Greenwich Maritime Museum Library and Archive

The Greenwich Maritime Museum Library and Archive is a joint library and archive located in Greenwich among other important areas. The name was actually suggested by Rudyard Kipling, and opened in 1937. Rudyard Kipling died before the museum opened, but his widow understood his love for all things maritime and donated a portion of his collection to the museum.

The library, while relatively small, was great! The size did nothing to subtract from itself, as the number of users is relatively low. The subject matter is very specific, only drawing in those who wish to seek specific information. Family historians, researchers, and students are among the few who use the library, and they will certainly find a good deal of information inside! Along with books comes periodicals and other useful items for any maritime researcher. 

All in all, I have to say the archive was the more interesting part. These stacks were deep and organized oddly, but that made it even more interesting. It made me even more curious as to how British archives are organized. I'm still very amazed by the fact that books are organized by size, with larger books on the bottom shelves. Aside from the organizational aspect, the collection of logs, journals, and other information was jaw dropping! Knowing that deep within Greenwich crew logs from hundreds of years ago are kept safe made me so very happy. The information is very specific, but very important nonetheless.

Another point of interest was the gorgeous portrait of queen Elizabeth. Seeing it in person was breathtaking and truly made me understand why the museum wanted it so badly. I truly hope they raise the funds to purchase it!!

http://www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/library/

Barbican Center Library

The Barbican center library, located directly within the Barbican center, is a public library that has really made a name for itself. Going beyond the call of a public library, the Barbican library has ingrained itself within the local population, pushing to be a staple within the patrons' lives. They serve the public by offering every service they can, catering to disabled, elderly, and those of lower income. The Barbican even has an amazing children's center. 

The Barbican center began its life after WW II. The area had been decimated by enemy bombers, destroying any previous buildings. In its place, the Barbican was built. Originally it was public housing, catering to those of a lower eco comic status. Today, though, the area is home to the more wealthy members of society. The Barbican has become known as a posh area to live in, the giant stone structure losing its once low status. 

To start off, this public library was amazing!! I was floored by how many services they provided. They had children, young adult, and multiple other sections that catered different readers. The children's area was sectioned off from the rest of the library, allowing them a place to play without disturbing any of the readers. The young adult section had an area where children could come and get help with reading. Of course there was a computer lab with a good number of desktops for the patrons to use. One thing that really stood out was the automated book check out. I've never seen one like that before. But then I was sadly reminded that librarians had to be let go due to budget cuts. Another great thing was the music library. I've never seen one like it before! And they even had practice pianos!! 

All in all, the Barbican center library was the best public library I've ever been too. They went above and beyond the call of a public library and did what other libraries only dream of doing. They have amazing resource allocation skills, considering all the cutbacks they've had to deal with. I'm so pleased I was able to visit and see the amazing library. I now know what I'll want to strive for in the future.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/visitor-information/barbican-library

British Library Conservation Center

- image from Londontown.com

The British Library Conservation Center, a branch of the British Library, is a state of the art facility dedicated to preserving and conserving relics of the past. Separate from the library, it’s its own little world, with multiple floors and rooms for their various projects. The room we were shown was a large, studio-like room with multiple large tables. Each one seemed to have its own purpose, each one being used for a different task.

The first person we talked to, Vanya, has one of the most interesting jobs in my opinion. Taking large chunks of dirt, clay, and whatever else had accumulated over the years, she was able to remove old scrolls. Removing these bits and pieces of the scroll, she was able to properly identify them as Tangut, the language of a dead people. Finding something so rare and unravelling the mystery of what it was just fascinates me. I’m really jealous of her job!

Second was Daisy. She was in charge of binding old books that needed to be taken care of. She showed us multiple binding techniques and even did a simple one for us to observe.

Liz was third. Her job was to conserve textiles. The project she was working on was a flag of the Royal East India Company volunteers. These men were responsible for watching storehouses and even aiding the police in London. This flag, covered in soot, was being cleaned and repaired.

Last was Jenny. She was working on the Hebrew project, which consisted of digitizing Hebrew manuscripts. Digitizing parts of a collection is very important, but it can also be dangerous for books. When working, Jenny was sure to minimize the risk of harming the books by using gelatin and other items to protect the fragile pages.

The Conservation Center has been one of my favorite visits, as I enjoy learning about the field of this important task. I’m so glad we got to visit and speak to conservationists. Being in the room and watching them work was an experience I won’t ever forget. One key thing I learned to always remember in the world of conservation: Everything must be reversible.

http://www.bl.uk/abo

British Museum

The British Museum, founded by Hans Sloane, was constructed in the 1700's. Hans Sloane was a naturalist who gathered a plethora of items from across the world. At the time of his death, he gave his collection to King George II to share with the country. By allowing his collection to be seen by the public, he kick started what would one day be the biggest museum in the world. The collection of over 8 million objects covers a massive number of country and time periods.

With the British Museum Act of 1753, two libraries were added onto the original collection of Sloane. From there on, it continued to grow into what it is today. Popular items in the collection include the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, an Easter Island head, and multiple mummies.

The British Museum is a huge collection of items from all over the world, so of course I loved it! Egyptian culture has always fascinated me, and the British Museum gave me plenty to look at. Going down to the archive was a bit unsettling. I understand that there’s gobs of information to care for and keep track of, but the fact that there’s no catalogue really bugged me. I feel as though there’s so much more that needs to be done there, but the lack of funding and people to take on the huge task aren’t there. It hurts to know that so much history is down beneath the museum, and yet there’s really no way of knowing what all is down there. The museum really opened my eyes to how bad a situation in a library can be.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/libraries_and_archives.aspx

British Library

The British Library, London's national library, is the world's leading research library. Construction began in 1982, and 15 years later the British Library split from the British Museum. Due to bad press and even worse funding, the library had a rough start. Even Prince Charles was a critic of the institution. Despite all the hardships, today the library is thriving with activity and patrons.

A large part of the library is its unique architecture. Colin St. John Wilson, the man responsible for the uniqueness of the library, worked on a ship, thus lending to the library’s feel of being on a giant ship. Each construction material was chosen for its unique properties and looks. The white stone outside the library and the pillars inside contain fossilized remains. Sadly, using such stone had its price. The project went over its budget and construction came to a halt, a whole two thirds short of the final image.

A very special part of the British Library is the King’s Library. The large collection of over 50,000 books was brought together by George III and now sits within the heart of the library. The King’s Library is in the shape of a large tower, seemingly going down forever because of the reflective marble.

To me, the British Library is a stunning example of a modern-day library. It has the technology, size, and most of all reach. The sheer size amount of stuff they have is amazing, but what’s even more amazing is how culturally diverse it is. People come from all over the world to research using their collection for all kinds of reasons.

To keep things fresh and draw in more patrons, they have multiple exhibitions throughout the year. The current ones are Shakespeare In Ten Acts and Punk 1976-1978.

http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/searc