Maughan Library

King's College Library, founded in the 1800's, specializes mainly in humanities, law, and special collections. There are currently over two hundred thousand items within their collection, which is taken care of by seven workers and extra volunteers. The Foyle Special Collections Library itself holds over one hundred eighty thousand items.  Like most other libraries and archives of our times, they are undergoing a digitization project to make their collections more accessible.

When we were brought in, we were sat down among a carefully selected example of what the library had to offer. There were so many items that interested me, but the one that stood out the most was the Hortus sanitatus. Translated as 'Garden of Health', it dates back to 1491. The book covered hundreds of medicinal plants, animals, minerals, and other interesting topics. Even more interesting was the inclusion of random facts such as detecting an errant spouse, how to capture a unicorn, and how to never suffer from sickness or tiredness again.

The library itself contains traces of its old architecture while offering students and researchers more modern conveniences such as elevators, self checkout kiosks, laptops, and other things of the sort. One thing of note was the care taken in how the library was built. The bookshelves are all made of metal, each room has its own fireproof door. Even zinc, a nonflammable substance, was used for decoration.

The Weston Room, site of the recent Shakespeare exhibition, was truly beautiful. Once used as a records room and a chapel, it is now used for special functions. The antique tile floor, stained glass windows, chandeliers, and statues all make it one of the more interesting rooms within the library.

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