In the final week of my time in London and the UK, which also means our final LIS class trips.
TUESDAY, JULY 22nd began the final week of class as Monday was a travel/get settled in London day after mini break. The day began with an optional trip to the Maughan Library, one of six libraries that serve Kings College London (our dorms are also a part of Kings). Having gone to college in a more rural setting, I've been surprised at how spread out Kings and the University of Edinburgh are. The campuses are located all over town, not just a specific area of town. Anyways, we took the #4 bus over to the library and once again, the architecture amazed me! So beautiful. Built in 1851, the library was originally a public records office. In 1998 Kings took over a 125 year lease and began fitting the space for their needs (as much as the "listed" status would allow) and then the library opened in 2002.
Many remnants of the building's former life still exist. As a public records office until the 1960s, fire prevention was taken very seriously. Slate shelving and individual rooms known as cells (in fact, it looks very much like a prison might in places) were used to safeguard against fire and other possible damage. Access to water was also restricted in the building to keep everything as dry as possible, bad to this day there is only one drinking fountain, located in the basement.
The library has recently been slightly remodeled to allow for the introduction of self checkout machines and an electronic sorter, as well as try combining of the transaction and enquiries desks to better serve patrons. While we've seen self checkout at many of the libraries we've visited, this is the first time I've seen an electronic sorter in the UK (although the British Library did have an electronic delivery system). The sorter is different than the ones used by SLCLS, but it is set up in much the same way. However, instead of the self-raising bins I'm used to, they use soft drop bins at each sort point. I can see the advantages and disadvantages to the soft bins. I don't think the bins will ever get full from the system's point of view, but they are more cumbersome and difficult to empty if full. The Maughan Library's sorter was so QUIET! Loved that! Another thing I was impressed by is that during peak times the library is open 24 hours.
After the main tour we headed across the courtyard to visit the Foyle Special Collections. Like a lot of libraries and archives we've seen, they provide exhibitions throughout the library. However, one thing that they do that I was really impressed by is that they digitize their exhibitions after they end so that they are available entirely online for anyone who wasn't able to see them in person. Also, their acquisitions policy is interesting. They provide a home for collections that meet their standards when they can't be adequately maintained in their current place.
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After the Maughan Library we ventured over to the Old Bank of England Pub for lunch, which blessedly had AC. Once again, I tried the fish and chips (with peas!) and it was better than the first time! Then we headed over to Westminster Abbey to visit the library there.
Westminster Abbey and it's library are very unique. There has been a church at the site of Westminster Abbey since AD 960, when a monastic church was founded. The construction of the church as we see it today began in the 1200s and the library at Westminster Abbey was established by John Williams in 1591 after the Abbey became a collegiate church in 1560 under Queen Elizabeth I. He donated the books and shelving and a former monastic dorm became the library space.
The library's collection is theological and is considered a closed collection, meaning that books aren't added to it. Very rarely, if a book with a direct connection to the Abbey becomes available it might be acquired for the collection. Most of the books in the collection date back to before 1801.
The books are mostly shelved by size, rather than following a classification scheme and the catalog is still the old fashioned card catalog variety (how quaint! It is a dream of mine to own a card catalog someday!), although they are currently working on computerizing it.
I also bought a double decker bus Christmas ornament at the Abbey gift shop for way too much money. :)
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After Westminster Abbey and a group photo in Trafalgar Square, a classmate and I took the Tube back to Waterloo. We were so tired and hot that it took us a of couple stops to realize that we were going the wrong direction (although we were on the right line)! After getting off the train and finding the southbound train, we made it successfully back to the dorm. :) After dinner, I joined this same classmate and another to see "Some Like it Hot" with Marilyn Monroe on the big screen at the BFI. It was hilarious!
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