoon visit to the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, organised by ARLG-LASE. I took the day off work and spent the morning exploring the Castle itself, before meeting the others at the Visitors' Centre in the afternoon, to be escorted through the grounds to the Library.

The Royal Library is the third such collection: the first two made their way to the British Library. It contains around 43,000 items, many of which were donated. The Library was built in the 1830s, in the suite of rooms that used to belong to Charles II's Queen (hence why, when you tour the Castle, you only see the King's chambers).

I was surprised to learn that Prince Albert had a hand in developing the Library: he apparently had an enthusiasm for organisation and cataloguing, insisting that the books should be organised by subject rather than size, introducing bookplates, and trying to get more shelf space (nothing new there then). These days, the Library is used rarely by researchers: there are only a few dozen per year, as to gain access you have to specify what you want to see, and it has to be something that isn't available, or else is very rare, anywhere else.

The Library has some amazing items, including Charles I's copy of the works of Shakespeare, the title page of which he annotated with 'better' titles to some of the Bard's famous plays. To my mind he displayed a distinct lack of imagination: for instance, he wanted to rename Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedick. There are also miniature books which were originally sent for Queen Mary's doll house.

The collection contains volumes from across the rare books spectrum. Among the Library's incunabula is a volume of Wynkyn de Worde's Polychronicon of 1495, as well as a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle. There is also a copy of Aesop's Fables, printed by William Caxton, from the later 15th century. More recent items include books printed by William Morris's private press, Kelmscott, and an edition of the Holy Gospels, published in Venice, which was a coronation gift to King George V from the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem, and which has an absolutely stunning mother of pearl binding.

Plenty of other books are notable for beautiful or unusual bindings. Materials used to bind these books include velvet, lacquer, horn and snakeskin. An 1867 volume by William Perkins, woodcutter to the Queen, is about the legendary Herne's Oak in Windsor, and is bound in wood from that very tree.

Not all the items in the Library are books. There are prints by artists as distinguished as Leonardo da Vinci, random objects presented to the Royals over the years, and even a piece of the Berlin Wall.

I really enjoyed my visit, and the chance to see inside a library that is not normally open to the public.

ALISS Visit to the Salvation Army International Heritage Centre

I've had this draft sitting in Blogger for ages. Oops. Anyway, here is a quick note of my visit to the Salvation Army International Heritage Centre, located in Denmark Hill, south London.

Organised by ALISS, the visit involved a tour of the reference library and archives as well as a look around the museum. It began with a talk about the history of the library and archive, which contains material from the history of the Salvation Army as well as the foundation of William Booth College, also on site, where members are trained. Later we visited the library of the College, an open, airy, modern space designed to assist students. The visit was very interesting.

House of Commons Open Day for Librarians and Information Professionals

In February I was lucky enough to be able to attend the House of Commons Open Day for Librarians and Information Professionals. It was held in Portcullis House, across the road from the Houses of Parliament, and was well attended by librarians from all over the UK - I spoke to one who had come down from Manchester, and another who had flown from Belfast!

The day began with registration in the Macmillan Room, where most of the talks of the day were held. We were given an Introduction to the House of Commons Library by Patsy Richards, the Head of Customer Services. She explained that the Library was the Members' Library for the House of Commons - there is another for the House of Lords. The Library supports the work of MPs, helping them to hold the government to account by providing information on all manner of issues. The Library does not habitually help cabinet ministers, who have resources and researchers of their own, but helps to redress the balance by assisting backbench MPs and members of the opposition.

Some of the leaflets promoting what the Library offers

There are 60 specialists and information professionals working in research, providing information such as debate packs, Standard Notes (information about much-requested topics), research papers and personal briefings for individuals. Enquiries are kept confidential, so an MP is not able to ask directly what another has requested. The service can be very busy: on this particular day, which was a Wednesday, there were 89 queries due for a response on Friday.

Maintaining a level of impartiality in responses, particularly those involving controversial issues such as climate change, fox hunting and abortion, is very important, as is speed and clarity - information is often needed at short notice. Research papers and Standard Notes are made available online for ease of access.

The next talk was on Customer Services and it was given by Chris Sear, the Head of Front of House. The Customer Service team is a recent development in the Library, and the Front of House team has been reorganised, dealing directly with members. For instance, floorwalking, greetings and service promotion are all new innovations, while enquiry services, online services, information literacy training and loans are also dealt with. Chris also spoke about feedback: in the past surveys were used to gather feedback from users, but this was changed in 2012, and now feedback can be given via interview, Members' Committees or complaints (which tend to be IT-related).

Leaflets about the House of Commons Information Office

The role of library and information professionals in the House of Commons Library was delivered by Susannah Foulis, Head of Library Resources; Liz Marley, Thesaurus Editor, Indexing and Data Management Section; and Julia Keddie, Senior Library Executive, International Affairs and Defence Research Section. They talked about the variety of roles and responsibilities they had: library resources including both hard copy and online; the LMS and the catalogue; binding and conservation; and disaster planning. The Library holds nearly 260,000 bound volumes and 10,000 reference books, as well as 70 hard copy journals, over 1700 ejournals and 50 online subscription series including LexisNexis and Westlaw. The current main areas of development are ebooks, mobile resources and RDA. In particular, Susannah talked about her work with the varying resources, Liz spoke about her role managing, compiling and enhancing the development of vocabularies for Parliamentary search, while Julia discussed her role in research.

During the break there was a chance to look around the exhibition Aspects of Parliamentary History, introduced by John Prince, Head of the Reference Room. The exhibition, which was made up of many rare documents and interesting texts, contained journals and magazines, records of debates, examination of the role of many MPs (such as Chaucer, Sir Philip Sidney and Disraeli) as writers, documents such as constituency maps and electoral histories, cartoons and Parliamentary Committee records.

The exhibition led on nicely to the next session, which was on Parliamentary Archives and delivered by the Director, Adrian Brown. He talked about the management, preservation, access and research that went into ensuring the archives remain available for anyone who wants to use Parliament's records now or in the future. Funded by both Houses, the records are based in Victoria Tower and the holdings seem fascinating. Dating back to 1497, they include such things as the draft Declaration of Rights, Charles I's death warrant, the Articles of Union with Scotland and the House of Commons journal of 5th November 1605. The archives also hold collections relating to Parliament, such as information about the architecture of the buildings, some local and family history-related records (e.g. records of Papists), and personal papers from such figures as Lloyd George.

The archives also encompass the online world, which brings its own challenges: it needs to be ensured that relevant information is managed, captured and preserved. The Parliamentary web archive offers access to many kinds of electronic records, such as archived websites and Parliamentary papers. There is also an online catalogue, Portcullis, and a public services searchroom: an appointment is needed, but anyone can make enquiries via letter, fax, telephone or email.

Efforts are being made to connect Parliamentary archives with communities. Online exhibitions such as 'The Gunpowder Plot' and engagement via social media are helping to do this, as is the Living Heritage website which holds lots of archive materials. Publications such as Victoria Tower Treasures are also bringing the archives to a wider audience.

The last session before lunch was 'So You Think You Know About Parliament', delivered by Chris Weeds, Visitor Services Information Manager. This took the form of a quiz and was highly entertaining and informative - I clearly didn't know much about Parliament at all as I only got 6 out of 20! I learned some interesting snippets of information, including the year the first House of Commons Librarian was appointed (1818), and the only person who is allowed an alcoholic drink in the House of Commons - the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and then only during the budget speech.

After lunch it was time for the tours. We divided into groups to visit the Palace of Westminster; my group toured the Members' Library first.

After a fascinating tour of the Library, we were able to tour the rest of the Houses of Parliament, including Westminster Hall, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. This was great - our guide really knew what he was talking about, and it was really interesting.

Owing to a mix up at the start of the tour, we arrived back to Portcullis House too late to see the Online Resources Demonstration. However, we were in time for the Q&A and Feedback session at the end.

Thanks to everyone involved for a really good day, and if you haven't been, I really recommend signing up next year.

ARLG London and South East Visit to the Linnean Society of London

There have been so many good library visits organised by groups already this year, and I've been able to go on quite a few of them. Last week I went on an ARLG London & South East visit to the Linnean Society of London.

The Society can be found in Burlington House in Piccadilly (near the Royal Academy); it is the world's oldest active biological society, founded in 1788. We were given a fascinating introduction to the history of the society, which takes its name from Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), the Swedish naturalist whose collections form the backbone of the Society.

Our tour began in the Meeting Room, the equivalent of the room in the previous building where, over a century ago, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace's paper on natural selection was presented. Portraits of the two now hang on the wall, while the current President conducts the meetings from a crocodile-skin chair. I was particularly interested to hear about Wallace: he has been largely overshadowed by Darwin, but he sounds like a fascinating character and was also a great believer in social reform.

We were then divided into two groups. My group headed towards the Library, where we got to see the beautiful Grand Reading Room, complete with galleries. The Library is a working research library which holds both historical and current materials. The Library continues to acquire materials, often those books published by members of the Society, the Natural History Museum, and Kew. There was an interesting display on Wallace, including the rolled-up skin of a python he shot on one of his expeditions, and his sketches and notes. The librarians had kindly got out a number of special items for us to look at, including some of Linnaeus' books and notecards.

Finally, we got to see the Linnean Collections, kept underground in a bomb-proof strongroom. Here we learned more about Carl Linnaeus and his work. It was fascinating to see early editions of his books and it was clear that he was considerably ahead of his time in many ways: for instance, his classification system for living things put humans next to apes - this was in the late eighteenth century. Some of his specimens, including butterflies and amazing beetles, are still on display.

Afterwards we headed back upstairs for tea, biscuits and a chat. Thank you to the staff at the Linnean Society for a fascinating afternoon.

ALISS Visit to the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Back in January I went on an ALISS visit to the Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London. When I think of Freemasonry I think of the Stonecutters in The Simpsons - the secrecy surrounding Freemasonry and other such organisations is rather fascinating, and I was looking forward to having a look around.

The afternoon began with a tour of the Freemasons' Hall. Sadly photographs weren't permitted, but tours are run regularly for the general public and I strongly recommend you check it out - it is beautiful, with magnificent architecture (that has often been used in filming).

The library and museum is on the first floor of the building, which dates from 1927, and holds a collection of books, music and manuscripts on Freemasonry in England as well as some material from elsewhere in the world. The library is the repository for the archives of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Supreme Chapter of England and predecessor bodies. The library staff are kept busy with enquiries from Freemasons and also members of the public - family history queries are among the most common. I was surprised, and impressed, to learn that the materials are open to the public - I had expected that some at least would be confidential, or only accessible by Freemasons, but this is not the case.

The day ended with a visit to the archives and a look at some of the amazing documents held there. Sadly I had to leave a little before the end but I left much more enlightened about Freemasonry as a whole and their library and archive holdings.

ARLG London and South East Visit to the Architectural Association

On Tuesday 15 January I attended the CILIP Academic and Research Libraries Group (London and South East Section) visit to the Architectural Association Library. Located just round the corner from my workplace on Bedford Square, the Library is a hidden gem serving the needs of AA members and students.

Seated in the main Library room with its beautiful ceiling, we were given an introduction to the Library and its history by Librarian Eleanor Gawne. Founded in 1862, a few years after the AA itself was founded by some students dissatisfied with the current state of architectural education, the Library contains more than 45,000 volumes on the history of architecture, architectural theory, contemporary architectural design, building types, interior design, landscape design and supplementary subjects. The Library also holds journals and has a growing collection of e-journals and e-books.

I found the special collections particularly interesting. We were shown several volumes, including a Nuremberg Chronicle from the 15th century, donated by a former AA member. The designs and drawings in the architecture books were beautiful. After a break for tea and biscuits, we were introduced to the archives by Archivist Edward Bottoms. The archives contain material relating to the work of the AA, including architectural drawings and paintings, models and student projects, as well as the culture and history of the Association. Formal cataloguing began in 2010 and an online catalogue is imminent. The collections were fascinating – the highlight being the record of a festival run by AA students in Bedford Square in the Seventies, which involved an elephant, a rock band and fire-eaters in the Library!

I really enjoyed my visit to the Architectural Association. Thanks to all the AA staff and ARLG London and South East for sorting it.

ALISS Visit to the Library, Archives and Museum of the Order of St. John

Gate, Museum of the Order of St John

Last week I took part in an ALISS (Association of Librarians and Information Professionals in the Social Sciences) visit to the Library, Archives and Museum of the Order of St John. The Order is best known for its work on first aid (St John's Ambulance) but has a long and rich history. It began nearly a thousand years ago as a group of monks caring for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem, and was given the name 'Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem' when its members began to take on more of a military role. After moving to Cyprus, followed by Rhodes, the Order ended up in Malta for over two hundred years.

In England, the headquarters of the Order was set up on this site in Clerkenwell in the 1140s. After the Dissolution, its lands and wealth were seized and despite a brief revival by Queen Mary, the buildings were put to different uses - in the sixteenth century Elizabeth I's Master of the Revels had an office here and later on Richard Hogarth, father of the artist William, ran a coffee house. Later, the Gate was used as a pub where writers such as Charles Dickens used to meet, until the Order was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1888. The Order has been known for public First Aid ever since.

Our visit began with a trip to the Priory Church of the Order across the road. This was originally part of the same complex, but the site was bisected by a main road last century. The church was bombed during World War II and rebuilt afterwards; the modern complex includes a quiet garden for contemplation. Underneath, the 12th-century crypt is a beautiful example of Norman and, later, Gothic architecture; it contains several impressive tombs.

Following this we were shown the Library and Archive. This has a wide selection of books, journals and other documentation relating to the Order, and suffers from the common problem of too little space. Many of the archives are boxed and numbered, but not fully catalogued. Maps and prints are also part of the archive, as are some beautiful models of the church in Jerusalem, ornate furniture from Malta, and papier mache models - some of the more unusual items I have come across in special collections. We were shown some particularly interesting and unusual rare books, many with impressive woodcuts.

Afterwards we were given some time to look around the museum, which focuses on the history of the Order. I found the visit really interesting, and enjoyed gaining an insight into such a unique library.

CILIP CDG Visit to the London Transport Museum Library

Since moving to London over two years ago I’ve developed something of an obsession with the Tube. In fact one of my more geeky pursuits involves trying to visit every single station on the Underground network. Therefore, when an opportunity arose to organise a trip to the London Transport Museum Library for the Career Development Group London and South East, I jumped at the chance.

We visited the Library in the afternoon on the 22^nd of May, meeting in the Museum’s foyer and admiring the eclectic range of transport-inspired gifts in the process. Librarian Caroline Warhurst met us at the entrance and took us to up to the Library, a pleasant space at the back of the building.

The Library is primarily used by museum staff and Transport for London staff, but external enquiries come from students and researchers as well as the media and the general public. External users need to make an appointment, because of the size of the library and staffing levels. Enquiries have seen a boost this year because of the 150^th anniversary London Underground celebrations.

Like many specialist libraries, the LTM collection has been catalogued using a unique classification system and has items covering public transport in general, though the bulk of the collection relates to transport in London. As the responsibilities of Transport for London (and its preceding bodies) have changed, so has the nature of the collection: it now holds material on taxis, river taxis and even the new cable car (the Emirates Air Line).

Caroline kindly got out a number of fascinating and often unique items to show us. As well as specialist transport-related periodicals (some of which I wouldn’t be surprised to see on Have I Got News for You one of these days), there were train timetables, staff registers and photographs of stations and vehicles. One of my favourite items was the personal scrapbook of Frank Pick, one of the most important individuals in the history of the London Underground, which showed him to have extremely eclectic interests.

After the visit I had a look round the museum, which has been refurbished since I last visited as a child. I found it really interesting and it was good to know that the Library’s collections have helped staff to research the exhibitions.