Learning in London

Image credit: Beatrix Potter with a border terrier at Lingholm, Keswick, by Rupert Potter, 3 October 1897, albumen photograph, given by Joan Duke. Museum no. E.765-2005. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.  https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/introducing-beatrix-potter    Andrew P. Wiltshire discussed the life and work of Beatrix Potter. I was excited for this lesson as I grew up in a house that had an anthology of her stories. I loved looking at her beautiful illustrations and related to her as I also had lots of pets and enjoy being in nature. It was interesting to get more insight into the author's life. Potter had many talents other than being an author of classic children's literature. As previously mentioned, she was a talented artist. Her eye for observation influenced her art to a level of realism ideal when depicting nature. She also studied fungi spores and and fairy circles. Unfortunately, and possibly due to a combination of misogyny and carelessness, her researc...

Library Manager Helen Ford guided our class on a tour of the Barbican Library located in the Barbican Centre. This is a public library with an impressive music library. The library was very similar to public libraries in the US. Their collection is shared between three branch libraries within London's city service. Along with the typical books, the library offers large print and audiobook options. Their patrons also have access to Libby. Special programs are offered regularly. These are sometimes put on by staff and other times the library acts as a host site for outside programming. Programs about jewelry making and knitting seem popular while Ford has found it difficult to get patrons to attend games club.  The music library hosts collaborative exhibits. Visitors to that section can practice on a silent piano while wearing headphones. Study booths and CD listening booths are also available to patrons.  Families, students, office workers, and the unhoused make up the library'...

Our class attended a presentation and tour at the British Library. Hedley Sutton of the Asian and African Studies Reference Services provided an overview of how the British Library functions. Sutton has been employed at the library for 42 years and had lots to share. The library staff numbers an estimated 1,000- 1,100 employees. They care for a collection of about 170 million items with new items being added each day. It is a multimedia and multilanguage collection, but does not collect film. The size of the collection is too big for the library building. Four storage basements are beneath the building and there is a storage facility in Yorkshire to house the massive amounts of materials. The collection is not weeded. Decanted materials might be sent to the Yorkshire facility.  I learned quickly that the British Library is not a lending library though it is open to the public. Instead of lending out materials, the library offers reading room access to those with a reader's card. In...

A presentation about the Royal Geographical Society was facilitated by Lee Rodrigues, Collections and Administration Assistant. Established in 1830, the society began as a dining club for those who would like to discuss travel. Members began to seek royal patronage and published their first journal in 1831. Today, the Royal Geographical Society awards funding for researchers and provides access to past expedition notes, trainings, and maps or charts. In return for access to the collection in preparation for an expedition, the society requests a report on the venture's findings.  With a mission to advance geographical knowledge, the society's collections provide an overview of 500 years of geography and travel. Collection items include maps, books, photographs, articles, and archival objects such as private journals and other items that were used or collected on expeditions. A staff of eight people steward these collections. Rodrigues noted that the purpose of preserving items f...

Harpeet Dhillon, Deputy Librarian of the Middle Temple Library, guided us on a tour. Her library is home to a collection of around 250,000 volumes related to British, European, and American law. The Middle Temple is located in a historic building that operates as a members club for qualified lawyers and law students.  Early practitioners of law with the Middle Temple focused on refining their social skills and becoming well-rounded gentlemen. In the Victorian age, education became more standardized and membership in the Middle Temple shifted towards learning through discussion, mock trials, and the written word.  Members of the Middle Temple access the library for legal reference and research.  The library staff is comprised of eight full time employees and one part timer.  I was interested to learn from Dhillon how the library and archives balances the guidelines of traditional collections care with the functionality of the Middle Temple. The activities of this coll...

A second walking tour brought our group through the center of London. On our venture, we passed notable attractions such as the London Wall, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben, the HMS Belfast, and assorted government buildings. The guide shared bits of information about London's history and pointed out pubs and restaurants that he believed might interest us. Below are some pictures from the walk. At the Tower of London, I was intrigued to learn about a local legend that if the ravens were to ever fly away, the monarchy would fall. The ravens wings have been clipped to prevent them from leaving!  We passed a World War I memorial that had been decorated with poppy wreaths. I would be interested to learn more about both of the World Wars and their impact on the UK. My favorite part of the tour was when we stopped briefly at the Borough Market. I tried a scotch egg for the first time and loved it!  London is very diverse. That fact is evident in the food scene...

I'm not familiar with much of the UK's history. In fact, most of my knowledge is simply the names of some of their monarchs. I knew a little bit about Queen Victoria and was interested to learn that her husband, Prince Albert, played a pivotal role in setting the foundation for the area nicknamed "Albertopolis" and located on Exhibition Road. This area reminded me of the USA's national mall as there are several museums and cultural centers in one area. On our walking tour, we passed places such as the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the Albert Memorial, the Science Museum, the Imperial College London, the Royal Colleges of Art and Music, the Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Institute of Navigation, and the Royal Geographical Society.  It was difficult to hear the tour over the street traffic and I would have found more value in going into one or two of the museums or approaching the Albert Memorial, but I will instead prioritize those thi...

  Our class's first educational UK experience was a lecture presented by Tim Wood, a behaviorist and consulting partner. He provided an overview of the country's current political and economic climate. After providing this foundation, Wood briefly discussed libraries. The earliest public libraries in the UK were located in Norwich in 1608 and Bristol in 1613. There are several privately owned and curated collections available to the public with restricted access. The Chartered Institute of Libraries & Information Professionals is the UK's equivalent to the American Library Association. Similar to the US, libraries in the UK are feeling the affects of low funding. They are operating on reduced hours and volunteer labor. The UK is experiencing falling literacy rates and libraries are attempting to bridge access barriers with collections in buses and converted phone booths. (As an aside, I was shocked to learn that the UK's water industry is privatized. Wood recommende...

Hello and welcome to my blog! I am an MLS student at North Carolina Central University traveling to London for an independent study course. Equipped with a bachelor's in Anthropology and professional experiences in public libraires, museums, and special libraries; I am excited to make the most of this learning opportunity. In this space, I will reflect on my explorations of libraries, museums, and archives in London and beyond. I look forward to learning about the administration, collection management, and public engagement efforts of cultural institutions in the UK.  Adventure's ahead!