Kew Gardens Library and Archive

 



Kew Gardens preserves a botanic collection and is included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally created as a garden for the royal family, Kew is now a historic attraction and a site for botanic study and preservation. An estimated 20 staff work in Kew's archive and library. There is only one conservator on staff. Materials in the archive and library focus on plants and fungi from various regions as well as their conservation, notable botanists, site history, and landscaping literature. Objects in this collection include flat artwork, photos, artifacts, journals, and letters. User groups utilizing these resources are made up of Kew staff, students, researchers, and the general public. Those who wish to read items in the collection must make appointments, but walk-in visitors can come in and view displays. 

An aspect of our visit to Kew that stood out to me was the fact that their archive and library faces the same collection challenges as many other historic sites I have worked for. Digitization and cataloging of works is time consuming and often gets placed on the back burner. Like many other organizations, Kew lacks the staff numbers and time to efficiently conquer these two projects. It is like chipping away at an iceberg and must be worked into daily work between other projects that demand immediate priority. Digitization and cataloging are necessary to collection preservation and while it can be tedious work, it is important to not let it fall by the wayside. These two projects ensure the mission of any library or archive: accessible collections and knowledge sharing.

Relevant links:
https://www.kew.org/

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