The British Library
https://www.bl.uk/
Today was a special day--not just one but TWO behind-the-scenes tours at the British Library (BL)!
Mark Browne led the first tour and we learned about the digitization project the BL is undertaking in partnership with the Qatar Foundation.
Team member Salvatore explained how the team of 40 people were creating the Qatar Digital Library (QDL).
This project will allow previously undigitized archive material from the Gulf Coast to be made available to the world. Users of the QDL will have access to information ranging from maps and photographs to personal and official archives to traditional music recordings. We were told that the team digitizes 30,000 images each month. During a stop in the conservation lab, we were able to view a 17th century manuscript documenting the natural world. It was quite remarkable to realize that the beautifully illustrated book in front of us was older than the United States of America!
Our next stop was the Textile Conservation Department where a contractor named Liz explained the workings of the department. This group performs an estimated 20,000 hours of conservation per year on items as varied as 1000 year old scrolls from Silk Road China, Torah covers, silk, book covers, and cross stitch. One current project involved the restoration of two Royal East India Volunteer flags dating back to 1777-1779.
The focus of the entire department is to conserve, restore and make the items in the BL accessible to all. Liz stressed that ethical judgments apply to all treatments.
After a short break for lunch, the LIS group reconvened for a behind-the-scenes tour of the British Library led by Steven Hogg. Our very knowledgeable tour guide has worked at the BL for 22 years.
The BL was not nearly as old as I expected; it was created as a result of the British Library Act of 1972 which separated the collections of the British Museum from the British Library. Initially, access was reserved for serious scholarly researchers when the building opened to the public in 1997 and was formally opened by Her Majesty the Queen of England in 1998. Today, with proof of identity, address and signature, anyone can apply for a British Library Reading Pass. We were told that 250,000 active reading passes exist at any given time.
Interesting tidbits...The British Library:
* has 11 reading rooms with 1200 seats.
* houses the collection of books from King George III, who reigned during the time of the American Revolution. This is the King featured in the musical Hamilton.
After viewing the impressive collection of King George III, my mind immediately went to the songs sung by him in the musical Hamilton. Click on the links below for the lyrical videos for the songs You'll Be Back and What Comes Next written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and sung by Jonathan Groff. You are welcome. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21wgwkzdrkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGS1Ue-PiUY
Hamilton: An American Musical. Performances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Jonathan Groff. Atlantic Records, 2015.
* is required to catalog ALL UK published material which numbers approximately 8,000 items per day. This requires 12 kilometers of new storage shelves each year.
* holds roughly 200 million items.
* utilizes a barcoded-delivery system in which 4,000 bins circulate each day. The time it takes from request to delivery is under 60 minutes (if the item is on site, rather than in remote storage).
* permanently displays over 200 treasured items including the Magna Carta, illuminated manuscripts, Shakespeare's first folio, and more. To discover the full list of treasured items, click the link below.
https://www.bl.uk/british-library-treasures/collection-items
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| The Enigma Machine utilized by Alan Turing to decode German messages during WWII. In 2015 the Alan Turing Institute was created in his honor and rents space from the BL. |
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| Circulation Desk in a Reading Room @ British Library! |
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